CORNELLY AND GROVE QUARRIES IDO PERIODIC REVIEW UPDATED ENVIRONMENTAL STATEMENT NON TECHNICAL SUMMARY VOLUME 3. June 2014

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1 CORNELLY AND GROVE QUARRIES IDO PERIODIC REVIEW UPDATED ENVIRONMENTAL STATEMENT NON TECHNICAL SUMMARY VOLUME 3 June 2014

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3 NON TECHNICAL SUMMARY VOLUME 3 ENVIRONMENT ACT ROMP REVIEW: IDO Review Area Cornelly and Grove Quarries Client: Lafarge Tarmac Ltd Job no Document title: Non Technical Summary Volume 3 Status: Final Date: Ref: NTS

4 CONTENTS CONTENTS 1.0 INTRODUCTION Background The Scope of the EIA The Cornelly Group of Quarries ES s... Error! Bookmark not defined. 1.4 The NTS Technical Studies Planning Conditions THE APPLICATION SITE Site Location Landscape Context Ecology Geology Hydrology... Error! Bookmark not defined. 2.6 Hydrogeology... Error! Bookmark not defined. 2.7 Access and Traffic Cultural Heritage THE PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT Introduction Grove Quarry: Current Circumstances Quarry Development Scheme Processing Plant Hours of Operation Output and Traffic Movements Water Management Restoration Strategy SUMMARY OF ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS Introduction Landscape and Visual Effects Hydrology and Hydrogeology Ecology Noise Blast Vibration Air Quality Traffic Cultural Heritage CONCLUSIONS Cornelly Quarry P a g e 2 SLR Consulting Limited

5 INTRODUCTION INTRODUCTION 1.1 Background Cornelly and Grove Quarries benefit from a planning permission for quarrying which was granted in 1948 under the terms of an Interim Development Order (IDO). The boundary of the permitted IDO area is illustrated on figure 1.1 The IDO area comprises parts of Cornelly Quarry and Grove Quarry, both of which are limestone quarries situated to the south of the village of South cornelly, some 0.5 km south of the M4 motorway, 2km south of Pyle, and some 2km north/northeast of Porthcawl. The permitted IDO area straddles the boundary between Grove Quarry and Cornelly quarry on its eastern side. Land in the western area of Grove quarry is covered by separate planning permissions granted in 1950, while Cornelly Quarry benefits from 9 further planning permissions issued since 1948 for easterly extensions to the original IDO area. The boundares of the planning permissions are illustrated on figure 1.2. Whilst Cornelly Quarry is operational, Grove Quarry has been mothballed since 2002 when operations were temporarily halted to allow quarrying to be concentrated at the adjoining Cornelly Quarry. The Planning and Compensation Act 1991 imposed an obligation on Operators to register IDO planning permissions and for the IDO permissions to then be the subject of a review of its planning conditions in order to allow the limited historical conditions and controls to be replaced by more modern conditions which reflect up to date standards and requirements. This process was duly followed and a schedule of updated planning conditions for the Cornelly / Grove IDO permitted area was issued by the former Mid Glamorgan County Council in September The Environment Act 1995 then imposed an obligation to undertake similar reviews and updates of planning conditions imposed on more recent quarrying planning permissions. This process of a review of old mining permissions is commonly referred to as a ROMP Review. ROMP Review applications relating to the planning permissions for quarrying Cornelly and Grove which represent extensions to the original IDO permitted area were submitted in July A plan illustrating the boundaries of the respective planning permissions is produced as fugure 1.2. The separate applications at Cornelly and Grove Quarries are referred tio in this document as the Grove ROMP area (which relates to the western part of Grove Quarry), and the Cornelly ROMP Area (which relates to the eatern and northern parts of Cornelly Quarry). The ROMP Review applications were called in by the Welsh Ministers (then Welsh Office) in 1998 for their determination. The applications remain undetermined, but as part of the determination process they are the subject of parallel Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) and Environmental Statements (ESs). The Environment Act 1995 also imposed an obligation for Periodic Reviews of mineral permissions at 15 year intervals. An application for a First Periodic Review of the Cornelly / Grove IDO planning permission was submitted in September 2009 (15 years from the September 1994 Initial Review), accompanied by an Environmental Statement (ES) and a schedule of proposed updated planning conditions. The First Periodic Review IDO application was also called in by the Welsh Government for their determination (reference letter dated 11 th February 2010), with the call in designed to ensure consistency in decision making following the call in of the Environment Act ROMP Review applications at Cornelly and Grove. On 7 th March 2013, the Welsh Government issued a formal request for the 2009 ES submitted in support of the IDO First Periodic Review application to be supplemented by additional information (reference Regulation 19 of the Environment Impact Assessment) England and Wales Regulation 1999). The 7 th March 2013 letter also indicated that the further information sought could be provided at the same time as the date for the provision of the final ESs to be submitted in support of the Cornelly and Grove ROMP Reviews, which have been separately required. The deadline for the submission of the Cornelly and Grove ROMP Review ESs is 26 th June Cornelly and Grove IDO P a g e 1 SLR Consulting Limited

6 INTRODUCTION 1 The IDO Periodic Review application (and the Cornelly and Grove ROMP applications), does not relate to proposals to extend the IDO area into areas which do not currently enjoy the benefit of planning permission: it merely considers the environmental effects of continuing the existing permitted quarrying activities. The ES to which this Non-Technical Summary refers to is therefore submitted in support of the 2009 IDO First Periodic Review application, and represents an update of the originally submitted 2009 ES, which it formally replaces and supersedes. For consistency, the ES is presented in a similar format to the parallel Cornelly and Grove ROMP Review ESs. 1.2 The Scope of the EIA The application will be determined by the Welsh Government (WG) who issued Scoping Directions (dated 4 th March 2013) for both the Cornelly and Grove ROMP review applications, which set out the issues which should be addressed as part of the EIA(s) to be submitted in support of those applications. On 7 th March 2013, the Welsh Government issued a formal request for additional information to support the 2009 IDO Periodic Review ES. A copy of the request is produced as Appendix 1.2 to the ES (within ES Volume 2D). Th e request for further information reflects the content of the Scoping Directions issued on 4 th March 2013 in respect of the Cornelly and Grove ROMP applications, and is designed to ensure consistency between the content of the respective ESs The Scoping Directions and request for additional information set out specific requirements under a series of environmental and amenity headings. The Applicants have ensured that each issue is fully addressed as part of the EIA and this ES. 1.3 The NTS This document is a non technical summary (NTS) of the Cornelly and Grove Quarry IDO Periodic Review ES, and presents the main findings of the EIA and ES in non technical language. The NTS, as the title suggests, provides only a brief summarised account of a large amount of technical data. However, it is intended to provide a sufficient overview of the ongoing development, and the environmental issues, and the way in which the EIA and ES have informed the preparation of updated quarry development schemes and schedules of planning conditions. The NTS comprises Volume 3 of a comprehensive submission which consists of: Volume 1: Environmental Statement (ES); Volume 2: Technical Appendices (Volumes 2A 2D); Volume 3: Non Technical Summary of the ES (this document); and Volume 4: Application Plans and Figures 1.4 Technical Studies The content of the EIA and respective technical studies has been informed by the Scoping Direction referred to above, and by the content of the Scoping Directions issued in respect of the Cornelly and Grove ROMP Reviews. The Applicant has commissioned a number of specialist consultants to deal with the identified issues, namely: Landscape and Visual Impact and Restoration Design Pleydell Smithyman; Hydrology and Hydrogeology ESI Ltd; Ecology Atmos Consulting Ltd; Noise WBM; Blast Vibration Vibrock; Air Quality - SLR Consulting Ltd. Traffic Hurlstone Partnership; Cultural Heritage Andrew Josephs Associates Grove Quarry P a g e 2 SLR Consulting Limited

7 INTRODUCTION 1 In addition, technical inputs on geology, phased quarry development, working practices and operational mitigation measures have been prepared by in-house expertise available to the Applicant. The EIA and preparation of the IDO Periodic Review ES has been coordinated by SLR Consulting. SLR is a member of the Institute of Environmental Assessment and Management with an awarded Quality Mark, and has specialist capability in mineral planning. 1.5 Planning Conditions The purpose of the IDO Periodic Review is to formulate a schedule of updated planning conditions which reflect modern standards and controls, and which provide (i) detailed controls over on-going operations for the 15 year Review period; and (ii) a context for subsequent Periodic Reviews by confirming the longer term intentions for the development of Cornelly and Grove quarries, and the final restoration strategy. The IDO Periodic Review procedure places the initial onus on the Applicants to propose an updated schedule of planning conditions. A schedule of proposed planning conditions was duly submitted with the 2009 application. The schedule of conditions has been further updated, partly to reflect the passage of time, but also, consistent with the principles of the 2009 schedule, to reflect the recommendation of the updated 2014 ES regarding mitigation measures, and the way in which those mitigation measures can be translated into planning conditions. submitted by the Applicant and the effect of the new conditions, other than restoration or aftercare, as compared with the effect of the exisitng conditions is to impose a restriction on working rights, then Applicants whose interests have been adversly effected by the restrictions will be entitled to claim compensation (reference Schedule 14, Paragraph 13 of the Environment Act 1995). The updated conditions proposed by the Applicant accompany the ES, and the rationale behind the conditions is set out in Chapter 14.0 of the ES and in summary in section 4.0 of this NTS. The updated conditions are considered to represent a positive and constructive approach to devising an environmental sensitive operation and to regulating the devleopment by modern, up to date planning controls. In those terms, as was the case with the 2009 ES, the exercise associated with the EIA has been of positive value in preparing specific conditions which reflect the conclusions and recommendations of the EIA. The ES also includes a review of planning policy, noting that there have been changes since the original application was submitted in Particular reference has been paid to the way in which planning policy and advice can inform the drafting of up to date planning conditions. The Welsh Ministers in relation to called in applications, are not obliged to accept the planning conditions proposed by the Applicant, and they are entitled to impose different conditions or additional conditions. However, where the Welsh Ministers determine conditions different from those Cornelly and Grove IDO P a g e 3 SLR Consulting Limited

8 INTRODUCTION 1 Figure 1-1 Site Location Grove Quarry P a g e 4 SLR Consulting Limited

9 INTRODUCTION 1 Figure 1.2 Planning History Cornelly and Grove IDO P a g e 5 SLR Consulting Limited

10 INTRODUCTION 1 Figure 1.3 Plan ref 53/93/1350/A accompanying IDO Initial Review ] Grove Quarry P a g e 6 SLR Consulting Limited

11 THE APPLICATION SITE THE APPLICATION SITE 2.1 Site Location The application site which is the subject of the Cornelly / Grove IDO Periodic Review is shown on figure 1.1. It straddles the boundary of Cornelly and Grove Quarries, and comprises the western area of Cornelly Quarry, which includes the current processing plant site and western area of the main quarry void, and the eastern area of Grove Quarry which comprises the currently unworked area of the Grove Quarry site, to the east of the Grove Quarry void which lies within the ROMP area of Grove Quarry. Cornelly Quarry is situated on an upland plateau of land situated some 0.5 km south of the M4 motorway, some 0.5km east of the village of South Cornelly in terms of the operational area, and some 1.5km north east of the principle settlement of Porthcawl. It is bounded to the north east by Heol y Splot; to the south and east by Mount Pleasant Road (and a link road between Mount Pleasant Road and Heol y Splot); to the west by Grove Quarry, and to the north west by Gaens Quarry. The Cornelly ROMP area relates to the central and eastern area of Cornelly Quarry and land to the north and north-west at Pant Mawr. The ROMP area includes the majority of the quarry development area, but not the western extremity which includes the plant site and access which is covered by the separate IDO permission. The Pant Mawr area generally comprises ancillary land used for HGV parking, water management (Pant Mawr Lagoon), stocking, and an area which has been partly backfilled with quarry waste (and which will be over-tipped as part of the proposed development the Western Pant Mawr Tip). The total area of Cornelly Quarry that falls within the IDO permission, equates to some ha. The proposed future extraction area at Cornelly, which lies fully within the ROMP/IDO boundaries, equates to some 48.21ha. Grove Quarry is located approximately 1 kilometre south of the M4 motorway at Pyle (Junction 37). Cornelly Quarry lies to the east beyond the Grove IDO area. Pant Mawr quarry lies immediately to the north, separated from Grove Quarry by Heol y Splot, and to the north of Pant Mawr lies Gaens Quarry. Heol y Splot lies on the northern boundary of the site, and gives access to Grove, Cornelly and Pant Mawr quarries from the A4229. Other properties in the immediate vicinity are mainly scattered farms or small groups of houses. A recycling yard is located between Heol y Splott and the quarry boundary. Quarries are the dominant landuse. Elsewhere, outside of settlements, the land is in agricultural use with blocks of woodland, and fields bounded mainly by hedgerows. The IDO permission, which includes both parts of Grove and Cornelly quarries equates to some ha. The proposed future eastern extraction area at Grove Quarry that is currently undisturbed and which lies fully within the Grove area of the IDO boundary, equates to some 8.86 ha. 2.2 Landscape Context Cornelly quarry is located in a broad upland plateau area, ranging between 80m and 108m AOD, whilst Grove Quarry is located at levels ranging between 40m and 80m AOD. The eastern boundary of the Grove Quarry IDO area abuts the main Cornelly Quarry void, whilst the eastern boundary of the IDO area within Cornelly Quarry represents a local high point (Newton Down) with the plateau gently rising in a series of small undulations to the northeast to 108m AOD at Stormy Down. Further eastwards the landform remains at a similar level before falling gently away towards Lalestron/Trelales due east and Tythegston to the southeast as a series of small valley features. These valleys are occupied by both local and national road networks (A48 linking Bridgend with Pyle). As a consequence of the location of the quarry within this upland plateau area, in conjunction with the surrounding topographical features, both Cornelly Quarry and Grove Quarry are generally well screened and Cornelly and Grove IDO P a g e 7 SLR Consulting Limited

12 THE APPLICATION SITE 2 enclosed by the existing landform and vegetation within the general landscape setting. However the location of the valley feature associated with Heol y Splot road abutting Grove Quarry to the north allows the back faces of Grove Quarry to become generally open to view, albeit restricted to a relatively narrow angle from due west to the northwest. The IDO area is not located within any nationally designated landscape (i.e. a National Park or an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty) and there are no UNESCO World Heritage Sites, Ramsar, or Special Protected Areas within 10km of the site boundary. However, a number of Special Landscape Areas (SLAs), Historic Landscape Areas (HLA), Special Areas of Conservation (SAC), Scheduled Ancient Monuments (SAM), Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), National and Local Nature Reserves, Site of Important Nature Conservation (SINC), Historic Parks and Gardens, Listed Buildings, areas of Ancient Woodland and Long Distance Recreational Routes are present within a 3km radius of the IDO area, which has been defined as the Study Area for the purposes of the Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment (LVIA) within the ES. 2.3 Ecology There are no designated nature conservation sites within the IDO or ROMP areas. Two internationally designated sites are within 2km Kenfig Special Area of Conservation (SAC) 1.9km north-west and Cefn Cribwr Grasslands SAC 1.4km north. A further six nationally designated Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs) are present within a 2 km radius (five including the component SSSIs of the above SACs) and Stormy Down SSSI 500m east. One National Nature Reserve is present approximately 1.7km north-west - Kenfig Pool and Dunes National Nature Reserve (NNR). There are twenty non-statutory designated Sites of Importance for Nature Conservation (SINCs) within approximately 2km of the IDO area. The closest Cornelly Quarry SINC lies within the Cornelly ROMP area immediately to the north of Heol y Splot. Further details on the habitats and/or species present within these sites are presented along with the evaluation of their nature conservation interest in Section 7.6 of Chapter 7.0 of the ES. A wide range of specialist ecological surveys have been carried out over the Cornelly ROMP, Grove ROMP and Cornelly / Grove IDO Periodic Review areas, both recently in 2013/14 and historically in 2008/09. These have recorded a variety of habitats to be present within the IDO boundary and wider area, including woodlands broadleaved semi-natural and mixed plantation, scrub dominanted by buddleja, grasslands semiimproved neutral and calcareous, ephemeral (seasonal) plant communities, hedgerows, standing water and swamp and man-made habitats including quarry, bare ground and buildings. Immediately adjacent to the Cornelly ROMP and Grove ROMP area, arable farmland and agricultural grassland was extensive to the south east and west / south and east respectively, with pockets of broadleaved semi-natural woodland to the north and south west of Cornelly Quarry. Grove Woods was present to the west of Grove Quarry. 2.4 Geology The quarries lie within an outcrop of limestone and mudstone known as the Triassic Mercia Mudstone and Carboniferous Limestone. The main limestones worked at the quarries comprise the Cornelly Oolite and Stormy Limestone (Cornelly and Grove). The Carboniferous Limestone which is worked by the quarries forms a groundwater storage area (aquifer) in the area, and is classified as a Major Aquifer by Natural Resources Wales (NRW) for the purposes of groundwater protection. 2.5 Surface Water (Hydrology) Long term average rainfall at Margam is 1149 mm per annum, with 1996 being the driest year in the 22 year sequence (845 mm), and 2012 being the wettest (1655 mm). The very wet sequence of months from April 2012 onwards affects most of the recent water level records. Grove Quarry P a g e 8 SLR Consulting Limited

13 THE APPLICATION SITE 2 The main surface water flows of interest relate to the two large springs in the area. The large, perennial springs at New Mill Farm have been identified as an important feature of the local hydrology and flow measurements have been made on numerous occasions over the last ten years. The spring complex comprises a main spring (20 70 litres per second, 1,700 to 6,000 cubic metres per day) sourced from underlying strata and numerous other smaller seeps and springs in this general area. A second large spring rises in the middle of Merthyr Mawr dunes, known as the Burrows Well spring. The data shows that the spring does not flow constantly all year, with flows up to 350 litres per second (30,000 cubic metres per day), but more typically around 50 litres per second (4,300 cubic metres per day). In addition to these flows, there is some surface water flow in the dunes at Kenfig during high groundwater level conditions. However, this all recharges to the sands to the west rather than flowing to the coast. 2.6 Ground Water (Hydrogeology) Two types of aquifer are present in the study area: porous aquifers in which flow is distributed relatively evenly throughout the whole formation (e.g. the sand dune systems), and limestone aquifers in which flow occurs almost entirely through cracks and other features. Groundwater levels have been monitored by the applicants, the NRW and staff at the Kenfig Nature Reserves at nearly 60 sites in the area over the last decade, with some sites having up to 16 years of data. This forms an exceptional baseline for the assessment of the impacts of the quarries. The Cornelly Group of quarries (Cornelly, Grove and Gaens Quarries) work Carboniferous Limestone that forms part of a wider, inter-connected aquifer system extending over an area of around 25 km 2. This is bounded by the River Kenfig to the north, the River Ogmore to the south, by various faults to the north east and by the coast to the south and west. The Carboniferous Limestone forms the main aquifer in this area but is overlain by permeable, layered strata to the west and south. The sands at Kenfig and Merthyr Mawr form minor aquifers that have a degree of connection with the underlying limestone aquifers. The main discharge point for groundwater in this area is to the ~10 km of coastline that forms the western and southern boundaries of the area (83%). Apart from these coastal discharges, groundwater also emerges: At the large springs at New Mill Farm. Within the Blown Sand dunes at Kenfig and in Kenfig Pool. At the large spring at Burrows Well which emerges from the Carboniferous Limestone in the middle of Merthyr Mawr and flows through some dune slacks, eventually soaking back into the sands before reaching the sea. Pumping from Cornelly Quarry (and occasionally from Grove and Gaens Quarries). 2.7 Access and Traffic The M4 Motorway Junction 37 is a grade-separated interchange that provides entry and egress to/from the M4 for westbound and eastbound traffic. The A4229 is classified as a Strategic Road and also a Principal Road in the local route hierarchy, and as such is effectively the preferred corridor for HGV traffic travelling to or from the area. Cornelly Quarry is accessed via Heol y Splot, which is now a cul-de-sac following a formal road closure in 2007 of a section of Heol y Splot to the east of the Cornelly Quarry site entrance. The access to Grove Quarry is approximately 110m to the east of the junction between Heol y Splot, Porthcawl Road and the A4229, which is known as Smokey Cottage Roundabout. Cornelly and Grove IDO P a g e 9 SLR Consulting Limited

14 THE APPLICATION SITE Cultural Heritage The nature of mineral extraction results in the total loss of the cultural heritage resource wherever extraction takes place, and the potential loss in other areas associated with infrastructure and landscaping. However, the entire footprint of the IDO area comprises already worked land associated with quarrying, and there are no surviving archaeological remains. There are no designated assets of cultural heritage importance within the IDO area or elsewhere within the ROMP areas nor are there any World Heritage Sites, Heritage Coasts, Historic Landscapes, Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest or Registered Battlefields within 2km of the IDO and ROMP areas. Four scheduled monuments lie within 2km of Cornelly / Grove Quarries comprising Mynydd Herbert Round Barrow; Stormy castle; Dan-y-graig house; and Nottage inscribed stone, at distances of between 950m and 1600m from the site boundary. Fourteen sites (or former sites) lie within a 1km study area, but none lie within the IDO or ROMP application areas. There are no Listed Buildings within the boundaries of the IDO or ROMP areas, but six listed buildings lie within 2km of the boundaries. Grove Quarry P a g e 10 SLR Consulting Limited

15 THE PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT THE PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT 3.1 Introduction The IDO area straddles the boundary between Cornelly and Grove Quarries, and the IDO permission does not comprise a single unit in operational terms. It would be artificial and inappropriate to attempt to produce a quarry development scheme confined to the IDO area since, in practice, Cornelly Quarry is worked as a single operational unit within the defined overall ROMP and IDO boundaries. Similarly, the separate working scheme for Grove Quarry includes the ROMP and IDO areas as a single operational unit which relies upon the integration of both areas to deliver the development scheme. The description of the quarry development scheme is therefore subdivided into Cornelly Quarry, which includes the eastern area of the IDO permission and the Cornelly ROMP area to the east and north of the IDO area, and Grove Quarry which includes the western area of the IDO permission and the Grove ROMP area on its western side. 3.2 Cornelly Quarry The Cornelly Quarry development scheme is based upon the initial development of the quarry northwards to the approved limits of extraction at Pant Mawr, and the progressive deepening of the quarry. This will be followed by the lateral development of the quarry westwards through part of the current plant site (within the IDO area). The Cornelly Quarry development scheme has been based upon an assumed annual output of 1 million tonnes per annum, with an anticipated total reserve of between 42 million and 45 million tonnes. At the assumed 1 million tonnes per annum, the scheme is based upon a notional 42 year development programme. The proposed quarry development scheme is depicted on plans which show the quarry development in years 1-5; 5-10; 10-15; and The key focus of the current Cornelly Quarry IDO Periodic Review will be on years 0 15, following which, based upon current legislative requirements, there will be a need for a further IDO Periodic Review which will consider the quarry development for the next 15 year period. This subsequent Review will consider any changes to the development scheme proposed, and any revised conditions which are deemed to be appropriate at that time. It follows that environmental effects of the ongoing development post year 15 can be re-assessed as part of that process. However, the current submission has not sought to confine the development scheme or the impact assessment to the initial 15 year period. The submission includes a development scheme for the full quarry development, and the effects of that full development scheme have been assessed as part of the EIA. However, there are certain aspects of the development scheme which cannot be finalised at this stage. Notably this relates to the processing plant site. The quarry development scheme indicates that during the year phase, the eastern area of the plant site will be removed to allow access to the reserves situated beneath the plant site. The quarry will then be developed in a westerly direction, and ultimately will progress through the full extent of the current plant site. These operations will take place towards the end of the year period (from circa year 25), and a location to accommodate the processing plant will be identified and assessed at that stage Cornelly Current Circumstances The current circumstances of Cornelly quarry are illustrated on the overview plan figure 3.1. Because of the scale of the quarry, and the need to produce plans at a readable size, the subsequent phased quarry development plans have been produced for the East and West areas of Cornelly Quarry, with an overlap between the two plans. The plans are Cornelly and Grove IDO P a g e 11 SLR Consulting Limited

16 THE PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT 3 produced within Volume 4 of the submission, and at a smaller size at the end of this section. The main features of the current Cornelly quarry are the main quarry void which has developed down to a base of -3m AOD compared to a quarry rim along the southern boundary of between 92 and 100m AOD. The existing quarry is thus circa 100m deep. The quarry is being developed northwards into the Pant Mawr area, through the former alignment of Heol y Splot which was formally stopped up by a Closure Order issued in Quarry waste / reject rock from the upper face of the Pant Mawr area is being disposed of in a quarry waste tip to the east in the Pant Mawr area. The processing plant lies on the western side of the Cornelly quarry void, and the main components of the plant are described in section below. A historic quarry tip is situated within the Cornelly quarry void in the southern area of the site. The quarry tip will be removed and repositioned during the year development phase to release reserves currently present beneath the tip. The existing south west silt lagoon will also be repositioned during that period Cornelly Quarry Development Scheme Stage 1: 1-5 years Figure 3.2 Stage 1 of the development broadly comprises the working of the northern quarry faces towards their final positions, along with the development of a new sinking in the quarry floor to -15m AOD. Initially, overburden consisting of heavily clay-contaminated limestone will be stripped, in two phases, from the upper level of the Pant Mawr Extension area and placed in the Pant Mawr quarry area, forming a new tip platform. The final profile of the Pant Mawr Quarry Tip will maintain an open water body as part of the water management system, and the upper surface of the tip levelled for use as a stocking area. Faces will be worked, by means of drilling and blasting to break up the rock mass, followed by loading into dump trucks by an excavator for transport to the primary crushing facility for onward processing. During this time, a new sinking will be developed in the quarry floor, to a depth of -15m AOD. This sinking will be used for water management, maintaining a dry quarry floor, and providing clean limestone reserves to supplement production from the upper faces. The total extraction shown for this stage is 5,000,000 saleable tonnes. Stage 2: 5 10 years Figure 3.4 During the second stage of working, final faces will be formed in the north western corner (the Pant Mawr Extension area) and the south eastern area (the Pinnacle area ), and a new sinking will be developed in the quarry floor to -30m AOD. During the development of the Pinnacle area, the existing haul route into the base of the quarry will be removed, and a new route developed along the toe of the final faces. This new route will form the main access in to the base of the quarry, and will remain in this position for the duration of the development. The ramped sections of the route will be formed at a smooth gradient no steeper than 1-in-10. Following development of the new haul route, a new sinking to -30m AOD will be excavated in the north eastern corner of the quarry floor, forming the quarry sump and access to the next development level. The total extraction shown for this stage is 5,000,000 saleable tonnes. Stage 3: years - Figure 3.6 Stage 3 sees the further development of the -30m AOD level. The initial development work required in this third stage, from year 10 onwards involves working back the historic haul route areas in the south west of the quarry, from elevations between 20m AOD and -3m AOD. Once these have been worked back to their interim final position, the -15m Grove Quarry P a g e 12 SLR Consulting Limited

17 THE PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT 3 AOD and the -30m AOD levels can be worked from an east to west direction, with all material hauled out of the excavation along the new southern haul ramp. The total extraction shown for this stage is 5,000,000 saleable tonnes. Stage 4: years Figure 3.8 The fourth stage, covering approximately 15 years of development, principally comprises deepening the eastern side of the quarry to -75m AOD, and, at the latter part of the stage, the relocation of the processing plant to access the reserves in the west. Extraction of mineral in the base of the quarry will continue during the initial period of this stage, during which time the current existing South Tip will be partially relocated into the far south western corner of the quarry. A new landscaped tip will be formed on top of the historic silt lagoons, which once completed at the end of the quarry development scheme will tie in the original ground level surrounding the quarry. Once this tip has been relocated, there will be sufficient space within the lower levels to develop the quarry to the maximum working depth of -75m AOD. This mineral in the southern and lower faces will provide approximately 11,500,000 saleable tonnes, following which the reserves beneath the plant site will need to be accessed. Access to the -60m AOD and -75m AOD levels will be via constructed rock-fill ramps, as the final ramp profiles for these levels will be completed as part of the following stage. Following stripping of the plant site, working of the limestone reserves beneath will continue by means of excavation and loading up the newly formed upper haul route. A series of temporary ramps and haul routes are likely to be required during this stage, and would be integrated into a number of subsidiary phase designs to detail the order of extraction in the areas worked in this stage. In total, this stage represents extraction of approximately 15,000,000 saleable tonnes. Stage 5: years Figure 3.10 Stage 5 involves working back of all levels between +40m AOD and -75m AOD to their final positions in the west. Following the removal of the plant site and overburden from the western flank of the quarry, the full exposed reserve can be exploited. These benches would be worked via a series of connected haul routes and ramps, leading down to the main ramp starting in the base of the quarry. On retreat from each level, the roadways will be removed, allowing full access to the reserves beneath. In total, this stage represents extraction of approximately 15,000,000 saleable tonnes Pant Mawr Western Quarry Tip Quarry waste in the form of clay, reject rock and weathered rock/overburden is currently disposed of within: (i) (ii) the southern Cornelly Quarry tip, along the southern edge of the quarry void, and the south eastern area of the Pant Mawr void. The Pant Mawr quarry tip will reach capacity in circa 10 years, and a new quarry waste disposal area will be required. This will consist of a new quarry tip which will be created in the western area of Pant Mawr, on previously disturbed/partly tipped land. The tip will be constructed with an outer western flank with tipping then taking place on the inner side from west to east ref Figures 3.7 and Cornelly Quarry Processing Plant Excavated rock from the quarry face is transported by dump truck to a primary crusher, located at the western edge of the quarry, within the IDO area. The primary crusher building contains a feed hoper and a rotary impact primary crusher. Cornelly and Grove IDO P a g e 13 SLR Consulting Limited

18 THE PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT 3 Further size reduction is undertaken by a crusher in the Sinter plant building (which produces a ground limestone sinter for use in the Port Talbot Steelworks), whilst two screening units are located within the main screen house building. The screen house building and integral aggregate storage bins are fully enclosed within a sheeted dust storage building. The vehicle load out is sheeted both sides and suppression sprays are installed to eliminate emissions. The site also contains a roadstone coating plant, which is a totally enclosed unit and capable of producing 250,000 tonnes per annum of coated material. Various grades of aggregates, steel and blast furnace slag and sand are transferred from storage bays to four sided and roofed cold feed bins from which they are conveyed into a sealed rotary drier. The sealed rotary drier is fired by a burner. Bitumen for coating the roadstone is stored in four 50,000 litre capacity vertical heated tanks, and the filler in four 50 tonne capacity silos mounted at high level within the mixing tower Cornelly Hours of Operation The IDO Initial Review imposed separate hours of working restrictions on Cornelly Quarry (the pink area ) and Grove Quarry (the yellow area ) figure 1.3. The hours of operation relating to Cornelly Quarry are: The winning and working of stone from the quarry faces and operation of the primary crusher shall take place only between 6:00 am and 1:00 am Monday to Saturday and at no time on Sundays or Statutory Public /Bank Holidays except for essential maintenance or otherwise agreed in writing by the Mineral Planning Authority. It should be noted that this condition related to the actual quarrying of stone, and it does not place hours of working restrictions on processing or the use of the other items of plant. A similar condition was proposed by the Applicants as part of the original Cornelly Quarry ROMP application, but with additional restrictions, as follows: (i) (ii) (iii) Except in the case of emergency the wining and working of stone from the quarry faces and operation of the primary crusher shall take place only between 6:00 am and 1:00 am Monday to Saturday and at no time on Sundays or statutory public/bank holidays except for essential maintenance or otherwise agreed in writing by the Mineral Planning Authority. No operations for the formation and subsequent removal of material from bunds/soil storage areas shall be carried out the site except between the following times: 08:00 17:00 hours Monday to Friday 08:00 13:00 hour Saturdays The operation of all other plant including the sinter mills, aggregate screening plant, lime plant and asphalt plant will be unrestricted. NB: For the purposes of the condition, quarrying operation shall be defined as wining and working of stone from the quarry face, the haulage of stone from the face and the operations of the primary crusher/or other mechanical means of stone breakage. Following discussions with Bridgend County Borough Council (BCBC) as part of the preparation of the IDO Periodic Review application, further revisions have been proposed to the hours of working restrictions, which impose additional constraints on certain operations. These revisions are set out below, and would apply to the IDO and ROMP area, as defined in the condition. The proposed condition is reproduced within the schedule of conditions produced as Annex 1 to the ES. Except in the case of emergency (defined as circumstances in which the Operator has a reasonable cause for apprehending injury to persons, or serious damage to property), the winning and working of stone from the quarry faces, and operation of the primary crusher, shall take place only between the hours of 06:00-22:00 Mondays to Saturdays, and at no time Grove Quarry P a g e 14 SLR Consulting Limited

19 THE PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT 3 on Sundays or Bank Holidays, except for essential maintenance or otherwise agreed in writing by the MPA. (NB (i) For the purpose of this condition, quarrying operators shall be defined as winning and working of stone from the quarry face, and the operation of the primary crusher/or other mechanical means of stone breaking. (ii) All other items of plant including secondary crushers, screens, sinter mills, asphalt plant, and concrete plant, lie within the IDO permitted area, where the hours of working are unrestricted by virtue of permission ref 53/93/1350. Within the working hours, specified in Condition [X], there shall be no drilling operations, or secondary breakage of stone between the hours of 06:00 07:00 and 19:00-22:00 hours. No operations associated with the formation of the western Pant Mawr Tip, and formation and subsequent removal of material from bunds/soil storage areas shall be carried out at the site except between the hours of 08:00 17:00 Mondays to Fridays, and 08:00-13:00 on Saturdays Cornelly Traffic Movements The quarry is principally geared towards the production of sinter, for use in the steel works at Port Talbot. Indeed Tata are the freehold owners of the quarry. Recent output has typically averaged between 1.2 and 1.4 million tonnes per annum, of which some 50% comprises sinter. The processing operations concentrate on producing +40mm stone for use in the sinter manufacturing process, with the remainder essentially a byproduct of that process. However, this by-product represents a quality source of primary aggregate, which is used in the construction industry, notably via the on-site roadstone and concrete batching plants. This contrasts with historical practices whereby the majority of stone not suitable for sinter production was disposed of as waste on the IDO land between Cornelly and Grove Quarries. More specifically, the aggregate is used to supply concrete plants both on site and in the general locality and the concrete blockworks at South Cornelly. Moreover, as part of a comprehensive and integrated approach to local mineral supply of both primary and secondary resources, the Applicant is actively involved in the production and marketing of secondary aggregate (blast furnace slag) from the Port Talbot Steel Works. Access to the quarry is derived off Heol y Splot, and its roundabout junction with the A4229. The westbound carriageway of Heol y Splot was substantially improved in 1997 with widening, re-surfacing, re-alignment, and provision of passing bays. All traffic utilises that route, with the exception of very occasional deliveries of ready-mix concrete which previously ran in an easterly direction along Heol y Splot. However such movements will be precluded by the closure of part of Heol y Splot. The concrete batching plant at Cornelly Quarry is the subject of a separate planning permission which does not impose any restrictions on vehicle movements or routing. Sinter to the steel works is conventionally transported in articulated lorries with a carrying capacity of between 22 and 23 tonnes. Product from the asphalt plant is conventionally transported in vehicles with average capacities of 16 tonnes, with dry aggregate sales using vehicles with average load sizes of 18 tonnes. The majority of movements travel north from the South Cornelly roundabout along the A4229 to the M4 junction 37, and are distributed to markets from there. In the case of sinter, the quarry is very well located, with access along the M4 to Port Talbot Steel Works at junction 38 of the M4, some 5km to the north west Cornelly Water Management The quarry water is diverted via a sump, from where water is currently pumped to the water filled void within Grove Quarry. From there, water is discharged to a sink hole within a former railway cutting north west of Grove Quarry. Historically, water has also been pumped to the lagoon within Pant Mawr Quarry, and this remains an operational water management option. Cornelly and Grove IDO P a g e 15 SLR Consulting Limited

20 THE PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT 3 Full details of the future water management proposals are set out in the Cornelly Quarry Water Management Plan produced as ES Appendix 7.5 (within Volume 2C) Cornelly Restoration The concept for the restoration of the site is based on the anticipated physical form of the quarry upon reaching the final extent of quarrying as illustrated on figures 3.10 and 3.15, together with mitigation and enhancement features. These include: Hedgerow creation and enhancement in the short term alongside Mount Pleasant Road; Hedgerow/woodland strengthening and enhancement in the short term along the northern boundary of the site to provide a wildlife corridor; Creation of species rich calcareous grassland in the medium and long term on quarry waste tips within the Pant Mawr area; Revegetation of overburden slopes, quarry waste tips and faces/benches in the medium and long term; Retention of rocky outcrops and creation of scree slopes in the medium and long terms that could be advantageous for the creation of habitats suitable to encourage colonisation by species of nature conservation interest. Creation of wetland and marginal habitats in the long term around the edges of the flooded quarry void to encourage the establishment of habitats suitable to encourage colonisation by species of nature conservation interest. Possible retention of flat areas in the long term adjacent to the future lake that could be utilised for the provision of infrastructure associated with possible future leisure and tourism (interim restoration to grassland). These will be done on a gradual (progressive) basis as the development continues to ensure that as much of the site as possible is restored as early as possible. The restoration strategy is illustrated on Figures Grove Quarry In practice, Grove Quarry will be worked as a single operational unit within the defined overall ROMP and IDO boundaries. Thus, the quarry development scheme which accompanied the 2008 voluntary ES set out details of quarry development for the full quarry development scheme covering the western ROMP area and the eastern IDO area. A comprehensive quarry development scheme has thus been prepared, which has formed the basis of the EIA. The quarry development scheme for the ROMP area remains essentially unchanged from that submitted in February 2008, involving two phases of development to 0m AOD, and then a deepening to -15m AOD within the existing footprint of the quarry. As the ridgeline along the south western boundary of Grove Quarry provides a visual and noise attenuation barrier, and a feature of general landscape and ecological value, the Applicants are prepared to voluntarily relinquish that part of the permitted area within their landownership control. No quarrying could logically take place within the residual area of land abutting the land along the ridgeline on the western side of the Applicants landownership, notwithstanding the location of that area within the overall boundary of the permitted quarry area. An updated quarry development scheme was prepared for the IDO area, as part of the 2008 voluntary ES. This involves stripping the overburden and waste rock currently stored in a plateau on the IDO area, and placing that material into the void which would be created within the Grove Quarry ROMP area (at -15m AOD). The eastern faces of the ROMP quarry development scheme would then be progressed eastwards into the IDO area, working progressively down to a level of +15m AOD. The scheme has been further updated for the purposes of the EIA, but with no change to the proposed depth of extraction, which remains at - 15m AOD. Grove Quarry P a g e 16 SLR Consulting Limited

21 THE PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT Grove Current circumstances Quarrying operations at Grove were temporarily mothballed in 2002, with production currently concentrated at Cornelly Quarry. A decision on when operations will be resumed at Grove will be dependent upon a combination of operational requirements at Cornelly, the outcome of the Cornelly ROMP and IDO Periodic Review applications, and general market conditions and requirements. In those circumstances, no precise timescale for operations at Grove can be confirmed at this stage. However, it has been assumed that quarrying will recommence within the current 15 year Review period. When quarrying recommences, it will take place within the main ROMP area, and it has been assumed, for the purposes of the EIA, that the limestone would be processed via mobile crushing and screening plant to be located within the quarry void at an appropriate distance from the working face. At present, the offices and weighbridge/plant yard is at an average level 40m AOD, with the base of the quarry, on its south eastern side, at a minimum level at some 15 metres AOD. This compares with undisturbed levels to the southwest and southeast of between 60 and 70 metres AOD (ref Figure 3.11). The main quarry void is occupied by a lake, to which water from the Cornelly Quarry void is pumped. The former processing plant area at the site frontage is currently used for inert waste recycling, with a large industrial type building at the southern side of the surfaced area. A separate recycling operation has been established within a former quarry void off Heol y Splot to the north east of the ROMP area. This land lies within the boundary of the IDO permitted area, but is not in the ownership of the applicants (Lafarge Tarmac), and the area is thus not included as part of the quarry development scheme Grove Quarry Development Scheme ROMP Stage A: 1 10 years - Figure 3.12 The initial stage will involve developing the upper faces towards their final positions along the northern and southern boundaries of the excavation area, and the development of a new access ramp along the northern boundary, to allow better access the 30m AOD level. Extraction of benches at 30m AOD, 15m AOD, and 0m AOD will continue via a series of benches, with interconnecting ramps situated along the northern edge of the site. The blasted rock will be transported, via dump truck, to a mobile processing plant by for further crushing and classification. The plant will produce a variety of single-size and all-in products to meet the applicable specifications, whilst minimizing waste through-out the process. Should any un-saleable material be encountered, it will be retained and use as restoration materials later in the development. Working out of the existing western quarry area to 0m AOD will provide approximately 2,500,000 saleable tonnes. ROMP Stage B: years - Figure 3.13 Final development of the existing western ROMP quarry area will comprise one further sinking to -15m AOD, which will provide approximately 660,000 saleable tonnes. IDO Stage C Intermediate: years - Figure 3.14 The initial phase of this stage involves the stripping of overburden (comprising historically tipped quarry waste and clay contaminated toprock ) from the IDO area and placing it in the lowest sinking of the western ROMP quarry area. It is likely that there will be some overlap in time between the end of Stage B and the beginning of Stage C, to ensure the reserves are stripped and continuity of production is maintained. Approximately 720,000m³ of overburden will stripped throughout this development stage. Cornelly and Grove IDO P a g e 17 SLR Consulting Limited