Hightown quarry and landfill application

MCL Consulting are currently preparing a planning application on behalf of Macwill Services for their existing quarry and landfill site located at 59 Upper Hightown road, Newtownabbey, BT14 8RR. The application will be for the additional hard rock quarrying of a previously quarried area, and subsequent progressive infilling of the enlarged void with inert wastes, to tie into the existing profile of the old site.  

The proposed development will consist of the following two main stages:

• Additional hard rock quarrying of a previously extracted area and further unextracted area, extending across unfilled portions of the site to create a benched quarry void,
• Subsequent progressive infilling of the quarry void with inert wastes, to tie into the existing profile of the ‘old site’ and final capping and landscaping of infilled void.

Please note that this proposal is in no way connected to the nearby arc21 site.

Quarrying

The quarrying is proposed to be carried out using a combination of mechanical ripping and mechanical rock hammering, along with a limited degree of face blasting. Overburden will be stripped and screened for resale and for on-ward site engineering purposes.

Crushing and screening of aggregates will take place within the quarry void using mobile plant, with aggregates subsequently stockpiled in a designated area awaiting sale. The quarry floor will be re-profiled by rock extraction to create a new floor profile suitable for lining for landfilling and to aid drainage management.

The application will be accompanied by in depth assessments considering potential impacts such noise and air quality to ensure that the proposal does not in any way negatively impact upon the surrounding area.

Infilling and Restoration

Only inert waste materials, comprising mainly clays, soil and stones (excluding topsoil), concrete and bricks will be used to backfill the quarry void with a clay capping emplaced over the waste mass to form the final restoration profile. Inert wastes are ‘non-reactive’ and therefore do not give rise to any unpleasant odours and pose very low risk to the environment.

The restoration levels will be designed such that a continual crest profile is created between the proposed new lands and the existing adjoining closed landfill site (‘the old site’). The final restored landform will then be seeded and landscaped to return it to an attractive natural state.  

The image below shows the existing layout of the site.

The image below shows an approximation of how the site will appear following final restoration and landscaping.

If you would like any more information on the proposal or would like to leave any thoughts and feedback, please do not hesitate to contact us via the following contact details:

Email: ross@mclni.com

Telephone: 07719958757

Postal Address: Unit 5, 48 North, Duncrue Street, Belfast, BT3 9BJ