Cornforth Quarry Update
Thrislington Quarry
Tarmac has submitted a planning application to review the existing planning conditions for Cornforth Quarry with the intention to re-open in 2023 due to the exhaustion of accessible, un-restricted reserves in the eastern section of Thrislington Quarry.
As the application will hopefully be determined in the next few months, we are now looking to begin pre-development works in readiness to begin extraction in the western section of Cornforth Quarry in 2023. These works include those presented in the Phase 1 drawing below which was shared as part of the public consultation in 2017.
This will include the following works:
- Clearing the vegetation ready to remove topsoils and clay overlying the limestone.
- Complete improvements to the Cornforth Quarry access.
- Construct welfare facilities, weighbridge, and wheel wash ready for operation.
Blasting
At our public consultation event in 2017, we received feedback that there were concerns regarding blasting and vibration. As part of the application, we completed a blasting and vibration assessment which was submitted to the Planning Authority. This was then used to inform the proposed planning conditions. These stipulate that we monitor each blast, to ensure they are within specified limits. Each blast is designed to limit vibration and air over pressure which is generally the pre-dominate experience of a blast.
Through our long experience of blasting the same deposit at Thrislington Quarry, we are very confident that all blasts will be well below limits set in planning conditions. However, we are also aware that Cornforth Quarry has not been operational for some time. With this in mind, we’ve also agreed with the local parish councils to undertake a trial blast in 2022 to provide additional data.
