en.Wedoany.com Reported - Heidelberg Materials UK has reached a planning condition agreement with Somerset Council to restart the Westdown quarry near Frome, a limestone mine that has been idle since the late 1980s, and is set to resume operations.

The quarry holds approximately 160 million tonnes of limestone reserves, and the council committee has previously approved the restart plan. Site preparation work will begin this autumn, with the quarry expected to reopen in the second half of 2027. Once operational, Westdown quarry will primarily serve local demand, while the nearby Whatley quarry, connected to the railway, will continue to supply the national market via rail.

Trystan Mabbitt, Permitting and Development Manager at Heidelberg Materials UK, said that finalising the Section 106 agreement with Somerset Council was the result of seven years of work, aimed at securing a much-needed supply of limestone. He added that there is still significant preparatory work before full operations begin, including writing management plans, applying for permits, appointing contractors, and completing site preparation.

The approved plan restricts extraction to the original boundaries of the quarry and retains hedgerows and woodland at the site's edges. The plan also includes planting native broadleaf trees and shrubs on the screening embankments to enhance ecology, and creating an additional 17.8 hectares of habitat in advance to form connected, species-rich woodland and grassland.

Mabbitt noted that the application is based on restarting the quarry using modern practices and providing a progressive final restoration plan. The total aggregate output from both Whatley and Westdown quarries will remain unchanged, consistent with Whatley's current permitted levels. This approach helps reduce carbon emissions and keeps heavy goods vehicles away from local villages.