Rudheath Lodge Farm – New Quarry Application (Lancashire) (North West)

Update July 2017 – Application Re-Submitted

Sibelco UK Ltd. have re-submitted an application for a new silica quarry at this site. The site is one large farm, Rudheath Lodge.  It’s a proposed new site, not an extension to an existing site. It is massive, the application area is 75.3 ha (186 acres) the sand extraction will come from 51.8 hectares (128 acres) the rest for processing/loading etc.

The original application came two weeks before the Secretary of State overruled Lancashire County Councils decision on fracking in Lancashire. Sibelco have previously supplied frac sand (CH‐52 – Chelford Sand) to Cuadrilla Resources for it’s ill-fated Preese Hall-1 well. Each well that Cuadrilla propose to frack at Preston New Road and Roseacre will require close to 2,000 tonnes of sand.

Sibelco are likely to continue supplying frac sand to Cuadrilla and other UK fracking companies and this new site is the first sign of an expansion of silica mining in the UK. See: Why does frac sand mining threaten Cheshire?.

You can object to the application >>here<<

More info & guidance >>here<<