Aggregate Industries has been recognised for its work on biodiversity with six prestigious industry accolades. The firm secured the prizes at the recent Mineral Products Association (MPA) 2019 Restoration and Biodiversity Awards.
These include the prestigious Cooper-Heyman Cup for outstanding restoration, with Aggregate Industries named a joint-winner for its work with Yorkshire Wildlife Trust and Middlemarch Environmental to transform Ripon City Quarry in North Yorkshire into a new wetland haven for wildlife. Judges described the project as a well-researched and implemented scheme that has provided ‘a great asset to the area’.
The firm’s ongoing scheme to turn a 30-hectare sand and gravel site near Exeter – Venn Ottery Quarry – into lowland heathland, was crowned winner of the Biodiversity Landscape Scale category.
Individual Aggregate Industries employees were also recognised for their brilliant contribution to restoration and biodiversity, with Dave Soons of its North End site in Wiltshire awarded the MPA Nature Photo Competition – Employee Prize for his beautiful photograph of a hobby in flight. Dave Hellier and Alan Knight received the individual contribution award for their work on the Chard Junction Quarry nature reserve in Somerset.
On top of this, a number of projects by the Leicestershire-headquartered firm were highly-commended by the judges. These include recognition of its work with the Peak District National Park Authority, Natural England, Environment Agency and Derbyshire Wildlife Trust to restore Topley Pike quarry; and the aforementioned Venn Ottery Quarry project achieving runner-up in the Cooper Heyman Cup.
Guy Edwards, Chief Executive Officer at Aggregate Industries, said: “We are absolutely delighted with the award wins. They really are testament to the Aggregate Industries employees and our partners working tirelessly to restore our quarries, ensuring these sites can benefit the local community and environment.
“We’re also proud of the fantastic initiatives we’ve put in place in recent years to help improve biodiversity at our sites, with sustainability and biodiversity continuing to be a priority for us as a company.”
