A chalk quarry in Yorkshire was meant to be shut down in 2036, but owners have applied to extend the digging, so it remains open for another 40 years.
Omya UK’s quarry at Melton Bottom could run until 2064 if East Riding Council approves plans for it to quarry to the east.
The reason why Omya UK, part of Omya Group, wants to start digging in the east is because it believes this is where the better-quality chalk is, the Yorkshire Post reported.
Currently, 300,000 tonnes of chalk are taken from the East Yorkshire site every year. A proportion of this is provided to a production facility next door, which produces fillers, powders, and extenders.
The company claims there is 10.3 million tonnes of chalk remaining under the current planning permission, which is allowing Omya UK to quarry to the north.
However, recent documents given to East Riding Council say: “The proposed development contains 12.7 million tonnes of chalk in total consisting of 11.9 million tonnes of Welton Chalk and only 0.8 million tonnes of Burnham Chalk.”
This would generate enough chalk for the quarry to remain open for 42 years.
It has been extracting chalk from the site for more than 100 years, thanks to the abundance of chalk formed here during the Late Cretaceous period.
Welton Chalk, which can be found here, is of higher quality and is extracted with the help of explosives.
According to the documents: “The quality of the chalk is of fundamental importance to the products that are manufactured and high purity chalk which has a very high whiteness is essential”.
The site has been supplying chalk to the Humber Cement Works since 1922, which is why it is no surprise the business has a good reputation with locals. It employs more than 100 people, making it the largest chalk quarry in the UK.
South Hunsley councillor Julie Abraham told the newspaper she has no concerns about the planning application, adding; “I can appreciate the business case for doing this because of the better-quality chalk.”
Another British quarry that hopes to expand is Penrhyn near Bethesda, Gwynedd.
BBC News revealed Welsh Slate intends to extend its operations here, as well as re-open two quarries in Blaenau Ffestiniog.
This is due to a growing demand for slate, according to operations manager Mike Ford at Penrhyn quarry.
“We currently export 40 per cent of our roofing slate to Australia, we need to expand to keep up with the market demand,” he told the publication.
Subsequently, proposals to extend the quarry to the end of 2035 were approved in November.
He noted that most people who work on the quarry are locals from Caernarfon, Bangor, and Bethesda. However, it is difficult to attract young people, despite the rising demand for slate.
Mr Ford hopes this will change, as the expansion will create 29 new jobs.
Director of Welsh Slate Michael Halle noted the company is working with local colleges and schools and has programmes to encourage apprentices.
“We need youth coming into the quarry,” he stated, noting the younger generation will help to keep the industry from falling under.
Having the right machinery is essential in the quarrying process, so make sure you have the correct conveyor belt accessories for smooth operations.
