Airfield Quarry Update September 2025

As you will be aware, planning permission was issued in September 2024 and Hills Quarry Products Ltd (HQP) have been working to gain the additional regulatory consents required such as water discharge consents, permits and highway agreements, as well as discharge relevant planning conditions.

Overburden removal, and subsequent archaeological investigations, are progressing in the southwest of the site where the silt management area will be created. An estimated fifty percent of the overburden removal has been completed within this area, with archaeological investigations following closely behind. Overburden removal has also begun within the proposed plant site location. The topsoil and subsoil that has been removed is being stored within separate soil storage bunds placed in strategic locations throughout the south of the site.

Towards the end of September, work is set to start on creating the new access road and entrance from the C124. This will begin within the site and work south towards the C124. The expected timeframe to complete the work is 18 weeks, with the tying into the main road set to be one of the final segments of the project. The bridleway will remain open throughout the work with notifications, banksmen and traffic management in place, to allow safe passage for the public. The bridleway has recently been fenced to ensure the safety of its users. In doing so, this clearly demarcates the designated route through the site, segregating it from the quarry operations.

Furthermore SSEN, the electricity company, will be doing some works later this year to relocate the overhead electrical cable crossing the site, to divert it underground, around the eastern edge of the site.

It is currently anticipated that extraction in Phase 1 (the northeast of the site) will begin in summer 2027. Preliminary works such as overburden removal may begin late 2026.

Going forward, HQP would like to set up a liaison group to ensure transparency and collaboration with the local community. This will be used to keep the community informed of any changes or developments as the site progresses. It is proposed that a date is set in November 2025 to hold the first of these meetings.