ESTATES & PLANNING

ESTATES & PLANNING

Estates & Planning

Raymond Brown’s Estates and Planning team are responsible for maintaining the company’s ‘Licence to Operate’. Quarrying operates within an immensely complex regulatory regime and is one of the most highly regulated industries in the UK.

Planning permission is the primary consent required to operate, and it can take between 5 and 10 years from identifying a site through to planning consent being granted. We work in close liaison with County/Unitary Planning Officers, Natural England, the Environment Agency, Heritage England and a wide range of other consultees in formulating plans for quarry extensions and new sites. The communities within our area of operations are key stakeholders and we operate local liaison groups at the majority of our sites. The groups are essential in maintaining open, honest communication between the company and those who live near our operations. Many other consents are required post grant of planning permission and before a site can operate. Environmental Permits may be required for water abstraction/discharge and all our sites have Permits for backfilling with inert materials.

It is rare to find a site suitable for quarrying in the UK which does not have at least one protected species present. All of our sites incorporate mitigation plans to provide enhanced habitat throughout operational life and upon restoration. European Protected Species Licences, regulated by Natural England, are managed by the Estates and Planning team in collaboration with consultant ecologists.

The team also manages the company’s property portfolio comprising a mix of freehold and leasehold (surface and/or minerals) land. We strive to provide value to landlord’s by maximising available mineral resources and uses to which they are put, moving as much as possible up the value chain. We are also sensitive to landowner requirements when a site becomes exhausted and we are able to tailor restoration plans to suit a variety of after uses.

The Estates & Planning Team comprises:
Robert Westell, Estates & Planning Director
T: 07767 496062

Lauren Tuffin, Planning & Development Manager
T: 07867 547586

Robert Storey, Senior Planner
T: 07712 068694

Mark Renault, Environmental Permitting Manager
T: 07860 213633