Aggregates

Although our mineral interests focus mainly on the extraction of marine aggregates, we do also have interests in salt and, more significantly, potash.

Overview

Overview

Aggregates are mixtures of sand, gravel, crushed rock or other bulk minerals used in construction, principally as a component of concrete, and in civil engineering. Most UK aggregates come from land-based sources, although since the 1960s developers have been increasingly reliant on marine sources to supplement demand and meet the UK's construction needs.

Today, approximately 20 per cent of the sand and gravel used in England and Wales is supplied by the marine aggregates industry. In the south east of England, 33 per cent of sand and gravel for construction comes from the seabed and has been used in a number of major developments, for example at Wimbledon and the QEII bridge.

Marine aggregates are also used in beach replenishment schemes. Large volumes of aggregates are pumped directly from dredgers onto beaches, providing coastal protection as well as enhancing the amenity value and supporting the local economy.

In addition, marine sediment is used in land reclamation schemes to infill areas in ports and harbours or to reclaim land from the sea prior to engineering works. Recent examples of reclamation include the runway extension at Ronaldsway airport on The Isle of Man and the London Gateway port development.

To help promote a deeper understanding of this business, we have produced a glossary of marine aggregate terms in association with British Marine Aggregates Producers Association (BMAPA).

In this section

  1. Our portfolio

    There are currently around 70 production licences which account for the production of up to 21 million tonnes of material per annum.

    Read more

  2. Working with us

    In managing our mineral assets, we work alongside many different stakeholders.

    Read more

  3. Sustainability

    We are committed to understanding and minimising the potential impact of aggregate extraction on the marine environment.

    Read more

Our role

Our role

Our interest is that of a landowner and business partner.

Millions of tons of sand and gravel are used across the construction industry and for coastal defence, and we manage nearly all marine and gravel resources lying offshore the UK.

We issue consents for, amongst other activities, non-exclusive sampling and commercial licences for mineral aggregate extraction.

The planning and consenting process is the responsibility of government via the Marine Management Organisation (MMO). Through a public consultation process, the MMO determines whether an application by a company can be used for mineral aggregate extraction.

To obtain an aggregate licence, companies that have been successful in one of our tender rounds must obtain a Marine Licence (ML) from the Government or devolved administration, a procedure which includes the submission of an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA). If a favourable ML is granted, we will issue the applicant with a production agreement.

We work in partnership with industry and regulators to improve the sustainability performance of the sector through investment in the development of knowledge and best practice.