Download Marine aggregates - The Crown Estate

Links and useful
references
The Crown Estate is an independent commercial business created
by an Act of Parliament. Our role is to make sure that the land and
property we invest in and manage are sustainably worked, developed
and enjoyed to deliver the best value over the long term. 100% of our
annual profits are returned to the Treasury for the benefit of the public
finances. The Crown Estate’s portfolio is one of the most diverse
anywhere in the world, our business includes the whole of Regent
The Crown Estate
www.thecrownestate.co.uk/energy-andinfrastructure/aggregates
www.thecrownestate.co.uk/energy-andinfrastructure/research
Marine Aggregate Information Centre
www.marineaggregates.info
Street, much of St James’s, Glenlivet, Windsor Great Park, numerous
regional shopping centres, hundreds of thousands of acres of rural
land and coastline, and the UK’s seabed.
Marine
aggregates
British Marine Aggregate Producers
Association
www.bmapa.org
Marine Management Organisation
www.gov.uk/government/organisations/
marine-management-organisation
Natural Resources Wales
www.naturalresourceswales.gov.uk
Marine Scotland
www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/marine
British Geological Survey –
Minerals UK
www.bgs.ac.uk/mineralsuk/home.html
Aggregate Working Parties
www.gov.uk/government/policies/
improving-the-energy-efficiency-ofbuildings-and-using-planning-to-protectthe-environment/supporting-pages/
aggregate-working-parties
London
The Crown Estate
16 New Burlington Place
London
W1S 2HX
T 020 7851 5000
Edinburgh
The Crown Estate
6 Bell’s Brae
Edinburgh
EH4 3BJ
T 0131 260 6070
www.thecrownestate.co.uk
@TheCrownEstate
November 2014
National Planning Policy Framework
for England and Planning Practice
Guidance
planningguidance.planningportal.gov.uk
Marine Policy Statement
www.gov.uk/government/publications/
uk-marine-policy-statement
Building with Nature
www.ecoshape.nl
The Sand Motor (NL)
www.dezandmotor.nl/en-GB
Capability & Portfolio 2014
National overview
from major rivers in North West
Europe is phased out over the coming
years and land extraction becomes
increasingly restricted.
Seven main regions of the UK hold
marine aggregate extraction licences:
the Humber, the East Coast, the
Thames Estuary, the East English
Channel, the South Coast, the South
West and the North West. But as
would be expected each region
produces different kinds of aggregate
which can be seen in the regional
summary section.
Where does the sand and gravel that helps build our schools,
homes, bridges, stadiums and other key infrastructure projects
come from?
Quarries have for centuries provided
these crucial resources, but in recent
decades sands and gravels found
offshore have played an increasingly
important role – particularly for
projects in the South East and
London where onshore resources are
becoming increasingly constrained,
and in South Wales where suitable
resources are not available.
Britain has one of the world’s
largest and most developed marine
aggregate dredging industries,
extracting 15 to 20 million tonnes of
sand and gravel from the seabed
annually. Much of this is used
domestically for building houses,
transport infrastructure, replenishing
beaches and improving coastal
defences, as well as being exported
to neighbouring European countries.
The Crown Estate owns almost
all of the sand and gravel resources
(marine aggregate) lying off the
coast of the UK and we award and
manage commercial agreements
for companies to extract it.
harbours for development and
regeneration (collectively known
as secondary uses).
During the past 50 years, the marine
aggregate industry has grown
significantly and today provides
about one fifth of the sand and gravel
demand for England and Wales.
This document is designed to help
planning officers in local authorities
understand the contribution that
marine aggregates can make, by
identifying offshore sources and
providing information on supply
routes. In turn, this is intended
to support local authorities in
complying with the National Planning
Policy Framework, which requires
mineral planning authorities to
demonstrate they have a steady and
adequate supply of aggregates for
their requirements through Local
Aggregates Assessments.
The majority – around 85 % – of
marine aggregates landed in England
and Wales are used by the building
industry, with the remaining 15%
used for beach nourishment projects
and reclamation fill, where sediment
is used to infill areas in ports and
As marine and land-based aggregates
are geologically similar, they can be
easily substituted for one another in
many uses.
Many coastal communities, particularly
those along the Thames Estuary,
Bristol Channel and the South Coast,
rely on marine sand and gravel for
construction. In London it is common
practice for construction projects,
including high profile schemes such
as Crossrail and the Natural History
Museum’s Darwin Centre to use
marine aggregates. Approximately
50 % of all ready-mixed concrete in
London contains marine aggregates.
Other regions also use marine
aggregates for construction together
with land-based aggregates, although
to a lesser extent.
UK-sourced marine minerals are
also exported to mainland European
markets, such as Belgium, the
Netherlands and France for use in
construction. These three countries
already import a significant amount
of marine aggregates and their
demand could grow as dredging
Extraction levels have fallen in recent
years, reflecting a drop in both
economic output and the construction
industry; however, the market is
now recovering and is expected to
continue to grow. The market study
completed by Ernst & Young (referred
to later in this document) forecasts
a potential demand for marine
aggregates of 29 million tonnes per
year by 2030. Forecasts also predict
that the importance of marine sand
will increase over the coming years, to
be used in conjunction with crushed
rock, alongside continuing demand for
recycled and secondary aggregates.
Reserves
During the past two years, the industry
has been involved in a major statutory
relicensing programme, which has
resulted in the renewal of more than
half of The Crown Estate production
Region
licences for a further 15 years.
By late spring 2015, we expect this
relicensing round will have concluded,
further bolstering the UK’s marine
aggregate reserves.
In order to help planning authorities
provide information on the contribution
marine sands and gravels can play,
we compile regional and national
marine aggregates reserve and
resource information from our licences.
This is carried out in line with the PanEuropean Reserves and Resources
(PERC) reporting code and we are
able to provide average extraction
figures over single, three and tenyear
periods. This report focuses on
primary aggregate reserves, which
we define as those aggregates suitable
for use in construction.
It is important to understand
the difference between mineral
“resources” and “reserves”.
The PERC Code defines “reserves”
as the proportion of a mineral
“resource” that can be mined for
economic purposes.
The amount of material actually
dredged by operators will usually
be significantly lower than the total
tonnage permitted for extraction
across all production licence areas.
To best understand the state of
the industry, it is useful to compare
current reserves against the maximum
permitted tonnage that is licensed
across regions based on the types
of markets supplied.
Current national estimates suggest
there are 19 years of primary marine
aggregate production permitted, but
in London and the South East, this
rises to 21.5 years.
Each region’s reserve life is calculated
by dividing the current primary
reserves by the 10-year average
annual extraction figures. London
and the South East are supplied by
three main regions – the East Coast,
Thames Estuary and East English
Channel. These areas hold reserves
of 197.36 million tonnes and have a
combined 10-year average extraction
rate of 9.19 million tonnes per year,
giving the 21.5 years noted above.
The North West and South West
regions are self-contained markets, and
the Humber and South Coast regions
supply both local and export markets.
The reserve life for each individual
region is shown in the table below.
Operators have to consider both
current and future market needs and
it is crucial that multiple licence areas
are available to enable competition
in the market. Multiple licences also
help to maintain the range of material
quality required and ensure dredging
areas are located at an economic
distance from both existing and
prospective markets and end users.
Total
10 year
3 year
Peak average Annual
Regional
current
average
average
offtake during permitted
reserve life
primary annual offtake annual offtake 10 year period offtake
@ 10 year
aggregate
(as at
average
Primary (construction aggregate)
reserves
31/3/2014) annual offtake
Humber (including North East)
26.32
2.66
1.72
3.52
4.80
9.90
East Coast
85.76
6.18
4.36
8.54
9.69
13.87
Thames Estuary
15.15
0.85
0.83
1.74
1.36
17.87
East English Channel
96.45
2.16
3.76
4.32
9.80
44.65
South Coast
84.35
4.13
3.65
5.13
8.68
20.43
South West
11.43
1.30
1.02
1.77
2.21
8.78
North West
17.63
0.51
0.33
0.74
1.00
34.76
TOTAL
337.09
17.79
15.66
25.75
37.54
18.95
All figures are in millions of tonnes
2
Marine Aggregates Capability & Portfolio 2014
www.thecrownestate.co.uk
3
Aggregate Working Parties
and the role of marine aggregates
There are nine Aggregate Working Parties (AWPs) in England
and two in Wales. Their principal function is to undertake an
annual survey of sales and reserves of primary aggregates
in their regions, including imports and exports by sea or rail.
They publish an annual monitoring report and advise government
and a National Coordinating Group in England on the adequacy
of provision being made in the region.
Membership includes a representative
of each Mineral Planning Authority
(MPA), a comparable number
from industry, a representative of
government, the Marine Management
Organisation (MMO), and other
stakeholders in the region.
“The marine aggregates
industry is an exemplar
in providing data and
information about its
activities and in working
constructively with
regulators, advisors
and NGOs.”
Philip Stamp, Sustainable
Marine Development and Climate
Impacts, Defra
Primary marine aggregates supply
10% of total sand and gravel sales
in the UK – 10.6 million tonnes (2013).
Marine aggregates make a major
contribution to London, the South East
and South Wales but deliver limited
supplies to many other AWP regions,
with the difference in contributions
between regions being due to the
balance between land and marine
reserves.
These three regions took 87.5%
(9.3 million tonnes) of the aggregates
landed in the UK in 2013. In fact, 82%
(8.7 million tonnes) landed in wharves
in London and the South East, with
South Wales taking 5%.
In the South East marine aggregates
contribute as much sand and gravel
as that from quarries, and supply
one third of all primary aggregate. In
London marine aggregates contribute
more than 90 % of supplies of sand
and gravel and half of all primary
aggregate. In South Wales marine
aggregates account for 70% of sand
and gravel sales with South East
Wales almost entirely dependent
on marine supplies for natural sand.
Delivery by region/country
Extraction and delivery by dredge region
“The marine aggregate industry
continues to respect the regulatory
landscape and operate in a
sustainable way, helping to conserve
non-renewable mineral resources
and the marine environment
for future generations”.
Regions delivered to
Chris Waite, Secretary of the
London and the South East England
Aggregate Working Parties
0.01
426,493
tonnes
53,700
tonnes
0.15
0.03
Yorkshire and
the Humber
273,445
tonnes
Humber
TOTAL: 1.53m
North
West
0.61
1,671,465
tonnes
East of
England
South
Wales
North
Wales
0.08
0.12
East
Midlands
West
Midlands
South West
1,477,719
tonnes
South East
The
Netherlands
0.90
South East
1.84
South West
Belgium
South West
0.06
>90% 70%
of sand and gravel
supplies to London are
contributed by marine
aggregates
4
4,622,208
tonnes
3,740,544
tonnes
0.53
0.98
0.13
0.30
0.20
East Coast
TOTAL: 4.25m
0.09
0.49
0.19
0.54
France
2.52
0.02 0.02
1.04
940,503
tonnes
of sand and gravel sales
in South East Wales are
accounted for by marine
aggregates
0.05
<0.01
0.28
East of
England
South
Wales
TOTAL: 1.02m
London
London
0.01
0.23
0.41
East
Midlands
0.07
North
East
76,102
tonnes
West
Midlands
496,614
tonnes
0.71
TOTAL: 0.38m
North
West
624,338
tonnes
0.33
North West
Yorkshire
& the Humber
North
Wales
0.05
0.32
North
East
315,501
tonnes
“The signs are that if demand for
sand and gravel increases, marine
aggregates will not only be asked
to maintain supplies, but to increase
supplies to the three regions where
it makes a critical contribution.”
n South Wales
n North Wales
n North West
n The Netherlands
n Belgium
n France
Chris Waite, Secretary of the London
and the South East Aggregate Working Parties
Phil McBryde, Senior Marine Licensing Manager (Offshore)
Marine Management Organisation
Both London and South East Wales
will continue to depend on marine
supplies as their main source of
aggregates, as land-won supply
options are limited. Similarly, sand and
gravel resources in the South East are
constrained, with some authorities
envisaging that they will be unable
to maintain their contribution beyond
the current plan period. Whereas
excavation from quarries has declined
over the last four years, marine
aggregate landings have increased
to make up the shortfall.
The signs are that if demand for
sand and gravel increases, marine
aggregates will not only be asked
to maintain supplies, but to increase
supplies to the three regions where
it makes a critical contribution.
n North East
n Yorkshire and the Humber
n East of England
n London
n South East
n South West
0.90
0.51
Thames
Marine Aggregates Capability & Portfolio 2014
www.thecrownestate.co.uk
5
South Coast
East English Channel
TOTAL: 3.40m
TOTAL: 3.40m
www.thecrownestate.co.uk
TOTAL: 0.74m
6
Uses of marine sand and gravel around the UK
PHOTO: NICOLAS DE CAMARET
PHOTO: ARPINGSTONE
24
To deliver 8,500 tonnes takes:
1 dredger
(of 8,500 tonnes)
21
11
Commercial development:
Spinnaker Tower – Portsmouth
33
23 Port
development: Milford Haven
Oil Terminal – Pembrokeshire
Transport infrastructure:
Canary Wharf Underground
Station – London
3
25
20 Community
& leisure: The Darwin Centre
(Natural History Museum) – London
Coastal flood & defences: Thames Barrier – London
9 barges
(of 1,000 tonnes)
2
3
4
5
Minehead Beach
Sea Palling Sea Defences (reefs)
Thames Barrier
Clacton Beach
Colwyn Bay
1 New Burlington Place W1 – London
7 20 Fenchurch Street (Walkie Talkie) –
London
8
Cardiff Bay Barrage
9 Canary Wharf & London Docklands
Developments
St Martins – London
Tower – Portsmouth
12 Superstore
13 Rochester
– Seaton
Riverside reclamation
for future development
Energy & utilities
14 Newhaven
15 Liverpool
16 London
Energy Recovery Facility
Wastewater Treatment Plant
Array Wind farm
17 Dungeness
26
Botanic Gardens of Wales,
Great Glasshouse – Carmarthenshire
20 The
35
Darwin Centre, Natural History
28
22
6
11 Spinnaker
Millennium Stadium
19 National
Museum – London
Commercial development & regeneration
10 Central
18 Cardiff
37
Power Station
Port development
21 Nigg
23 Milford
95 train hopper wagons
2
Harbour
Docks – Edinburgh
26 Belfast
29
Harbour Development
28 Fleetwood
Port
29 Felixstowe
Berth 9 Extension
4
19
23
27 Grimsby
30 Cowes
8 18
12
Tunnel Rail Link
35 Ronaldsway
38 London
14
development: Leith Docks – Edinburgh
36
17
20
6
7
425 aggregate lorries
(of 20 tonnes)
9 33
38
3
Coastal and flood defence
39
Isle of Man Airport
Commercial development & regeneration
Energy & utilities
Ferry Terminal
37 Gateshead
32
30 11
25 Port
10 40
Wharf Underground Station
34 Channel
34
Berth 201 and 202
Transport infrastructure
33 Canary
Commercial development: 20 Fenchurch Street
(Walkie Talkie) – London
16
1
Breakwater
32 Southampton
7
13
31 Blyth
39 Queen
(of 90 tonnes)
2
Haven Oil Terminal
24 Lerwick
36 Dover
Millennium Bridge
Community & leisure
City Airport
Port development
Elizabeth II Bridge – Dartford
Transport infrastructure
40 Crossrail
7
27
15
Yard Cromarty Firth
22 Liverpool
25 Leith
5
PHOTO: CROSSRAIL
1
31
Community & leisure
PHOTO: LONDON ARRAY
Coastal and flood defences
Marine Aggregates Capability & Portfolio 2014
8
16 Energy
& utilities: London Array Wind farm
Marine Aggregates Capability & Portfolio 2014
40
Transport infrastructure: Crossrail – London
www.thecrownestate.co.uk
9
Marine aggregates by region
During the last ten years, 45% of the permitted tonnage
has been dredged from the Thames region and there
is currently permitted capacity to allow the supply of an
additional one million tonnes per year. Additional applications
could create the potential for a further seven million tonnes
of aggregates per year.
10 Permitted & extracted tonnage
4.0
3.0
2.0
1.0
05
06
07
08 09 10 11 12
Years
■ Extracted tonnage
9.0
6.0
3.0
13
04
05
06
07
■ Permitted tonnage
uring 2013 material extraction from
D
the region was mainly delivered to:
Mainland Europe: 61%
Humber (including North East): 26%
Thames Estuary: 13%
Delivery of marine aggregate to the region
08 09 10 11 12
Years
■ Extracted tonnage
13
1.0
0.5
04
05
06
■ Secondary use
from licences
■ Blyth
07
Fine
sand
Very
coarse
sand
Medium
sand
Fine
gravel
1.2
0.9
0.6
0.3
0
08 09 10 11 12 13
Years
■ River Humber wharves
■ River Tees wharves
■ River Tyne wharves
04
08 09
Years
■ Secondary use from licences
■ Ipswich
Coarse
sand
Medium
gravel
05
06
07
Fine
sand
Coarse
gravel
Marine Aggregates Capability & Portfolio 2014
Terr
it o
Very
coarse
sand
10
11
www.thecrownestate.co.uk
12
13
8.0
7.0
6.0
5.0
4.0
3.0
2.0
1.0
0
04
Coarse
sand
Medium
gravel
ar
Bou
nd
al S
he l f
nt
i ne
nt
07
08 09 10 11 12
Years
■ Extracted tonnage
13
12,393 tonnes
05
06
■ Secondary use
from licences
■ Cliffe
■ Erith
Medium
sand
Fine
gravel
y
NM
12
06
Delivery of marine aggregate to the region
Tonnage (millions)
1.5
05
uring 2013 material extraction from
D
the region was mainly delivered to:
Thames Estuary: 97%
Humber (including North East)
and the South Coast: 3%
1.5
11,156 tonnes
4,046 tonnes
04
uring 2013 material extraction from
D
the region was mainly delivered to:
Thames Estuary: 67%
Mainland Europe: 31%
Humber (including North East),
East English Channel, East Coast
and South Coast: 2%
3.0
2.0
4.0
3.5
3.0
2.5
2.0
1.5
1.0
0.5
0
■ Permitted tonnage
Delivery of marine aggregate to the region
2.5
Co
Permitted & extracted tonnage
12.0
0
04
River Medway
& Swale wharves
Greenhithe
Greenwich
wharves
Tonnage (millions)
Tonnage (millions)
Tonnage (millions)
5.0
■ Permitted tonnage
Tonnage (millions)
Cliffe
Denton
Northfleet
15.0
6.0
0
Erith Thurrock
UK
Ipswich
Permitted & extracted tonnage
in e ntal Shelf Boundary
ry
9 dredging licences
10 dredging applications
0
12 NM Terri
a
ound
Last year, more than six million tonnes of the marine sand
and gravel dredged from UK licences was landed across
nine locations in the Thames Estuary, with 2.5 million tonnes
going to wharves at Greenwich.
helf B
The Thames Estuary region delivers almost all of its
dredged tonnage to wharves in the Thames Estuary.
There are currently four licences, which permit 1.75 million
tonnes of material to be extracted per year, with six further
licences in the pipeline and two exploration areas.
ntal S
The Thames Estuary region
e
ontin
River Humber wharves
Dagenham
UK
Co n
t
lW
Aggregates dredged from the East Coast come from
13 licensed areas, although there is only one wharf location
in the region that receives sand and gravel. In 2013, two
thirds of the aggregate dredged from the East Coast was
landed at wharves in the Thames Estuary and more than
30% landed in Mainland Europe. The remainder was landed
in the South Coast, East English Channel, East Coast
or the Humber region.
There is currently permitted capacity to supply an additional
five million tonnes each year, which could rise to seven
million tonnes per annum with three further applications
in the pipeline.
Te
UK C
The East Coast region is now the third largest permitted
dredging location off the coast of the UK, with over nine
million tonnes of marine aggregate that could be extracted
per year. During the last decade almost 60% of the
permitted tonnage has been dredged on average.
4 dredging licences
6 dredging applications
2 exploration areas
torial
Wat
ers L
imit
River Tees wharves
it
ers Lim
at
The East Coast region
NM
a
ori
rrit
There is permitted capacity to supply in excess of three
million tonnes more from the region. Additionally, there
are 10 further applications for licences, which, if approved
could more than double the permitted tonnage of aggregate
which can be extracted per year to over 10 million tonnes.
The Thames Estuary region
13 dredging licences
3 dredging applications
Blyth
River Tyne
wharves
In 2013, almost half a million tonnes of marine sand and
gravel was landed at four wharf locations within this region.
More than half of the material dredged from the Humber
region was exported to mainland Europe, while just over
one quarter was used in the Humber & North East.
The remainder was delivered to the Thames Estuary.
The East Coast region
rial Waters Limit
The Humber region (including the North East)
12
Operators in the Humber and North East region hold nine
licences that in total allow them to extract up to 4.9 million
tonnes of marine aggregates per year. During the past
decade, more than 70% of the permitted tonnage has
been extracted.
Tonnage (millions)
The Humber region (including the North East)
07
08 09 10 11 12 13
Years
■ Greenhithe
■ Denton
■ Thurrock
■ Northfleet
■ River Medway
■ Dagenham
& Swale wharves ■ Greenwich wharves
Fine
sand
Coarse
gravel
Very
coarse
sand
Medium
sand
Fine
gravel
Coarse
sand
Medium
gravel
Coarse
gravel
11
Marine aggregates by region, continued
Newhaven
During the past decade, almost all of the dredged
aggregate from this region has been used exclusively in the
South West, with just under half of the permitted tonnage
being dredged on average.
There is currently permitted capacity to allow an additional
0.7 million tonnes of marine aggregate to be extracted per
year. Additionally, one dredging application in the pipeline
could deliver a further 0.6 million tonnes per year.
12 ry
8.0
6.0
4.0
2.0
07
12
08 09 10 11 12
Years
■ Extracted tonnage
05
4,790 tonnes
2,921 tonnes
0.2
04
05
06
07
08 09
Years
■ Secondary use from licences
■ Rye
■ Newhaven
■ Dover
Fine
sand
Very
coarse
sand
10
11
Medium
sand
Fine
gravel
08 09 10 11 12
Years
■ Extracted tonnage
13
12
13
4.0
3.5 19,214 tonnes
3.0
2.5
2.0
1.5
1.0
0.5
0
04 05 06
05
06
Very
coarse
sand
Fine
gravel
www.thecrownestate.co.uk
Coarse
sand
Medium
gravel
08 09 10 11 12
Years
■ Extracted tonnage
13
uring 2013 material extraction from
D
the region was delivered exclusively
within the South West region:
Welsh wharves: 60%
English wharves: 40%
2.0
07
Medium
sand
07
Delivery of marine aggregate to the region
9,929 tonnes
Fine
sand
Marine Aggregates Capability & Portfolio 2014
04
■ Permitted tonnage
08 09 10 11 12 13
Years
■ Secondary use ■ Portsmouth
■ Langstone Harbour
from licences
Harbour wharves
wharves
■ Plymouth
■ Cowes
■ Southampton wharves
■ Littlehampton
■ Poole
■ Shoreham Harbour
wharves
Coarse
gravel
3.5
3.0
2.5
2.0
1.5
1.0
0.5
0
uring 2013 material extraction from
D
the region was mainly delivered to:
South Coast: 71%
Mainland Europe: 16%
Thames Estuary: 11%
East English Channel and
East Coast: 2%
Coarse
sand
Medium
gravel
07
Bridgwater
Permitted & extracted tonnage
Delivery of marine aggregate to the region
1.1
0
06
Avonmouth
Barry
Waters
Yelland
2.0
04
Newport
Appledore
4.0
■ Permitted tonnage
1.2
0.4
Te rrito
it
Lim
ters
a
W
ri al
6.0
0
13
Delivery of marine aggregate to the region
0.6
NM
8.0
uring 2013 material extraction from
D
the region was mainly delivered to:
Thames Estuary: 56%
Mainland Europe: 39%
South Coast, East English
Channel and East Coast: 5%
0.8
England/Wales T
erri
tor i
al
Tonnage (millions)
10.0
06
Briton Ferry
Port Talbot
Pembroke
Cardiff
Permitted & extracted tonnage
10.0
05
Burry Port
Tonnage (millions)
The South West region currently has seven dredging
licences, permitting 1.7 million tonnes to be taken per year.
Last year, all of the production in this region (more than
one million tonnes) was landed at 10 locations in the South
West, with 60% going to Welsh wharves.
Plymouth
ti
12.0
04
Shoreham
Harbour
wharves
Portland
12.0
■ Permitted tonnage
Tonnage (millions)
The South West region
Poole
Permitted & extracted tonnage
0
Lilehampton
Portsmouth
Harbour
wharves
Langstone
Harbour
wharves
Cowes
Southampton wharves
n
Co
UK
Last year, 2.5 million tonnes of marine aggregate was
landed at five regional locations, including Poole, Cowes on
the Isle of Wight, Langstone Harbour wharves, Shoreham
Harbour wharves and Southampton wharves. Over 70 %
of production landed from the South Coast was used in
UK projects with the majority landed on the South Coast,
Mainland Europe received 16% and the Thames Estuary
11%, with the remainder delivered to the East English
Channel and East Coast.
Five further dredging applications in this area could also
deliver permits for an extra 2.25 million tonnes per year,
if approved.
7 dredging licences
1 application area
Rye
12 N
it
MT
im
errito
rial W a t e rs L
The South West region
14 dredging licences
5 application areas
Tonnage (millions)
The South Coast represents the second largest dredging
region in terms of permitted tonnage, with licences allowing
the extraction of 9.7 million tonnes per year. However,
during the last decade just under half of the permitted
tonnage has been taken and there is currently permitted
capacity to supply an additional 6.3 million tonnes per year.
Dover
11 dredging licences
2 application areas
Tonnage (millions)
The South Coast region
The South Coast region
Bo
un
da
In 2013, less than 100,000 tonnes of dredged aggregate
was landed at two locations in this region – Dover and
Newhaven. More than half of the aggregate extracted from
this region was landed in the Thames Estuary, with 40%
exported to Mainland Europe, while the remainder was
taken to wharves on the East English Channel, East Coast
and South Coast. There remains permitted capacity to
supply around 6.9 million tonnes of additional production
and two further applications in the pipeline could permit
an additional two million tonnes of material per year.
The East English Channel region
ne
nt
al
Sh
el f
The East English Channel region is now the largest dredging
region and currently holds 11 licences, which permit 10.3
million tonnes of aggregate to be extracted per year.
Over the last 10 years less than one third of the permitted
tonnage has been taken, although the majority of these
licences have been permitted more recently.
Tonnage (millions)
The East English Channel region
2,103 tonnes
1.5
8,082 tonnes
1,106 tonnes
1.0
0.5
0
04
05
06
■ Secondary use
from licences
■ Barry
■ Briton Ferry
■ Port Talbot
Fine
sand
07
08 09 10
Years
■ Yelland
■ Pembroke
■ Appledore
■ Bridgwater
■ Burry Point
Medium
sand
11
12
13
■ Swansea
■ Cardiff
■ Newport (Wales)
■ Avonmouth
Coarse
sand
Coarse
gravel
13
Marine aggregates by region, continued
The North West region
The North West region
The North West region currently holds three dredging
licences, which permit two million tonnes for extraction.
During the last 10 years, just half of the permitted
tonnage has been used and a further 1.6 million tonnes
of permitted annual capacity remains available from
licences in this region.
3 dredging licences
1 exploration area
Barrow
Heysham
Glasson
r
y
a
nd
helf
Bo
u
The Crown Estate has a commitment to being a responsible landlord, which
includes minimising the impact that marine aggregate dredging has on the natural
environment, helping local communities and preserving archaeological finds.
In 2013, over 300,000 tonnes of marine aggregate
was landed across three locations in the North West.
Production from licences in this region was almost
exclusively used locally, with a small proportion also
going to South Wales.
Territorial Waters L
im
NM
i
t
12
UK Continental S
Sustainability
Liverpool wharves
Eastham/
Manchester
Ship Canal
Penrhyn
PHOTO: RIJKSWATERSTAAT/JOOP VAN HOUDT
Permitted & extracted tonnage
Tonnage (millions)
1.5
1.2
Marine aggregates
market study
0.9
0.6
0.3
0
04
05
06
07
■ Permitted tonnage
08 09 10 11 12
Years
■ Extracted tonnage
13
During 2013 material extraction
from the region was delivered
almost exclusively within the
North West region:
North West: 97%
English wharves: 85%
Welsh wharves: 15%
South West (all to Welsh wharves): 3%
Delivery of marine aggregate to the region
Tonnage (millions)
1.0
0.6
0.4
0.2
04
05
06
■ Secondary use
from licences
■ Glasson
■ Heysham
Fine
sand
Very
coarse
sand
14 Via our Electronic Monitoring
System, we ensure all dredging is
undertaken in the correct locations,
and every licence application must
be supported by a full Environmental
Impact Assessment including a
Coastal Impact Study to determine
whether a marine licence (essentially
the planning consent) can be granted,
a process governed by the Marine
Licensing process.
We are also exploring ways of helping
coastal communities to become more
resilient and adapt to the increasing
pressures of flood and coastal erosion
that can have a devastating impact
on residents, the environment, key
infrastructure and local economies,
as demonstrated this in 2014.
2,470 tonnes
0.8
0
The Crown Estate commissioned a market
study by Ernst & Young to assess the demand
for marine aggregates during the next fifteen
years. This presented a view of demand-led
growth projections, supply and expected
industry behaviour, and recommended potential
supporting actions by The Crown Estate.
Although the BGS mineral resources
study completed by the British
Geological Survey on behalf of The
Crown Estate (www.thecrownestate.
co.uk/energy-and-infrastructure/
downloads/mineral-resourceassessments) identified that the
quantity of sand and gravel potentially
available from marine sources is vast,
the industry is aware that it is extracting
from a very large but ultimately finite
natural mineral resource, and is keen
to ensure that these valuable minerals
are used in the most efficient and
effective manner possible. We work in
partnership with industry, regulators
and stakeholders to improve the
sustainability of the sector, in particular
reducing the area of seabed licensed
and dredged year on year.
07
08 09 10 11 12 13
Years
■ Eastham/Manchester Ship Canal
■ Barrow
■ Penrhyn
■ Liverpool wharves
Medium
sand
Coarse
sand
The study findings included:
•Annual demand for marine aggregates is predicted
to grow by 3% pa from 2012 to reach 29 million tonnes
by 2030;
•New generation dredgers can significantly improve
the profitability of the marine aggregates sector;
•Licence capacity is not expected to be a constraint
to the projected future demand;
•Wharf infrastructure will continue to need robust
protection to support this potential growth; and
•Marine aggregates are likely to become more important
in the aggregates supply chain as pressure on land-won
aggregate reserves increases.
The Crown Estate is working with the industry to lower
barriers to entry, provide more certainty, reduce investment
risk and identify new business models for the marine
aggregates sector.
Marine Aggregates Capability & Portfolio 2014
Marine aggregate dredging and the coastline: a guidance note
A new guidance note has been developed by The Crown Estate and
BMAPA, in conjunction with a range of stakeholders, to provide best practice
guidance on carrying out the necessary Coastal Impact Study (CIS) as part
of an application to the Regulator to dredge marine aggregates from the
seabed around the English and Welsh coasts.
This note seeks to establish best practice for the British marine aggregate
industry and advises on the scope, standards and transparency that are
expected in a CIS. To ensure consistency, the note outlines the terms of
reference and essential elements of a CIS, including the data required to
undertake a study, key components and their analysis, consideration of
cumulative and in-combination impacts, as well as mitigation and monitoring
options, see www.thecrownestate.co.uk/media/5719/marine-aggregatedredging-and-the-coastline-guidance-note.pdf
www.thecrownestate.co.uk
Sandscaping is an innovative
concept using marine aggregates
to nourish beaches, creating new
land to reduce coastal flooding
and erosion, and to regenerate
coastal communities. The technique
has already been successfully
deployed in the Netherlands as
a large scale pilot project and we
believe it can potentially offer costeffective and sustainable long-term
protection for the UK coastline. We
have been working with Arup and
Royal HaskoningDHV to examine
the opportunities for sandscaping
in a number of locations around the
UK. We have also been engaging
with the Environment Agency, local
authorities and potential investors.
A project could mean a large volume of
sand placed at a specific location along
the coast. The wind, waves and tidal
currents will spread the sand naturally
along the coast. The Sandscaping
feature will gradually change in shape
and will eventually be fully incorporated
into the dunes and the beach. The
coast will be broader and more resilient
to flooding and coastal erosion.
The new large beach feature will
form a focus for placemaking as
part of a community-led coastal
regeneration and development
strategy. Placemaking could include
an expanded beach and space for
recreational activity, increased revenue
from tourism, improvements to coastal
infrastructure, regeneration and
15
Sustainability
Art as a tool in support
of the understanding of
coastal change in Wales
The Crown Estate, BMAPA, the Marine
Management Organisation and Defra
are jointly funding a research project
that aims to set limits for monitoring
acceptable changes to the seabed
sediments during dredging to promote
recovery of the benthic (seabed)
environment. In support of this work,
The Crown Estate has funded the
collation of historic benthic survey
data acquired by the marine aggregate
industry, an exercise that has identified
data from nearly 5,000 sample
stations around the coast of England
and Wales.
development and habitat creation
as potential additional benefits –
all of which are being explored
with key decision makers such
as local authorities and the
Environment Agency.
The technique has already been
successfully deployed in the
Netherlands as a large scale pilot
project called the Sand Motor, and
we believe it could also offer cost
effective and sustainable long-term
protection for the UK coastline.
The Crown Estate has recently
published the latest in its series
of “Art as a Tool …..” publications,
which this time focuses on
Wales. Other reports focusing on
Scotland, England, Hampshire &
the Isle of Wight, and East Anglia
are also available, see www.
thecrownestate.co.uk/energy-andinfrastructure/research/seabedand-coastal-research/reports
These reports are designed to aid
the understanding of long term
coastal evolution, prior to the
photographic era, by examining
the potential for using the
evidence contained in works of
art to support the scientific tools
which have been developed to
monitor conditions on land and at
sea. Art provides the opportunity
to examine the changing coastline
over the last two hundred years by
illustrating physical and land use
changes including progressive
coastal development.
East Anglia
and coastal erosion
The Crown Estate has
published guides to the coastal
environments of Norfolk and
Suffolk, and the discrete nature
of the offshore bank systems
and dredging areas which are
disconnected from the coastline in
terms of coastal processes.
16 The Crown Estate works very
closely with BMAPA to develop best
practice and boost knowledge and
understanding of the sector among
stakeholders.
One of the best known examples
of these joint initiatives is “The Area
Involved” reports. These have been
published annually since March 1999.
This year’s report is the 16th in the
ongoing series, and we have also
published a 15 year review looking at
the cumulative footprint of dredging
between 1998 and 2012, see
www.thecrownestate.co.uk/energyand-infrastructure/downloads/marineaggregate-downloads
The industry has undertaken a
number of regional and national
studies to improve understanding
of the interactions between marine
aggregate extraction areas and
key issues such as Atlantic Herring
potential spawning habitat, sandeel
habitat and the Red-throated Diver.
The Crown Estate worked very closely
with the Department for Environment,
Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) in a
large and diverse research programme
funded through the former Marine
Aggregate Levy Sustainability Fund.
The Crown Estate and BMAPA
subsequently funded a digestible
synthesis of the findings, as the
research programme produced a
large volume of new information www.
thecrownestate.co.uk/media/5711/
aggregate-dredging-and-the-marineenvironment.pdf Hardcopies of this
164-page book are available from
The Crown Estate, free of charge.
The Crown Estate has commissioned
a palaeo-environmental assessment
of peat samples from the Dogger
Bank. This research has improved the
knowledge of the historic environment
of the Dogger Bank and evidence
was found of a range of environments
including bogs, fens, marshland
and coastal habitats. See www.
thecrownestate.co.uk/media/5599/
ei-archaeological-material-from-thedogger-bank.pdf
“The marine aggregate industry continues to
display impressive levels of innovation and
commitment to the environmental stewardship and
sustainable development of seabed resources.”
Rob Cooke, Director of Sustainable Development at Natural England
heritage experts, and where necessary
for appropriate mitigation to be
introduced in production licence areas
to protect previously unknown sites
of importance, for example aircraft
crash sites.
Since the protocol was introduced
in 2005, over 330 separate reports
have been filed by marine aggregate
industry staff (52 in 2012/13), covering
over 1000 individual items (c.120 in
2012/13). Finds reported range from
animal remains from the Palaeolithic
period, through to maritime artefacts,
cannonballs and aircraft remains. The
implementation service includes an
annual report which details every find
reported during the reporting year, and
comments on trends emerging over
time. See www.wessexarch.co.uk/
projects/marine/bmapa/docs.html
To support the practical delivery of the
protocol, an awareness programme to
encourage its use amongst industry
staff working on both wharves and on
the dredgers themselves continues
Planning & licencing systems
Implementation of a new system of marine planning in the
UK has seen the regulatory arrangements that manage marine
aggregates, take a significant step towards a more strategic and
forward-looking approach to the way in which the marine
environment is managed.
BMAPA and English Heritage
developed an archaeological reporting
protocol to enable archaeological
finds encountered during marine
aggregate operations (either on board
dredgers or at the wharves) which
continues to be delivered through an
implementation service provided by
Wessex Archaeology, and co-funded
by BMAPA and The Crown Estate. This
protocol has been used as a blueprint
for the development of a similar
protocol for the renewables sector.
The service allows finds recovered
by industry staff to be identified and
assessed for their significance by
Marine Aggregates Capability & Portfolio 2014
to be funded through a partnership
approach between BMAPA, The
Crown Estate and English Heritage.
The programme involves site visits
by maritime archaeologists to provide
industry staff with the knowledge
and confidence to identify and report
items of potential archaeological
interest that may be found amongst
dredged cargoes, as well as the
production of twice-yearly ‘Dredged
Up’ newsletters. See www.
wessexarch.co.uk/projects/marine/
bmapa/protocol-awareness.html
The Marine and Coastal Access Act
2009 enabled the UK Government
to establish marine planning across
the UK, with this function being
delivered by the Marine Management
Organisation on behalf of Defra in
England, Marine Scotland on behalf
of Scottish Government, Welsh
Government and the Department of
Environment Northern Ireland on behalf
of the Northern Ireland Executive.
Marine Plans are intended to shape
an area in a way that reflects a clearly
defined vision, set of objectives and
policies. Plans themselves are an
instrument to help deliver the UK
Marine Policy Statement (MPS),
which itself sets out policy objectives
www.thecrownestate.co.uk
for marine aggregates as one
of the key activities taking place
in the marine environment.
The East of England Inshore and
Offshore Marine Plans are the first to
be formally adopted by the Secretary
of State and are now being used to
inform decisions on marine licensing
in the plan area. These plans contain
a number of policies to guide the
development and use of the marine
environment, including some that
apply specifically to marine aggregate
activity. Such policy includes affording
a high level of protection to existing
licensed areas, a presumption in
favour of aggregate extraction within
existing application areas, as well as
by embedding the MPS principle
of mineral safeguarding to ensure the
sustainable management of sand
and gravel resources for the long term.
There are also a number of policies
in the Marine Plan that relate to areas
of governance which apply to all
activities. One such policy sets out the
need to ensure appropriate provision
is made for infrastructure on land
which supports activities in the marine
area and vice versa, which could
reasonably be applied to facilities
for the landing and processing of
marine aggregates.
The Crown Estate will continue
to work with marine planning and
licensing authorities across the UK to
contribute evidence and information
to assist and enable consistent
planning and licensing. We will
also seek to ensure that emerging
marine policy reflects the practical
working arrangements of the marine
aggregates industry, while balancing
the interests and policy drivers of a
range of marine activities and uses.
17