We have biodiversity and geodiversity action plans (BAPs and GAPs) in place for all our quarries and they are all published on our website. The latest was the new Smiths Concrete quarry at Woolston in Warwickshire where a BAP has just been completed as work on the site gets under way. We also have an indicator looking at quarries with high biodiversity value. These are defined as those located within 500 metres of a Site of Special Scientific Interest and all of them have BAPs in place. We have a database to manage actions within our BAPs and track progress.
One of our most notable achievements of the year was winning the top prize in the biodiversity innovation category at the Mineral Products Association’s biennial biodiversity and restoration awards at the Royal Society in London. It was awarded for a 20-year project to protect and preserve the Alchemilla micans, Britain’s rarest lady’s mantle, at Keepershield quarry in Northumberland. (see case studies)
We are again participating in HeidelbergCement’s Quarry Life Award, which was showcased as an example of best practice by the MPA at its awards event. Six projects will be carried out over the summer with the national and international prizes presented later in the year. For more details on the award scheme visit www.quarrylife.com
2015 | 2016 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|
Quarries | 57 | 57 | 57 |
Quarries with restoration plans | 57 | 57 | 57 |
Quarries with BAPs and/or GAPs | 57 | 56 | 57 |
Quarries with BAPs | 57 | 56 | 57 |
Quarries with high biodiversity value | 35 | 35 | 34 |
Quarries with high biodiversity value and BAPs | 35 | 35 | 34 |
Marine BAPs | 3 | 3 | 3 |
Total BAPs and GAPs | 81 | 80 | 81 |
A 20-year project to protect and preserve Britain’s rarest lady’s mantle, at Hanson’s Keepershield quarry in Northumberland scooped the top prize in the biodiversity innovation category at the Mineral Products Association’s biennial biodiversity and restoration awards.
