News: Owners consider changing colliery restoration scheme
The reclamation of Maltby Colliery in Rotherham and a scheme that will see the Green Belt returned into woodland and grassland could be revised again.
Owned and operated by Hargreaves Services plc, the 500 acre colliery was mined for over 100 years until geological conditions could not be overcome and underground operations ceased in 2013.
It had been expected to continue coal production until 2025 but the winding tower was brought down in 2014 and the mine shafts have been filled and capped. With the sudden closure, the future restoration scheme, included in the planning permission for the mine's operation, was re-examined and plans were approved in 2017.
The scheme involved cut and fill operations and the importation of 1.32 million tonnes of suitable fill material and 150,000 tonnes of soil making materials.
Estimated to take six years, it was proposed to progressively restore the former colliery tip to beneficial after-uses, including amenity grassland, agriculture, public access and nature conservation enhancement areas, and temporary ancillary and associated activities.
Owners say that due to the impact of Covid-19 restrictions the ongoing reclamation scheme is approximately 12 months behind schedule.
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Now new plans are being drawn up, with the main change being to infill the existing lagoon void on the south east part of the tip and plans to quarry for materials before the creation of a platform for employment use on the Northeast part of the pit yard.
Equipment auction company Ritchie Bros. UK completed a purchase of the land and remaining buildings at the heart of the site in 2022. The Canadian firm has been hosting auctions at Maltby since 2019.
Consultation documents show that the new scheme will require the importation of approximately 2 million cubic metres of suitable fill, including soil making materials, to September 2033.
The documents add: "It is proposed to develop a quarry on the north east part of the Pit Yard, south of the Colliery Tip. The quarry proposals provide for the extraction of 3.9 million tonnes of magnesian limestone to supply local markets and those further afield." This area would then be backfilled to create a development platform for beneficial employment use.
"The proposed development will provide up to 35 jobs on-site, additional jobs for those importing fill and exporting mineral by rail and road and spend in the economy including for services from local suppliers."
With approximately 300,000 tonnes per annum of fill, and the export of minerals at 200,000 tonnes per annum, this could generate an average of 128 HGV movements (64 in/64 out) per working day. The existing rail head could also be brought back into use.
Consultants are working on an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) with an environmental statement set to be submitted to Rotherham Council before a detailed planning application later in 2024.
Hargreaves website
Images: Google Maps
Owned and operated by Hargreaves Services plc, the 500 acre colliery was mined for over 100 years until geological conditions could not be overcome and underground operations ceased in 2013.
It had been expected to continue coal production until 2025 but the winding tower was brought down in 2014 and the mine shafts have been filled and capped. With the sudden closure, the future restoration scheme, included in the planning permission for the mine's operation, was re-examined and plans were approved in 2017.
The scheme involved cut and fill operations and the importation of 1.32 million tonnes of suitable fill material and 150,000 tonnes of soil making materials.
Estimated to take six years, it was proposed to progressively restore the former colliery tip to beneficial after-uses, including amenity grassland, agriculture, public access and nature conservation enhancement areas, and temporary ancillary and associated activities.
Owners say that due to the impact of Covid-19 restrictions the ongoing reclamation scheme is approximately 12 months behind schedule.
Advertisement
Now new plans are being drawn up, with the main change being to infill the existing lagoon void on the south east part of the tip and plans to quarry for materials before the creation of a platform for employment use on the Northeast part of the pit yard.
Equipment auction company Ritchie Bros. UK completed a purchase of the land and remaining buildings at the heart of the site in 2022. The Canadian firm has been hosting auctions at Maltby since 2019.
Consultation documents show that the new scheme will require the importation of approximately 2 million cubic metres of suitable fill, including soil making materials, to September 2033.
The documents add: "It is proposed to develop a quarry on the north east part of the Pit Yard, south of the Colliery Tip. The quarry proposals provide for the extraction of 3.9 million tonnes of magnesian limestone to supply local markets and those further afield." This area would then be backfilled to create a development platform for beneficial employment use.
"The proposed development will provide up to 35 jobs on-site, additional jobs for those importing fill and exporting mineral by rail and road and spend in the economy including for services from local suppliers."
With approximately 300,000 tonnes per annum of fill, and the export of minerals at 200,000 tonnes per annum, this could generate an average of 128 HGV movements (64 in/64 out) per working day. The existing rail head could also be brought back into use.
Consultants are working on an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) with an environmental statement set to be submitted to Rotherham Council before a detailed planning application later in 2024.
Hargreaves website
Images: Google Maps
1 comments:
An extra 128 HGV trips per day?
That's going to be delightful for houses on the route!
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