Putting The Environment First
WBB Minerals outline their approach to the environment and restoration
For any quarrying company with ownership of extensive landholdings, there is an inherent responsibility to protect the local environment attached to the ownership. With landholdings throughout England and Scotland, WBB Minerals take this responsibility very seriously and approach each restoration project with the same high quality standards, whether it is progressive restoration of a working site, maintenance of restored land or surplus land.
In past years, many previously quarried areas have developed important wildlife interests with little in the way of ‘restoration’ and without intervention in terms of active management. While it is sometimes said that nature should perhaps be allowed ‘to take its course’, what is clear is that if land of important wildlife interest is to be a high priority for landowners, then active and appropriate management is of great importance.
Partnership working
The minerals extraction industry has often been accused of not putting the environment first when developing working plans. Most quarrying companies, including WBB Minerals, would immediately refute this and point to the excellent restoration projects to be found all over the UK. In fact, many nature conservation areas would not necessarily be preserved if it were not for the efforts of quarry restoration projects. Similarly, some of the UK’s Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs) were previously active quarries.
Changes in the quarrying industry’s approach have resulted in more direct involvement by local communities and wildlife groups in restoration projects, ensuring that what is delivered is appropriate to their needs and the needs of the local environment. Their input is now seen as vital and, particularly with larger progressive sites, long-term relationships can be built up with local communities and wildlife trusts to ensure that the right environments are created.
By working in partnership with local groups and communities, WBB Minerals are building upon their distinguished track record of quarry restoration and wildlife-enhancement initiatives. Through the wide range of sites that are managed for wildlife, the company have been contributing to local or national biodiversity targets for a number of years. Nevertheless, WBB Minerals felt that they needed to develop an overall strategy for wildlife management and restoration projects, and therefore in 2003 took their first public steps towards producing their own national Biodiversity Action Plan.
Planning biodiversity
One year on and the company have made significant progress in forming biodiversity teams local to their operations. These teams are beginning the task of monitoring species and producing ‘green audits’ at the company’s sites across the UK. Key to the development of the ‘green audits’ has been the interaction between the various stakeholders at each site. In addition to the local communities themselves, it has been vitally important to include parish, district and county councils, regional wildlife trusts, the Environment Agency, English Nature, local drainage board companies and public- and private-sector ecologists.
Representatives of a number of these organizations are included in the biodiversity teams, which meet on a regular basis to discuss a wide range of issues including, for example, UK and county-level biodiversity targets and how, potentially, they can be addressed at a company and site-specific level. WBB Minerals, with the aid of team members from recognized fields, are recording species and habitats at a range of sites in order to build up a picture over time of the changes taking place. Site teams are then informed to determine the appropriate management to achieve the desired targets. Local volunteers, conservation groups, graziers and contractors are also playing an important part in recording and carrying out the ‘green audits’.
Every WBB Minerals quarrying site is different, therefore a standard restoration approach is not necessarily appropriate or even desirable. Specific wildlife-management needs must be taken into account and appropriate management techniques implemented, as demonstrated in the following examples:
Messingham Nature Reserve, North Lincolnshire: This site has been operational in quarrying terms for over 50 years, extracting sands primarily for use in the manufacture of coloured glass. A previously quarried part of the site has achieved SSSI status, largely through the quality of management by Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust. The area is made up of a combination of blocks of woodland, open areas of water, heathland and areas of bare sand.
The site covers over 100 acres and supports more than 1,800 different species of flora and fauna. As well as boasting some 500 species of plant, including pillwort, fragrant orchid and marsh helleborine, the site has recorded up to 120 species of bee and wasp and has one of the highest recorded numbers of visiting herons. In addition, 18 species of dragonflies — including the migrant hawker — have been observed at the site, as have water voles. In addition, some 220 species of birds, including the bittern, marsh harrier, sparrow hawk, goldcrest and firecrest, together with 24 species of butterfly and 472 species of moth, including the scarce vapourer, have been recorded at the site.
South Devon operations: In this region there is a very extensive and varied landholding consisting of operational quarries, restored land, future operational areas and land not required for quarrying. Within the Bovey Basin, the key sites are the Chudleigh Knighton Heath SSSI and the Woolborough Fen SSSI. These are recognized for their lowland-heath vegetation and bog myrtle respectively. Within the Chudleigh Knighton Heath SSSI WBB Minerals (in association with the Devon Wildlife Trust), have created five ponds now noted for 12 breeding species of dragonfly, including a small population of keeled skimmers. A detailed pond strategy is also being developed, as this is an important area noted for both butterflies and dragonflies. As well as having the potential to provide new habitats, local flood alleviation is also being studied in conjunction with this strategy.
Redhill operations, Surrey: A variety of areas and habitats are managed by the local biodiversity team including arable land, ancient woodlands, hedgerows, grasslands and open water bodies. These areas vary in practical use from conservation through to recreational and productive agricultural landholdings. Spynes Mere is a lake area that was formerly a working silica sand quarry and is now leased to the Surrey Wildlife Trust. WBB Minerals, working in co-operation with the Trust, Surrey County Council and the Environment Agency, are actively involved in the conservation and management of this lake and the adjacent river corridor.
In any nature conservation reserve, survey work and active management need to go hand-in-hand. Survey work reveals what is present and whether or not it is thriving. Management can then be carried out to benefit the important species and control any undesirable ones, such as ragwort and scrub.
With any restoration site, there is often the requirement to remove hedgerows or trees in order to provide the right conditions for long-term restoration. Every quarrying company will do this, but what is often not appreciated is that what the industry puts back is often far greater. For example, WBB Minerals removed approximately 800 trees during 2002 but planted more than 21,000 trees and shrubs in return. In fact, over the past eight years the company have planted a total of 138,500 trees and shrubs.
The most successful restorations are those which naturally fit into the environment and complement the existing wildlife. Quarrying sites provide the perfect foundations for water-based restoration projects and communities often welcome this injection of different species and habitats and the opportunities for public access and recreational use.
Future restoration
Biodiversity initiatives are not merely an afterthought once sites have been restored. At the very earliest stages of planning for a new quarry or quarry extension, and during the environmental impact assessment, options are examined and assessed. Quarry restoration profiles are modified and tested, and interactions between key disciplines (such as ecology and hydrology) are studied to arrive at an acceptable restoration scheme, perhaps addressing many competing local interests. In many cases, detailed restoration and aftercare-management schemes are submitted. These will aim to secure long-term management of a site and, if a legal agreement is attached, will very often result in the establishment of a nominated site team.
This is the modern quarrying industry’s approach to the environment and restoration — one of not simply meeting statutory requirements, but going beyond these guidelines and taking up the challenge of developing first-class nature habitats.
Case study: Wicken North Nature Conservation Reserve, King’s Lynn
Farming systems developed in the early nineteenth century allowed landowners to reclaim the ‘sandy wastelands’ of north Norfolk and create productive farmland. Today, the heaths that remain are being protected and new ones recreated. WBB Minerals’ restored 100-acre sand quarry at Wicken North and Doublewood supports a wide variety of important wildlife habitats and species.
Around 173 plant species have been recorded at the site to date. There is also a wide variation in the mixtures of plants present in different parts of the site, reflecting the varied soil conditions. In the north-east of the site there is an area of heathland with heather regenerating naturally from buried seed. Mainly in the south-east is an area of acid grassland similar to that found in parts of the Norfolk Brecks. By contrast, the north-west part of the site has calcareous grassland with plants such as centaury, while in the lower-lying areas nearer the water table there are species such as hard and soft rushes. There are also extensive stands of gorse and broom providing food and coverage for birds and reptiles.
The different types of plant community and the two lakes each support different kinds of wildlife, making this an unusually rich and exceptional place. So far, numbers of nationally rare insects have been found (moths and damselflies), as well as many other uncommon species including different kinds of wasps, beetles and leafhoppers. Three species of reptiles — adders, slow-worms and common lizards — occur at the site and there are a number of rare breeding birds including grey partridge, nightjar, woodlark and lapwing.
The site is being actively managed by WBB Minerals to improve its wildlife value. For example, a programme of thistle and ragwort control is undertaken each year and birch scrub and bracken are also controlled to prevent them from overwhelming the heath. The amount of gorse and broom is also restricted. An area of shingle has been created in the hope of attracting nesting waders; this year lapwings have nested on it. The most important part of the management is grazing by cattle, which helps to manage and enhance the vegetation structure that heathland reptiles and birds require.
Access for the public has had to be controlled for a number of reasons, one of which is that breeding woodlark are specially protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act. Only by appropriate access and management can the site develop for maximum nature conservation potential through the reintroduction of species that have moved away and by providing other nearby reserves with a wildlife link.
WBB Minerals have an active policy of seeking to achieve the best possible benefits to wildlife and the conservation of biodiversity on their landholdings nationally. In
2003 the restoration and management of the Wicken North site won an award from CPRE Norfolk and management will continue alongside the positive restoration of further areas of previously quarried land on the company’s local landholding.
Current areas of extraction at the adjacent Wicken South site are being restored in a manner that will mirror what is successfully developing at Wicken North. This joined-up approach to restoration will provide another area of heathland and grassland communities in a locality that, historically, has been intensively farmed.
For any quarrying company with ownership of extensive landholdings, there is an inherent responsibility to protect the local environment attached to the ownership. With landholdings throughout England and Scotland, WBB Minerals take this responsibility very seriously and approach each restoration project with the same high quality standards, whether it is progressive restoration of a working site, maintenance of restored land or surplus land.
In past years, many previously quarried areas have developed important wildlife interests with little in the way of ‘restoration’ and without intervention in terms of active management. While it is sometimes said that nature should perhaps be allowed ‘to take its course’, what is clear is that if land of important wildlife interest is to be a high priority for landowners, then active and appropriate management is of great importance.
Partnership working
The minerals extraction industry has often been accused of not putting the environment first when developing working plans. Most quarrying companies, including WBB Minerals, would immediately refute this and point to the excellent restoration projects to be found all over the UK. In fact, many nature conservation areas would not necessarily be preserved if it were not for the efforts of quarry restoration projects. Similarly, some of the UK’s Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs) were previously active quarries.
Changes in the quarrying industry’s approach have resulted in more direct involvement by local communities and wildlife groups in restoration projects, ensuring that what is delivered is appropriate to their needs and the needs of the local environment. Their input is now seen as vital and, particularly with larger progressive sites, long-term relationships can be built up with local communities and wildlife trusts to ensure that the right environments are created.
By working in partnership with local groups and communities, WBB Minerals are building upon their distinguished track record of quarry restoration and wildlife-enhancement initiatives. Through the wide range of sites that are managed for wildlife, the company have been contributing to local or national biodiversity targets for a number of years. Nevertheless, WBB Minerals felt that they needed to develop an overall strategy for wildlife management and restoration projects, and therefore in 2003 took their first public steps towards producing their own national Biodiversity Action Plan.
Planning biodiversity
One year on and the company have made significant progress in forming biodiversity teams local to their operations. These teams are beginning the task of monitoring species and producing ‘green audits’ at the company’s sites across the UK. Key to the development of the ‘green audits’ has been the interaction between the various stakeholders at each site. In addition to the local communities themselves, it has been vitally important to include parish, district and county councils, regional wildlife trusts, the Environment Agency, English Nature, local drainage board companies and public- and private-sector ecologists.
Representatives of a number of these organizations are included in the biodiversity teams, which meet on a regular basis to discuss a wide range of issues including, for example, UK and county-level biodiversity targets and how, potentially, they can be addressed at a company and site-specific level. WBB Minerals, with the aid of team members from recognized fields, are recording species and habitats at a range of sites in order to build up a picture over time of the changes taking place. Site teams are then informed to determine the appropriate management to achieve the desired targets. Local volunteers, conservation groups, graziers and contractors are also playing an important part in recording and carrying out the ‘green audits’.
Every WBB Minerals quarrying site is different, therefore a standard restoration approach is not necessarily appropriate or even desirable. Specific wildlife-management needs must be taken into account and appropriate management techniques implemented, as demonstrated in the following examples:
Messingham Nature Reserve, North Lincolnshire: This site has been operational in quarrying terms for over 50 years, extracting sands primarily for use in the manufacture of coloured glass. A previously quarried part of the site has achieved SSSI status, largely through the quality of management by Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust. The area is made up of a combination of blocks of woodland, open areas of water, heathland and areas of bare sand.
The site covers over 100 acres and supports more than 1,800 different species of flora and fauna. As well as boasting some 500 species of plant, including pillwort, fragrant orchid and marsh helleborine, the site has recorded up to 120 species of bee and wasp and has one of the highest recorded numbers of visiting herons. In addition, 18 species of dragonflies — including the migrant hawker — have been observed at the site, as have water voles. In addition, some 220 species of birds, including the bittern, marsh harrier, sparrow hawk, goldcrest and firecrest, together with 24 species of butterfly and 472 species of moth, including the scarce vapourer, have been recorded at the site.
South Devon operations: In this region there is a very extensive and varied landholding consisting of operational quarries, restored land, future operational areas and land not required for quarrying. Within the Bovey Basin, the key sites are the Chudleigh Knighton Heath SSSI and the Woolborough Fen SSSI. These are recognized for their lowland-heath vegetation and bog myrtle respectively. Within the Chudleigh Knighton Heath SSSI WBB Minerals (in association with the Devon Wildlife Trust), have created five ponds now noted for 12 breeding species of dragonfly, including a small population of keeled skimmers. A detailed pond strategy is also being developed, as this is an important area noted for both butterflies and dragonflies. As well as having the potential to provide new habitats, local flood alleviation is also being studied in conjunction with this strategy.
Redhill operations, Surrey: A variety of areas and habitats are managed by the local biodiversity team including arable land, ancient woodlands, hedgerows, grasslands and open water bodies. These areas vary in practical use from conservation through to recreational and productive agricultural landholdings. Spynes Mere is a lake area that was formerly a working silica sand quarry and is now leased to the Surrey Wildlife Trust. WBB Minerals, working in co-operation with the Trust, Surrey County Council and the Environment Agency, are actively involved in the conservation and management of this lake and the adjacent river corridor.
In any nature conservation reserve, survey work and active management need to go hand-in-hand. Survey work reveals what is present and whether or not it is thriving. Management can then be carried out to benefit the important species and control any undesirable ones, such as ragwort and scrub.
With any restoration site, there is often the requirement to remove hedgerows or trees in order to provide the right conditions for long-term restoration. Every quarrying company will do this, but what is often not appreciated is that what the industry puts back is often far greater. For example, WBB Minerals removed approximately 800 trees during 2002 but planted more than 21,000 trees and shrubs in return. In fact, over the past eight years the company have planted a total of 138,500 trees and shrubs.
The most successful restorations are those which naturally fit into the environment and complement the existing wildlife. Quarrying sites provide the perfect foundations for water-based restoration projects and communities often welcome this injection of different species and habitats and the opportunities for public access and recreational use.
Future restoration
Biodiversity initiatives are not merely an afterthought once sites have been restored. At the very earliest stages of planning for a new quarry or quarry extension, and during the environmental impact assessment, options are examined and assessed. Quarry restoration profiles are modified and tested, and interactions between key disciplines (such as ecology and hydrology) are studied to arrive at an acceptable restoration scheme, perhaps addressing many competing local interests. In many cases, detailed restoration and aftercare-management schemes are submitted. These will aim to secure long-term management of a site and, if a legal agreement is attached, will very often result in the establishment of a nominated site team.
This is the modern quarrying industry’s approach to the environment and restoration — one of not simply meeting statutory requirements, but going beyond these guidelines and taking up the challenge of developing first-class nature habitats.
Case study: Wicken North Nature Conservation Reserve, King’s Lynn
Farming systems developed in the early nineteenth century allowed landowners to reclaim the ‘sandy wastelands’ of north Norfolk and create productive farmland. Today, the heaths that remain are being protected and new ones recreated. WBB Minerals’ restored 100-acre sand quarry at Wicken North and Doublewood supports a wide variety of important wildlife habitats and species.
Around 173 plant species have been recorded at the site to date. There is also a wide variation in the mixtures of plants present in different parts of the site, reflecting the varied soil conditions. In the north-east of the site there is an area of heathland with heather regenerating naturally from buried seed. Mainly in the south-east is an area of acid grassland similar to that found in parts of the Norfolk Brecks. By contrast, the north-west part of the site has calcareous grassland with plants such as centaury, while in the lower-lying areas nearer the water table there are species such as hard and soft rushes. There are also extensive stands of gorse and broom providing food and coverage for birds and reptiles.
The different types of plant community and the two lakes each support different kinds of wildlife, making this an unusually rich and exceptional place. So far, numbers of nationally rare insects have been found (moths and damselflies), as well as many other uncommon species including different kinds of wasps, beetles and leafhoppers. Three species of reptiles — adders, slow-worms and common lizards — occur at the site and there are a number of rare breeding birds including grey partridge, nightjar, woodlark and lapwing.
The site is being actively managed by WBB Minerals to improve its wildlife value. For example, a programme of thistle and ragwort control is undertaken each year and birch scrub and bracken are also controlled to prevent them from overwhelming the heath. The amount of gorse and broom is also restricted. An area of shingle has been created in the hope of attracting nesting waders; this year lapwings have nested on it. The most important part of the management is grazing by cattle, which helps to manage and enhance the vegetation structure that heathland reptiles and birds require.
Access for the public has had to be controlled for a number of reasons, one of which is that breeding woodlark are specially protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act. Only by appropriate access and management can the site develop for maximum nature conservation potential through the reintroduction of species that have moved away and by providing other nearby reserves with a wildlife link.
WBB Minerals have an active policy of seeking to achieve the best possible benefits to wildlife and the conservation of biodiversity on their landholdings nationally. In
2003 the restoration and management of the Wicken North site won an award from CPRE Norfolk and management will continue alongside the positive restoration of further areas of previously quarried land on the company’s local landholding.
Current areas of extraction at the adjacent Wicken South site are being restored in a manner that will mirror what is successfully developing at Wicken North. This joined-up approach to restoration will provide another area of heathland and grassland communities in a locality that, historically, has been intensively farmed.
