Press Release
INNOVATIVE MINE OPENS WAY FOR CRICKET CLUB CENTURY
11 August 2009
An innovative mining technique will ensure that cricket can continue to be played at the Red Triangle Cricket Club for another 87 years.
Albion Stone plc has won planning consent to extract Portland stone from Jordan’s Quarry, using an innovative technique to mine stone from sources underneath the local cricket club, which has been in existence since 1922.
The mining technique, called the room-and-pillar method, cuts the stone away rather than using blasting. As well as not disturbing the cricketers the method results in a higher yield of stone, a major reduction in the impact on important habitats and a reduction noise, dust and visual intrusion. It also allows the stone to be extracted with a significantly reduced carbon footprint, potentially reducing carbon emissions by nearly 50%. The mine will provide ten years of Whitbed and Basebed stone.
Michael Poultney, Albion Stone’s MD said: “Jordan’s Mine is our third mining operation on Portland and follows the trial mine in Bowers Quarry that started in 2003 and the High Wall mines to the eastern boundary of Bowers Quarry that started in 2007. As with the two Bowers sites, we had permission to quarry the cricket field site in Jordan’s but the company decided on environmental grounds to mine rather than quarry. The advantages for the Red Triangle Cricket Club are obvious, but also the reduction in noise, dust, blasting vibration and visual impact will be appreciated by local residents.”
Alan Laidlaw, Head of New Business Development for The Crown Estate’s Rural Estate said: “Albion Stone’s approach to developing this mine demonstrates how mineral extraction can be approached in a more sustainable way with minimum impact on the local environment and with the co-operation of the local community. It is the kind of approach that we encourage and welcome.”
Grant Neven, Club Secretary for Portland’s Red Triangle Cricket Club said: “Portland Red Triangle Cricket Club have throughout the planning of Jordan’s Mine been fully consulted and informed of developments by Albion Stone. In fact Albion Stone have helped the club with sponsorship towards its new boundary fence and have continued to sponsor and retain close relations with the club. The club looks forward to Albion Stone once again sponsoring in 2009.”
Mark Godden, Albion Stone’s Mine Manager said: “The geology of the Portland Stone varies slightly across the island but the solid cap stone above the dimension stone that we seek to extract provides the ideal roof to all the mines.
“We have to be particularly sensitive in this location as the land outside the mine is a Site of Special Scientific Interest and we have worked closely with Natural England. Through a new management agreement we have agreed to fund some clearance of the invasive cotoneaster shrub that will allow the rare butterfly food plants to flourish.
Many local residents have been interested in our project and supportive of this mining method of extraction. We are considering arranging an open day in the summer for local people once we have some more extensive tunnels extracted.”
Jordan’s Quarry is part of Inmosthay Group of Quarries that sits in the centre of the northern part of the island directly north of the settlement of Easton. This group of quarries has been worked for 150 years and includes famous quarries such as Cowcroft and Fancy Beach which have provided stones for many notable buildings including grand buildings in Trafalgar Square and Merrill Lynch’s head office in the City of London.
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