Sand and gravel is required for all kinds of construction. Examples include concrete for foundations and structures, in building blocks, paving and kerbs, in mortar for brickwork, and landscaping for paths and driveways. The demand for materials comes from local developments, whether that’s housing and community facilities, shops, offices and places for leisure, or improvements to road and rail networks. A typical home requires around 200 tonnes of aggregates.

The building industry already recycles virtually all of the available materials that arise for reuse in construction or land remediation. The UK recycles and reuses more construction waste than any other country in Europe. However, recycled materials only account for around a third of the overall demand for aggregates so there is still a need to quarry new materials to meet the need from construction – see Background.

The site will be worked in a number of phases (or areas of land) over a period of 15 to 20 years (including restoration). Each phase will be worked in sequence which minimises the amount of land that is open at any one time and allows for progressive restoration (phase by phase).

There is an estimated 2 million tonnes of sand and gravel within the planning application area. This has been proven through geological investigations and testing.

Sand and gravel quarries are relatively shallow. According to our geological investigations cross the site the mineral deposits are anticipated to be between one metre thick in some places and up to six metres in others. The average depth of sand and gravel at this location is expected to be around three metres.

We will not be locating a processing plant or associated infrastructure at Rainham Lodge Farm. The sand and gravel would be excavated, loaded onto lorries and transferred and processed at our Rainham Quarry around 1.5 miles away, just off Launders Lane. Rainham Quarry has been operating for almost 60 years. Our entrance off of Warwick Lane would be reopened for this purpose.

The proposed development, as part of the Ingrebourne Valley, has been carefully designed so that there would not be a negative impact on local areas such as Hornchurch Country Park and Berwick Glades, and our commitment is that the proposal would make a net positive contribution towards public access, nature conservation and increased biodiversity.

The proposed development will not result in the loss of public access to green spaces and, in our experience, sand and gravel operations often have a much smaller impact in countryside settings than feared by prospective neighbours.

As work progresses temporary changes to current public access will be made by providing alternative access arrangements, however, there will be an overall improvement in access as the land is restored. Details of this have been discussed with the Thames Chase Trust and Essex Wildlife Trust, including how the restored site will integrate with nearby green amenities.

During our consultation we received a great deal of feedback on transport and have given careful consideration to routing, vehicle numbers, operating hours and road improvements. A revised transport scheme is outlined on our  Environmental Considerations page and details are included with our planning application.

Detailed environmental assessments have been carried out as an essential part of the planning process. The potential for environmental impacts and our proposals to address them are included in our planning application. These cover noise, air quality, traffic, landscape, ecology, archaeology and water amongst others – see Environmental Considerations. Questions relating to specific environmental concerns are welcomed.

The application area is not within Hornchurch Country Park or nearby Ingrebourne Marshes SSSI, but there is potential overlap with the edge of lands designated as a local nature reserve, and the site is adjacent to grassland and wetland habitats to the west. Extensive ecological studies have been carried out, and detailed information has been gathered in relation to the ecology on the site. Most of the site is used for arable crops but there are some field margins with wildflowers and areas of ecological value at the perimeter of the site.
We are proposing to maintain a significant distance between the quarry site and the nearby habitats and a new area of flower-rich meadow would be created in the land between the two. This buffer would also include a ‘bund’ using soils from the site that will act as a screen to help to reduce the visual impact for visitors to Ingrebourne Nature Discovery Centre.
The ecological assessment also takes into account the fact that the progressive restoration of the site following quarrying provides opportunities to enhance wildlife and deliver a net gain for biodiversity– see Restoration.

Noise levels resulting from proposed site activity have been assessed in the context of recognised standards and guidance. As a result no significant noise intrusion will arise from the development.
Nevertheless, our planning conditions and our commitment to being a good neighbour mean that appropriate measures will be taken to control noise where necessary, in accordance with industry best-working practices.
Modern equipment will be used on site with up to date noise suppression techniques. This, coupled with standoffs to keep activities as far away as possible from local communities, along with noise attenuation bunds (using on site soil) around the perimeter will keep noise to acceptable levels. Additional site health and safety measures will be put in place to control noise in accordance with industry best-working practices and planning conditions – see Environmental Considerations.

Studies to examine the potential for dust to become airborne indicate there will be no impact on local air quality around the site. The inherent moist nature of the sand and gravel as it is dug means it is damp when extracted. Nevertheless, our planning conditions and our commitment to being a good neighbour means that appropriate measures will be taken to control dust if necessary, in accordance with industry best-working practices – see Environmental Considerations.

An analysis of hydrology and hydrogeology across the site confirms that the operation of the site will not adversely affect water and a water management plan is proposed. Separation distances between the development and the River Ingrebourne would be maintained to protect the river and a water management plan will be put in place to ensure there is no effect on local water courses – see Environmental Considerations.

Quarrying is one of the few ways in which areas of land can be exposed to reveal possible archaeological and palaeontological finds. Over the years quarries have uncovered some incredible finds from woolly mammoths to roman relics to lost military aircraft. However, as a matter of course, during soil removal we pay close attention to identify anything of archaeological interest revealed by the work and this is collected, recorded, analysed and findings published in agreement with local authority archaeologists – see Environmental Considerations.

Progressive restoration would follow closely behind each stage of excavation. Soils and clays arising from local construction would be brought in to restore and profile the level of the land, then covered with the top soils already on the site (that are removed to excavate the mineral). The site will be returned to a mixture of nature conservation and agriculture with enhanced planting of some indigenous trees and hedgerows to increase biodiversity including the possibility of creating new areas of wetland and grassland on the west side of the site (adjacent to the River Ingrebourne).

The existing footpath that crosses the site would be reinstated with additional permissive paths on the land. A comprehensive restoration plan will be agreed with the local authority as part of the planning process. Brett has a long history of award-winning quarry restoration to enhance biodiversity and we are confident that the net long-term effect of the proposals will be positive for local ecology – see Restoration.

Before preparation of our planning application, we conducted consultations with people who live in the surrounding area as well as a wide range of local organisations and individuals.

This website – along with a door-to-door maildrop, a face-to-face public exhibition and ongoing dialogue with local representatives – formed part of our pre-application public consultation. Now that our planning application is submitted there is a further formal opportunity to comment on our proposals via Havering council’s website.

Brett Aggregates is an independent business with a legacy of over 100 years’ operating experience and a reputation for acting responsibly. We operate sites across Southern England and have established close working relationships over the years with many local organisations supporting community activities. Long-term partnerships are fundamental to the way that Brett does business and we believe that by building trust with stakeholders, key partners, businesses and residents, we can work collaboratively and strike a balance to meet the needs of the construction industry and local communities.

Following extensive consulation our planning application was submitted in September 2024.

Brett is the owner of Rainham Lodge Farm having purchased the site in 2006.

Running a quarry can often require changes in the way operations are carried out to ensure production can continue efficiently and an adequate supply of materials to the local market. Such changes – even relatively minor proposals – can require a variation in conditions associated with a previous planning permission or may require a whole new planning application. In the case of Rainham Quarry, planning applications and permissions relating to Rainham Quarry can be viewed on the Havering London Borough Council planning website.