UK aggregates industry unable to replenish reserves

A NEW industry analysis shows that the UK aggregates industry continues to be unable to replenish its output with new reserves, despite markets falling by 25% during 2009.

According to industry marketing consultancy BDS Marketing Research Ltd, aggregates companies obtained consents to extract around 115 million tonnes of new reserves in 2009, compared with actual production of around 135 million tonnes during the year.

During the past 10 years, only in 2006 has the quarrying industry managed to replenish reserves to the level taken out during the year.

Last year saw the level of reserves granted being significantly lower than in 2008, when new reserves consented amounted to an estimated 190 million tonnes. As a result, 2009 saw new reserves fall by 40%.

Moreover, BDS say the situation last year would have been considerably worse had it not been for two major consents granted to Aggregate Industries and Tarmac. These amounted to over 35 million tonnes and represented 30% of all the reserves granted last year.

According to the analysis, the South East region has the most acute shortage of reserves, although in 2009 it did manage to replenish the production extracted – helped by two consents for a total of 10 million tonnes, which represented around two thirds of the reserves consented in the region during the year.

Elsewhere, only in Yorkshire and Scotland did consents exceed production in 2009. The South West, West Midlands, East Midlands, North West and Wales all saw less than half of production replaced with new reserves.

For further information contact BDS Marketing.