Post-operational Stage

 

After the site has been worked, there are a number of steps to be completed:

Restoration
Aftercare
Afteruses
Completion of operations

Restoration

All mineral workings are required to be restored to a condition suitable for an identified subsequent use. The restoration plans and subsequent use are agreed with the Planning Authority in the original planning permission. The conditions may be prescriptive if the site is a short term operation. Conditions are usually more flexible, setting out an after-use and requiring the precise scheme of restoration to be agreed with the Planning Authority at a future date, if the site is likely to work for many years. This is because economic, social and environmental circumstances may change. Also restoration and associated conditions are subject to regular review by the Planning Authority to make sure that these conform to current good practice. Operators are usually covered by a trade association restoration guarantee or a direct restoration bond to ensure that restoration takes place even if the company ceases trading.

The restoration process depends on nature of the mineral working operation and the agreed subsequent use of the site. Small, relatively shallow excavations are commonly in-filled with inert (chemically and biologically inactive) material from within the site such as overburden previously removed from the site or mineral or inert construction waste from elsewhere. Stored subsoil and topsoil is then carefully spread over the site before planting or seeding takes place. Excavations that extend below ground water level fill with water when pumping ceases and margins and residual islands can be landscaped as lakes for amenity uses (sailing, fishing etc) or nature conservation purposes.

It is impractical to infill large, deep excavations so these are either restored at a lower level by spreading subsoil and topsoil on the quarry floor. More often, these are landscaped by selective excavation and blasting during the closing stages of quarrying and visually improved by seeding or planting on the benches and floor of the quarry. A few are sometimes left for water storage.

Restoration may be undertaken after extraction has ceased but at some types of site restoration is progressive, thus one worked out part of the site is being restored while another part is being worked.

Afteruses

The restoration of mineral workings provides opportunities for a wide range of afteruses which can enhance the local environment and amenities. These include sites for nature conservation, geodiversity, industrial archaeology, agriculture, forestry, fisheries, recreation and amenity uses, built development or mixed uses as appropriate to the planning strategy for the area.

The operator may:

• retain ownership and lease the site to a tenant (e.g. for farming);
• sell the site to a new owner who will then be responsible for its future use
• transfer it to another body for use (e.g. a wildlife trust to manage the site for nature conservation).

Aftercare

If the agreed form of restoration is to agriculture, forestry or amenity uses such as nature conservation the operator is required by enforceable condition to carry out aftercare. This involves management of the restored site for a period of up to 5 years, or longer by agreement, to ensure that the restoration is successful achieved before the land returns to another ownership.

Completion of operations

Planning requirements are discharged only when all restoration and aftercare conditions have fully met. Environmental permit requirements are discharged only when the Environment Agency is satisfied that there are no longer prospects of significant environmental damage. Only when both of these steps have been met are the operations complete.

Any proposed uses of the site following completion require new planning applications to be made.

 

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