Corylus was commissioned by Raymond Brown Minerals and Waste to provide specialist landscape consultancy in support of a planning application for a major extension to Binnegar Sand Quarry near Wareham in Dorset.

Careful consideration of the extraction scheme was needed in order to mitigate any potential landscape and visual impacts upon the Dorset Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, located immediately to the south of the site. In addition, the restoration needed to provide significant ecological mitigation and enhancement, linking with surrounding areas of heathland habitat and a number of designated Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) within close proximity to the site.

To meet these challenges, our team undertook a detailed landscape and visual impact assessment as part of comprehensive Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), and were the lead consultants in the preparation of a phased extraction scheme and the design of an environmentally sensitive restoration scheme. As part of our ongoing service delivery for our clients, we also prepared a landscape and ecological management plan for the site, in collaboration with the project ecologist. Restoration of the site is now ongoing.