Hanson and Cemex win Eastern Channel rights

Hanson Aggregates Marine and Cemex UK Marine have secured permission to extract sand and gravel from the new English Eastern Channel resource 32km off the Sussex coast.

Subject to ratification from the Department for Communities and Local Government, this pair and a further four firms will be able to dredge up 38.5 million tonnes over a five-year period.

Also bidding for permissions are Britannia Aggregates, Dredging International and the partnership of Cemex and United Marine Dredging. Volker Dredging secured permission last year and, subject to final agreement, will begin extraction before 30 September.

Hanson has sought approval to work six small areas in total, two in partnership with Cemex. They hope to begin production later this year after completing  surveys.

Annually, the South East uses 8.5 million tonnes of material, but many of the existing areas of seabed are nearing the end of their commercial lives. The Eastern Channel resource is seen as particularly important for the construction of the 2012 Olympic Games.

Hanson Aggregates Marine operations director Ian Selby said: “Much of the material would be delivered directly into ports and wharves in London and the South East.

“This will bring a huge environmental benefit by reducing lorry traffic on already-busy roads, as well as supporting government development plans by providing valuable construction materials to a region that is fast running out of resources.”

John Miller, director general manager of Cemex UK Marine, said: “For each million tonne of sea-dredged aggregate, Cemex could be saving more than 40,000 five-mile lorry journeys.”

Meanwhile, Hanson has returned two areas of seabed earmarked for dredging to The Crown Estate, which manages the seabed around the UK coastline. The two sections are a 8.2km2 area in the Thames Estuary off the mudflats at Maplin Sands, and an area off the Isle of Wight.

Selby said: “As part of our drive towards sustainable development, we have returned these areas. We will be concentrating on fewer licence applications, which will result in a reduction of the sea space we occupy.”

English Nature marine operations director Ian Reach added: “We encourage other marine aggregate companies and sea-bed developers to take this responsible attitude.”