To celebrate its 100th birthday and to present proposals to extend the life of the quarry up to 2040, Wickwar threw open its doors to local residents last weekend. In spite of heavy rain on the Friday, around 300 people took advantage of the invitation to view the plans for the extension and to enjoy a tour of the site. With the chance to see the quarry and landfill close up and to see the readymix plant, the asphalt plant and the block works plus a cycle safety demonstration and a fascinating display of the geological finds and profile of the quarry including the remains of a meteorite, there was plenty for the visitors to enjoy.
The planning proposals prepared by Shaun Denny and Caroline Wardle should extend the quarry’s life for approximately 17 years after the current quarrying area is exhausted in 2022. The display formed part of the exercise to inform local residents of the proposals, an exercise that included visits to the three local Parish Councils and discussions with the Quarry Liaison Group.
Operations Manager Dave Goodman and Quarry Manager Frank Hogg were delighted with the overwhelmingly positive response from visitors both to the proposals and the opportunity to tour the site. The staff at the site turned on the charm and engaged enthusiastically with the visitors, the youngest of whom was only 16 weeks old!
The planning application should be ready to be submitted to South Gloucestershire Council in a few weeks and will be determined next year.
Thanks must go out to all business teams at Wickwar with special thanks to Frank Hogg, Darren Palmer, Charles Moreton, Mark Mitchelmore, William Jones, Mark Thompson ,Darrell Collins, Keith Taylor, Shaun Denny, Caroline Wardle, Ian Southcott, Ross Cottrell and Jon Wells.