Briggens Estate

Tarmac is developing proposals for a new sand and gravel quarry on part of the Briggens Estate, near Stanstead Abbotts in Hertfordshire.

Hertfordshire's sand and gravel landbank sits at around seven years, which is the minimum level required under national policy guidance. The Briggens Estate has been identified as a Mineral Allocation Site in Hertfordshire's emerging Replacement Minerals Local Plan, meaning the county council has concluded there is a reasonable expectation that extraction and associated activities, including site restoration, at this location would be acceptable in planning terms.

A quarry at this site could make a significant contribution to maintaining supply at the required level, helping ensure a reliable supply of construction materials across the county and the wider east of England, including for major developments such as the Harlow and Gilston Garden Town.

We have recently submitted a scoping request to Hertfordshire County Council, to seek guidance on what environmental assessments will be required to support a future planning application. A scoping request is an exercise that can be undertaken by developers to confirm what technical and other reports need to accompany any application, and to what methodology or guidance such reports should be completed against.

This is the first step in the planning process. There is a considerable amount of preparatory work still to do, and we need to receive the Scoping Opinion from the planning authority before we can determine our next steps. Were we to progress towards a full planning application, we would hold an extensive period of public consultation, giving residents and stakeholders the opportunity to find out more and share their views. Their feedback will directly inform our next steps.