Huge 2.7 million tonne expansion planned for gravel quarry near Bridgnorth

Plans submitted to Shropshire Council this week by Salop Sand and Gravel would see extensions to both north and south sides of the existing quarry operations at Morville Quarry, which is around 2 miles west of Bridgnorth.

If approved, the operation would see an extra 2.7 million tonnes of sand and gravel dug out from the expanded site over an 11 year period, with restoration works to the quarry expected to take around 15 years.

Application documents submitted with the scheme add that Morville Quarry will provide for "significant waste capacity" across the lifetime of the development - adding that the area is "well placed" both as a source of materials and as a destination for waste from a potential large housing development in nearby Tasley. 

A consultation on plans to build 1,500 homes as part of the mixed-use development known as Tasley Garden Village was held earlier this year, with an outline planning proposal expected to be submitted to Shropshire Council shortly. The authority provided application advice in the form of a scoping opinion at the request of developers earlier this year.

"The overall lifespan of the development is anticipated to take 20 years, with a further 2 years to complete the restoration of the existing Morville Quarry site which will operate as the central Plant Site for the proposed extensions," said a planning statement submitted with the application.

"Further need for the mineral at Morville Quarry results from the sites close proximity to two large mixed-use allocation (totalling up to 1500 dwellings), including the Tasley Garden Village, within 1km of the site. Morville Quarry would be well suited to providing the mineral for developing the sites, as well as a destination for managing the inert waste resulting from the developments. 

"This development would see the release of 300,000 tonnes of allocated mineral as well as 2.4 million tonnes of windfall mineral contributing towards an identified requirement of 2.97 million tonnes of windfall mineral across the emerging [Local] Plan Period."

A new processing plant within the existing quarry working area is also included in the proposals, expected to come into operation in around two years time.

The southern extension would take in 8 hectares (20 acres) of farmland, while an expansion to the north would include a triangular area of agricultural land of around 12 hectares (20 acres).

Around 250,000 tonnes of material would be extracted from the area each year, with around 1.6m tonnes of material also set to be brought onto the site towards the end of the scheme as part of eventual restoration works.

Around 50 jobs would also be created by the expansion, with around 15 full-time employees expected to be hired as part of the operation with a further 35 involved in related third-party operations.

The application is available on Shropshire Council's planning portal under reference 25/01164/EIA.