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When visiting the countryside in areas underlain
with valuable minerals old quarries can often
form a scar on the appearance of a rural
landscape. More recent quarries are now the
subject of onerous restoration conditions
imposed by the Local Planning Authority.
Hollow Banks is a former sand and gravel quarry
owned by Tarmac Ltd that is located just to the
east of the A1 in Brompton-on-Swale near
Catterick in North Yorkshire.
Mike Young, Tarmac’s Estates Manager comments
“The restoration of Hollow banks to a series of
ponds with lake edge planting, surrounding
woodland and open grassland, has resulted in the
creation of a sensitive new habitat adjacent to
the River Swale. This is a fine example of
Tarmac’s commitment to leaving its sites for the
benefit of the environment, wildlife and the
local community. Ongoing landscape maintenance
by Bell Ingram will ensure that the site will
continue to thrive.”
The former quarry is some 50 acres in area where
940,000 tonnes of sand and gravel were excavated
from the site between 1999 and 2003.
The very nature of the quarrying industry means
that if mineral extraction is not followed by a
landfill operation the contour of the reinstated
landform is lowered considerably. Hollow Banks
is typical of this process and the final
landform has produced 2 large lakes and
approximately 28 acres of mixed agricultural
land and woodland.
The final mineral extraction was completed in
2003 and during the late summer of that year
Tarmac moulded the contours of the land to
produce the landform agreed with the Local
Authority Planning Department. As the agreed
contours on the site were achieved progressive
reinstatement of the land commenced as soil
reinstatement was completed.
The first operation in any restoration scheme is
to establish a suitable green cover. All areas
were firstly subsoiled to relieve the compaction
caused by the vehicles used in soil
reinstatement. With the top 400mm of soil
loosened, after picking stones off the surface
the land was then cultivated and sown with grass
seeds. Agricultural parcels were sown with a mix
of predominately rye grasses and clover, the
woodland blocks were sown with a lower
maintenance mixture of fescues, meadow grasses
and bent.
Woodland areas were all ringed with stock proof
fencing to promote the grazing of adjoining
agricultural blocks. Planting of the site was
undertaken over 2 seasons in February 2004 and
February 2005. In total over 20,000 trees and
shrubs
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have been planted on the site with a current
survival rate in excess of 95%. The species mix
was chosen from a combination of trees and
shrubs which were growing well in the area and
trees and shrubs that are known to do well on
the vast majority of reinstated quarry sites in
the North East. The tree mix includes ash, oak,
birch and cherry with shrubs including alder,
willow, hazel, blackthorn and hawthorn. All
transplants were grown locally and all were
planted in individual tree shelters to provide
protection against the environment, rabbits and
hares.
Mr Rob Whamond of Lowther Forestry the main
contractor on site feels “the establishment and
development of 20,000 trees and shrubs on a
reinstated quarry with what is a very limited
soil resource has been a huge success. Without
doubt the key is to choose good healthy stock
from a local
nursery and ensure as much as possible can be
done to loosen any compaction before planting”.
Having now put in place the foundations for an
attractive restoration scheme, being well formed
lakes, a green cover across the site and the
successful establishment of woodland blocks the
challenge is now in place to ensure what has
been completed is effectively managed and built
upon.
Works over the next 3 years include:
- The planting of aquatic plant species around
the margins of the lakes to provide habitat and
soften the engineered appearance of the shores.
- The control of ragwort, thistle and dockens
around the agricultural and woodland blocks as
any responsible neighbour would.
- To replace any trees previously planted that
have failed; this will preserve the species mix
planned for.
- The re-establishment of Rights of Way
crossing the site.
- Monitoring the free draining nature of the
agricultural blocks of land and installing any
under drainage necessary.
- To continue to develop the grass sward and
move livestock onto the agricultural blocks to
ensure the agricultural land can be made
productive and self managing.
- Monitor the effect of wave action on the
lakes causing erosion to banksides and shores.
Bell Ingram are delighted to
be involved in land reclamation projects such as
Hollow Banks and we currently have instructions
on five similar former quarry sites. The key to
any successful reclamation scheme is continuity
throughout, from the design of the restoration
scheme through to its implementation and handing
back to the landowner. Continuity of thought,
ideas and management is essential to keep
landowners, Local Planning Authorities, Mineral
Operators and all other interested parties
satisfied throughout.
Steve J Parlett MRICS
Director
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