ESSEX: Lafarge’s Wivenhoe Quarry has received a top honour in a county scheme to recognise good practice at extraction and landfill sites.
The works were given a Gold Award in Essex County Council’s Mineral Working and Active Environmental Award Scheme. It was one of only five out of 27 sites visited which gained the coveted Gold Award.
Assessors from the planning department of the Council reviewed aspects of each site, including planning compliance, general appearance, signage, boundary maintenance, litter, dust, odour and bird control, community relationships and action on biodiversity.
At Wivenhoe the Gold Award came thanks to good standards in compliance with planning controls and a commitment to minimising the potential environmental impact of site operations.
Assessors were particularly impressed by efforts to engage the local community such as school visits and Neighbourhood Watch involvement and the careful organisation of processes to protect sandmartin breeding habitat.
Claire Tomalin, from Essex County Council, said: “The site is generally well managed and there has been hard work put in with regard to community and environmental issues.
“A sandmartin bank has been created following mineral extraction and Lafarge have made particular efforts not to disturb it.”
Mike Day, manager of the site, which is part of Lafarge Aggregates & Concrete UK, will collect the award next month.
He said: “I think this award is recognition that everyone at Wivenhoe continues to work hard and that we manage to keep a good, tidy site and we also manage to keep our customers and the community happy.”
Community work at Wivenhoe is set to continue this year with plans for more school visits, following the successful tours organised last summer.
Lafarge’s Roxwell site received a Silver award in the county scheme.
