Tarma's eco-friendly approach to business

Tarmac is spearheading an ambitious eco-friendly restoration project to enhance the environment in one of the first initiatives of its kind in the UK.

The firm has consulted a team of environmental specialists ahead of launching the restoration project at Swanworth Quarry, which is located in the Dorset countryside within an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The quarry lies adjacent to a stretch of the Dorset coastline which forms part of the Jurassic Coast, a designated World Heritage Site.

Tarmac's project comes after recent reports that Britain's rarest flowers and wild plants, which were once commonly found in limestone areas, are facing a battle for survival because of a lack of proper action to save them.

Tarmac's restoration project at Swanworth Quarry will involve using rare grassland seeds collected from a nearby Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) to sow at the quarry to create a unique area of limestone grassland.

 

The species to be sown will include crosswort, corky-fruited water-dropwort, thyme and flaxes and will provide an important habitat for a diverse range of mammal, bird and butterfly species. In order to create the new area of limestone grassland as it would have been originally, the research team has even taken time to assess how diverse the seed mix should be and what rate it should be sown.

 

Derek Haden, quarry manager at Swanworth Quarry, said: "The land has provided society with valuable mineral supplies for decades and now is our chance to give something back by restoring the area to a species-rich limestone grassland.

'In the future we hope to see the entire area of the quarry restored so it becomes one large, unbroken area of limestone grassland, merging with the adjacent Site of Special Scientific Interest."

Dr Barbara Smith, of the Habitats Research Trust, explains the significance of the planting saying:

 

'This is one of the largest plantings of its kind in the UK. We have found that plant origin is an important factor in determining the success of any planting programme. In this case, the planting includes some rare species, which have seriously depleted in number over the past 50 years.

'By collecting the seeds locally, propagating them and sowing them into the restored areas of land by hand, we will ensure that the restoration project has the best chance of success."

Ends

Part of Anglo American plc, one of the world's largest mining and natural resource companies, Tarmac Group is the market leader in the UK in aggregates, mortar, concrete blocks and asphalt and number two in ready-mixed concrete. Through its enhanced network of regional production units and plants it provides a vast range of products for the construction industry nationwide.

Editor's Notes:
Overall there will be approximately 240kgs of seed sown at the site with six hectares being sown in patches over the site. A range of species of grass are being propagated and planted, typical of limestone grassland which has declined sharply in the last 50 years. Species include Crosswort, Corky-fruited water dropwort, Thyme, Flaxes and Yellow Rattle,

 

For further information please contact Christine Smart, Rebecca Cowley, Delia Elcock or Andrew Hutson at IAS SMARTS on 0121 456 3199.