GEODIVERSITY
Hard Rock Case Study

Broadway Quarry
Worcestershire

Key Highlights

• The importance of early discussions with local RIGS groups to ensure geological sites of regional and educational importance are considered as part of quarry restoration schemes.
• The use of planning conditions in the protection of geological sites

Geological Background

Broadway Quarry exposes the Lower Jurassic Inferior Oolite series. Most of the subdivisions of the Inferior Oolite comprise limestones that are well exposed in building stone quarries throughout the Cotswolds. However, the Harford Member (a sequence of mudstones overlying calcareous sandstone) is not so well represented.

The Harford Member is fully exposed on the eastern face of Broadway Quarry and divides the Aston Limestone Formation above from the Birdlip Limestone Formation below. The British Geological Survey consider that Broadway Quarry has the thickest, most complete and best developed section of the Harford Member in the Cotswolds.

Broadway Quarry (formerly Fish Hill Quarry) has been operating since the 1930's and through a series of planning permissions has been progressively deepened and enlarged. The Quarry was subject to a ROMPs review (Review of Old Mineral Permissions) under the Environment Act (1995) and gained planning permission for a small extension, originally identified for future working in the Hereford and Worcester Minerals Local Plan.

Opportunities for Geological Conservation

Further quarrying will destroy the existing exposure of the Harford Member and overlying and underlying limestones. However, the proposed quarry extension gives the opportunity to secure and manage an alternative conservation section. The proposed quarry extension will therefore enhance the geological value of the site.

Conservation Methodology

Through the geological mapping activities of the British Geological Survey, the regional importance of the Inferior Oolite series exposed in Broadway Quarry was recognised.

The mineral operator reported the geological interest at the quarry to the local RIGS group. Consequently the consultants working on the preparation of the Environmental Statement for the proposed quarry extension have liased with the local RIGS group in producing the restoration plan. A conservation section of about 200m in length is planned and proposed for RIGS designation. This section will be designed so that it will be accessible for study.

Use of Planning Conditions

Condition 20 of the planning permission for the quarry extension states that:

'unless agreed in advance in writing, the restoration of the site shall be undertaken in accordance with the submitted plan 90043/E/4.'

Part of this plan is reproduced above. The plan identifies the benched faces to be retained for geological conservation at completion of working, together with the provision of ramped access to the benches.

Ongoing Management Needs

The conservation section will not be produced until completion of extraction in 2006. However, measures for the implementation of a management scheme have already been proposed in the approved documents, which state:

'a scheme will be prepared in consultation with the RIGS Group for Herefordshire and Worcestershire for the management of the retained quarry faces. This will include measures for the maintenance of the exposures and procedures for access for authorised individuals and parties.'

Smith and Sons (Bletchington) Ltd who are the owners and operator of the site will carry out the future management required.

Links with Biodiversity

The restoration of the quarry also provides for the establishment of calcareous grassland. Hydroseeding of limestone grassland species is proposed for the remaining quarry walls surrounding the geological conservation section. Ongoing management of this habitat has been agreed with the Worcestershire Wildlife Trust.