creating environmental improvements through biodiversity

Sustainable Aggregates Creating Environmental Improvements through Biodiversity
(MIRO questionnaire: success measured by numbers visiting the website, numbers of copies of report in
circulation, reference to the project by stakeholders and in relevant media)
Impacts (Potential):
Wide availability of the document and use of the website by the minerals industry should increase awareness
of the potential for habitat creation on minerals sites, as well as providing a practical starting point for those
unused to the process. Word of mouth within the industry and use of the website as an interactive forum
could help to instigate a cultural shift towards consideration of conservation end-uses.
MIRO questionnaire: no unrealised benefits
Potential Expansion:
The GIS model may be expanded to consider the end-uses of potential minerals sites that are not yet active,
as most currently active sites will already have an agreed end-use.
The Minerals Restoration Potential Project is being followed up by the Nature After Minerals Project, which
will review relevant literature and organise a series of workshops aimed at minerals planners.
(MIRO questionnaire: If sufficient time had been available, a tool to allow the investigation of potential
end-uses for future mineral sites would be beneficial. Numerous stakeholders requested this, but time and
resource constraints prevented its production.
MIRO questionnaire: if funding was available would – deliver the tool described above; use results of the
project to advocate benefits of habitat creation as an end-use to mineral planners - doing this through
NE ALSF funding this year. Numerous other opportunities follow on from the project, on which work has
already begun. Overall aim of the work is to facilitate and support more and higher-quality habitat creation
on mineral sites.)
Dissemination:
The interactive website provides a good means of information dissemination. The Nature After Minerals
project will provide a focus for interaction with minerals planners and dissemination of advice. The Nature
After Minerals advocacy report has been distributed to planning authorities.
WATER-BASED QUARRY RESTORATION – METHODOLOGIES,
TECHNOLOGIES AND APPROACHES (MIRO MIST, HAFREN WATER)
P. Ellis, C. C. Leake (Hafren Water), M. Hammond (Wildlife Consultant),
R. Smithyman, D. Barratt (Pleydell Smithyman), D. Sargent (Landscape Agency),
L. Hutchinson (Freshwater Solutions). March 2007 (draft version 1)
Project Type: Technical background and advice. Case studies
Site: Seven sites within North Yorkshire, in the Swale and Ure Washlands and the Yorkshire Dales
Project Aim:
To provide practical and multi-disciplinary guidance on technical issues associated with the water
environment to aid in the design of future water-based restoration schemes. To inform the planning process
such that restoration schemes could be tailored to address local issues such as low flows, scarce water
resources, flooding, landscape setting and ecological diversity.
Main Methods:
Review of methodology and approaches used for water-based restoration, through published literature and
discussions with interested parties
Case studies of sites in different settings – input from experts in each related field
Steering group of partner members set up to monitor progress and provide input
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