Land restoration that doesn’t cost the earth
Paul Whyatt, 4R Group’s Land Restoration Manager, explains how restoring post-industrial sites such as quarries and colliery spoil tips can enhance the landscape and improve the environment whilst barely making a dent in the landowner’s bank balance.
Up and down the UK are quarries, collieries and landfill sites nearing or at the end of their useful life. The landowners and operators are left with the responsibility of turning what many communities believe are scars on the landscape into land they can be proud of.
With 4R’s help these sites have been transformed, using recycled materials from waste management plants and sewage treatment plants across the UK.
What’s the deal?
4R Group provides a complete solution for waste management companies, taking away the compost their facilities create and using this to restore brownfield sites, the legacy of our industrial and mining heritage.
The material can be used to enrich or create soil, making once barren land productive and helping trees and plants to grow, which provide a much improved environment for people living and working in the area.
It’s a win-win situation. Landowners benefit from having their sites restored for future use and the waste management companies are pleased with the outlet for the materials produced at their facilities. In Nottinghamshire, what was once Langton Colliery was a hugely visible black smear at the side of the M1, but after 4R restored the site it’s now a lush green area of rolling fields for amenity use.
And quite different from being a drain on the bank balance, it’s possible for landowners to receive a payment for having their land restored, depending on the type of land and potential future use.
How do 4R help?
The team of expert soil scientists and project managers at 4R can liaise with the planning authorities to understand the proposals for the site and put together a plan for restoration which meets with approval. The team also liaises with other regulatory bodies such as the Environment Agency to ensure the project has the relevant permissions.
Using a team of specialists, trusted sub-contractors and network of connections, 4R maintains a pipeline of material suitable for enriching and restoring all kinds of sites, meaning the team can move swiftly to get work underway.
The compost is used on sites such as bare colliery spoil tips, old landfill sites, quarries and land used for energy crops, usually mixing it with spoil or the poor quality soil already at the destination site and adjusting the ratios depending on the type of restoration required.
What are the benefits?
All parties in the process benefit. From landowners fulfilling their legal obligations, reducing their environmental liabilities and potentially being paid to restore their sites, to the waste management companies which are assured of a safe, secure and dependable route to deal with organic materials and are pleased their materials are used to close the recycling loop.
If you’re interested in receiving a payment to restore your land, or need an outlet for your recycled waste, visit stand PA11 at Hillhead 2016 to talk to us about the 4R approach to land restoration.
4R Group is a market leader in organics recycling with long-term contracts with various waste management companies across the UK. It restores land across the country, predominantly with organics from waste treatment plants which can’t go to agricultural land due to regulations.