Future of building materials
The area has important reserves of gravel for the construction industry.
Can these be extracted without significant landscape impact?
- Local quarries
Small local quarries, brickpits and sandpits once contributed a diversity of building resources (and hence building styles) across Oxfordshire. These became redundant during the 20th Century as resource extraction became concentrated in larger operations. The operations are often unpopular as they can produce heavy road traffic, pollution and landscape disfigurement.Where are the deposits of sand and gravel in South Oxfordshire?
- Deposits are mostly in the lower-lying areas of the Thames valley. Substantial amounts have already been extracted in South Oxfordshire from around Dorchester, Abingdon and Sutton Courtenay.
- New extraction sites are needed but many remaining deposits are protected within Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty or Scheduled Ancient Monuments (eg the floodplain around Northfield Farm). Recent proposals have been resisted by local residents because of the extra heavy road traffic it would bring and the disturbance to an attractive landscape.
There may be a loss of valuable archaeological remains, as happened in the mid 20th century at Dorchester.
http://www.southoxon.gov.uk/content/cmt/news-items/hands-off-south-oxfordshire.jsp
Are there alternatives to using sand and gravel? Are there positive outcomes of gravel extraction?
- Efforts are now being made to obtain more recycled aggregate by crushing of concrete from demolition of existing buildings, also by using pulverized fuel ash from Didcot power station.
- Recycling of other building materials could help: The Northmoor Trust offices use recycled slates for roofing, also reclaimed bricks and granite sets.
Alternatives for transport of extracted gravel (eg by river, rail, conveyor belt or pipeline) might be considered to avoid increasing road traffic. - Annoyances caused by extraction to local residents might be balanced in the long term by consideration of the future benefits. Many former sites have been redeveloped as wetland reserves or recreational parks.
