Minerals & Waste

We are able to assist in taking a site from inception to operation. Working with your in-house geologists, design teams, manufacturers or consultants we use the latest technologies to plan and design a project, navigating it through the complex planning process from local plan promotion to detailed planning applications accompanied by Environmental Impact Assessments. Whether it be a standalone site for a piece of plant or equipment to a quarry or landfill site, we are able to utilise our expertise in appropriately assimilating a development into is setting.

Our Minerals & Waste services include Mineral Planning, Waste Planning, Mineral Design, & Government Advisory.

Mineral Planning

We have worked on over 300 quarries in 55 Counties of the UK and Ireland; throughout Continental Europe, the Middle East and the Caribbean; and undertaken 18 pieces of research for the British Government mostly centred on mineral extraction, making us one of the leading consultancies in the minerals industry.

Our extensive knowledge and experience in this sector coupled with our inquisitive approach, sound judgment and negotiating skills enables us to navigate proposals through the planning process. This can also include the assessment and delivery of built after-uses.

Waste Planning

We are highly knowledgeable in leading waste management processes having worked on projects for facilities across the waste hierarchy. This includes waste transfer and recycling, composting and anaerobic digestion, refuse derived fuel, and waste to energy recovery through various technologies, as well as final disposal through landfill.

An extensive knowledge and experience in this sector coupled with an inquisitive approach, sound judgment and negotiating skills enables us to navigate proposals through the planning process.

Mineral Design

Designing in 3D underpins much of our work. This ranges from small scale landscape interventions to the planning of superquarries. Our quarry design work has seen us at the forefront of the mineral industry for decades, offering site design, phasing and volumetric calculations for both hard rock and sand and gravel extraction.

Government Advisory

We work with various government departments at a local, regional, national and international level, on a wide range of projects from local studies and action plans to national spatial strategies.

We are experienced in assembling teams of international consultants. With Acclimatise, we helped to bring together such a team to produce the seven technical papers which provide the major input into the Jamaican National Spatial Plan. With GWP Consultants we brought together a team to undertake a National Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) for the Government of Trinidad and Tobago with the main purpose of regularising the extractive industry.

In the UK, we currently provide the ‘Technical Secretariat’ services for both the South West Aggregates Working Party (SWAWP) and the East of England Aggregates Working Party (EEAWP). These working parties are advisory groups which aim to produce fit-for-purpose and comprehensive data on aggregate demand and supply in their area and provide advice to individual mineral planning authorities and to the National Aggregates Coordinating Group. Membership of the AWPs comprises representatives from, amongst others, Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC), mineral planning authorities, the Mineral Products Association and the British Aggregates Association.