Biodiversity
Sand & Gravel Case Study

Lydd Pit, Dungeness, Kent
Hanson Aggregates

Lydd Pit is located in south-east Kent on the Dungeness Peninsula - a headland largely consisting of marsh and shingle.

The area as a whole has been internationally recognised for its ecological, geomorphological and ornithological interests, with much of the peninsula (including Lydd Pit) designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and proposed as Special Area of Conversation, Ramsar and Special Protection Area status. Large areas of Dungeness, (including much of the operating company's restored land) now form one of the RSPB's most popular national bird reserves. Moreover, English Nature recently declared most of the SSSI, including the Lydd Pit area, as a National Nature Reserve.

Although gravel workings in the vicinity of Lydd Pit took place in the last century, the first commercial extraction commenced in the early 1930's. The gravel deposits have generally been some 5 to 6 metres deep, with the water table 1 to 2 metres below the surface. The pits have always been worked wet, below the natural water table.

Planning

At the end of World War II, two very large Interim Development Order permissions were granted, and by the early 1970's these had generally been worked out. Subsequent permissions were granted in 1976, 1981, 1988 and 1993. Dengwest, the last of these, ceased extraction in 1997. Since then, material has been imported to the site's processing plant from a new remote site north of Lydd town, which was granted planning permission in 1998.

Restoration

In recognition of the conservation value of Dungeness, the more recently permitted workings have sought to protect the most important features of the area and also to ensure that the restored gravel pits benefit by enrichment of the biodiversity. Since the 1970's, the operating company has enjoyed a close working relationship with the RSPB, who as a major landowner, was keen to enhance the area for the benefit of migratory and other bird species which were losing their natural habitats.

The majority of the extracted areas have been restored to lake. Virgin gravel has, however, been left to form the core of islands and shorelines upon which extensive shallows have been formed using silts. These have been planted with water marginal species to create a breeding and feeding habitat for a variety of wetland birds.

Due to the success of the restored landform and ongoing management by the RSPB, over 1800 pairs of birds now breed on the site, including 60 different species. The RSPB opened a visitor centre in 1971, which attracts around 25,000 visitors each year.