Hanson Quarry Products Europe Ltd

Objective

The restoration to multiple uses of the Middleton Quarry.

Context

Middleton Quarry is located approximately 1.5 km south west of Tamworth in the West Midlands in England, within the River Tame valley and principally in the county of Staffordshire but with part of the site in the county of Warwickshire. The site was largely intensive farmland, with degraded landscape features and character prior to excavation of alluvial sand and gravel deposits integrated with progressive restoration to beneficial landscape habitats and after uses.

Actions

Control over water level fluctuations will be required over key areas for nesting birds to prevent flooding of nests during spring floods.

Restored landscapes and land uses within a woodland setting including: football pitches, farmland, woodland, wetlands and fishing lakes.

River widening and braiding, reconnecting the river to the floodplain and its new landscape of wetland habitat-mosaic.

To utilise vegetation, especially reedbeds, to filter nutrients from incoming water from the River Tame (of moderate quality) to create improved water quality conditions across wetland areas more remote from the main river.

Result

Middleton provides a wide range of wildlife, environmental, landscape and public amenity benefits, including a first class nature reserve readily accessible to local people and attracting visitors from across the West Midlands. A network of public rights of way already exists across the site. Eventually a series of visitor paths will allow views across the main habitat areas.