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Minerals planning
Old minerals sites can be transformed into wildlife habitats such as reedbeds
The environmental implications of minerals planning are significant.
Protecting sites that support rare or vulnerable species and habitats remains important, particularly sites of local or regional significance. However, careful management of minerals workings during and post extraction has the potential to make important contributions to local and national priority habitat creation targets. This is the message promoted by the Nature After Minerals programme.
Nature After Minerals is a partnership between the RSPB and Natural England with support from the Minerals Products Association and the British Aggregates Association, made possible through the Aggregates Levy Sustainability Fund.
Previously the Mineral Restoration and Potential project demonstrated that over 80% of national targets for creating UK Biodiversity Action Plan priority habitats could be met through restoration of permitted mineral sites. For example, the extraction of aggregates at Needingworth, Cambridgeshire, will meet 40% of the UK biodiversity target for reedbed creation after restoration on a 700-hectare wetland site. To find out more, download the Nature After Minerals report from this page.
The After Minerals website provides mineral operators and planners with the resources to plan appropriate habitat restoration as an end-use. It includes an interactive mapping tool, capable of displaying information and advice for specific sites.
The Nature After Minerals programme
Now in its second phase, the Nature After Minerals (NAM) programme has two biodiversity restoration advisers, a planning adviser and an events and communications officer to advocate the research findings.
The restoration advisers are working closely with Natural England and minerals operators to advise on restoration schemes that maximise the potential for wildlife. The planning adviser is working with minerals planners and environmental groups to ensure that priority habitat creation is at the heart of forthcoming Minerals Development Frameworks.
The implementation of the new planning system in England provides an important opportunity to integrate priority habitat creation with planned mineral extraction at a landscape scale.
It is now widely recognised that conservation is required at a landscape-scale. Environmental groups, the commercial sector and the Government need to work in partnership to make it happen. NAM is a great example of how we can do this and it contributes to our Futurescapes programme.
Northern Ireland
In Northern Ireland, we are working with the Quarry Products Association, the Planning Service and the Geological Survey of Northern Ireland on a NAM project to identify appropriate restoration plans for quarry and peat extraction sites. This will show how restoration to biodiversity after use will help meet Northern Ireland’s biodiversity targets, create places for wildlife and give certainty to developers. The results will be used in the review of mineral planning permissions process in Northern Ireland, and will be displayed on the NAM website.
The NAM team continue to seek and promote case studies of high quality Biodiversity Action Plan habitat restoration, and work with planners to develop strong biodiversity policy that benefits wildlife and local communities.
For more information, visit the After Minerals website or contact: Charlie Butt, Nature After Minerals Planning Adviser, tel: 01265 676 460, e-mail: charles.butt@rspb.org.uk