APPENDIX 1 Public exhibition boards

FAULD MINE PLANNING & MINERAL DEVELOPMENT STATEMENT

APPENDIX 1 Public exhibition boards

Welcome

Welcome to our public consultation to outline proposed changes to the mining operations at Fauld Mine.

The extension is to the south of the existing mine workings.

The aim of this exhibition is to give you more information on our proposals, answer any questions, and gather your feedback on the plans.

Thank you for taking the time to visit and sharing your thoughts.

British Gypsum, part of the Saint-Gobain Group, is the UK’s leading manufacturer of gypsum-based plastering and drylining solutions. With over 100 years’ experience, we manufacture a variety of high-performance products.

Our mission is to develop innovative products and services that help customers build better spaces in which to live, work and play.

In the UK, naturally occurring economic deposits of gypsum are relatively rare. Gypsum is only extracted from and/or processed at seven sites across the UK, one of which is Fauld Mine in Staffordshire.

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Birkshead Mine, Kirkby Thore, Cumbria

Sherburn Works, North Yorkshire

Bantycock Quarry, Nottinghamshire

Marblaegis Mine, East Leake, Nottinghamshire

Fauld Mine, Sta�ordshire

Barrow Mine, Leicestershire

Brightling Mine, Robertsbridge, East Sussex

Who we areAbout us

Gypsum for carving (Alabaster) has been mined and quarried in the region since Roman times and used around the world in historic buildings.

In 1938 J.C. Staton opened a gypsum mine at Fauld and plaster was exported to a mill at Tutbury. In 1880 Peter Ford and Sons opened a second mine at Fauld but further to the east. Plaster was manufactured on site here at a later date.

These two operations were merged in 1944, following an explosion at RAF Fauld on 27th November 1944. The incident involved military ammunitions that were stored underground in the mines during the Second World War.

In 1952 a new mill was erected for plasterboard manufacture; additional plant was added in the 1980s. This plant ceased operation in 1992.

Since 1992, Fauld has manufactured a blend of gypsum and anhydrite for sale to the cement industry - cement rock.

Who we areHistory

Richard III’s altar - Leicester

New Fauld plant 1952

Fauld plant 1992

Fauld Mine is the principal UK supplier of gypsum for use in the manufacture of cement. It is an essential raw material to the UK cement industry.

Cement is a vitally important product to the construction sector and is supplied through a national network of manufacturing plants. Gypsum is used in the final stage of cement manufacture, where it is used to control the setting time of concrete.

Fauld Mine occupies a strategically important location in relation to cement works, being located in the centre of the country. Gypsum from Fauld Mine is currently supplied to the following manufacturing sites:- Cauldon (Staffordshire)- Hope and Tunstead (Derbyshire)- Padeswood (Flintshire)- Ketton (Rutland)- Ribblesdale (Lancashire)- South Ferriby (Lincolnshire)

The mine currently produces around 300,000 tonnes of gypsum every year.

Who we areFauld Mine

Surface operations

Underground

Like all minerals, gypsum / anhydrite can only be worked where it is found.

In the UK, workable gypsum / anhydrite deposits are restricted to the: - Triassic strata across the Midlands and Eden Valley in Cumbria- Purbeck strata in East Sussex; and- Permian stata across North Yorkshire

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Fauld Mine is unique in that it contains a mixture of gypsum and anhydrite that makes it suitable for use in the final stage of the cement grinding process.

Only pure gyspum deposits (i.e. containing no anhydrite) can be economically used for plaster or plasterboard manufacture.

Who we areGeology

The proposed extension to Fauld Mine (purple line) is immediately to the south, west and east of our existing permitted mine workings (blue line).

Minerals are essential to support the UK’s sustainable economic growth, gypsum from Fauld contributes to this through its use in the UK cement industry. To reflect this, UK planning policy requires that there are enough permitted gypsum reserves available - the southern extension area is needed to maintain and ‘top-up’ reserves.

The area proposed contains three million tonnes of gypsum and anhydrite. Extraction would take place over a 10 to 20 year period.

Working schemeProposed development

Key

Proposed extension to Fauld Mine

Existing permitted mine workings

Gypsum extraction in the southern extension area would initially develop south (phases 1 - 5) before heading west (phases 6 - 13).

The gypsum would continue to be conveyed to the surface along underground conveyor lines (dashed black lines).

Working schemeProposed development

Key

Application area

Existing planning permission boundary n Existing mine workings

Conveyor location

Proposed conveyor location Direction of workings

1 phase = Approx. 1 year of production

In addition to seeking planning permission for the southern extension area, we are also proposing to: - Give up areas of our existing planning permission that are no longer workable due to either surface developments or the high risk of coming into contact with underground water (green shaded areas)- Consolidate all the existing planning permissions for Fauld Mine into one single permission (currenty there are five separate permissions)- Extend the time limit for mining by 10 years to 2038

Working schemeProposed development

Key

Application area

Existing planning permission boundary n Area to be relinquished

Working schemeEnvironmental assessment

Footpath maintenance

Jackson bank woodland

We have carried out multiple surveys over the last few months as part of an Environmental Impact Assessment. Staffordshire County Council has advised which issues should be addressed and we have worked with specialist advisors to investigate any potential impacts of working the southern extension. Unlike a surface quarry, there are far fewer environmental impacts with underground mining.

Landscape: no surface developments are proposed - there will be no additional impact to landscape character and visual effects from public vantage points.

Water: we have looked at possible effects on water resources and surface water flows - there will be no increased risk of flooding.

Woodland: the mine workings are close to ancient woodland and a Site of Special Scientific Interest - there will be no impact to these important areas.

Traffic: no changes are proposed to existing traffic routes or numbers of vehicles.

Transport of gypsum

Blasting is the controlled use of explosives to create a series of cracks in the rock that enable it to be excavated - this is how we extract the gypsum at Fauld Mine.

Blasting is subject to strict planning, environmental and safety controls. These include:

- Designing every blast within the vibration limit set by Staffordshire County Council

- Blasts are monitored at locations agreed with the Council to demonstrate they are within the required limits

- No blasting under residential properties

Working schemeBlasting

Average blast recording of 0.5 to 3mm/s, no danger of structural damage

Fauld Mine limit of 6mm/s

Government planning guidance upper limit of 12mm/s

Guide to vibration levels (blasts are measured in mm/second)

Guide to ground vibration levels

Activity Vibration level (mm/s)

Walking, measured on a wooden floor 1.0 - 2.5

Door slam, measured on a wooden floor 2.0 - 5.0

Door slam, measured over the doorway 12.0 - 35.0

Foot stamps, measured on a wooden floor 5.0 - 50.0

Vibration levels generated by everyday activities

An assessment of predicted blast vibration levels for the closest residential properties to the application area has been carried out.

Results from 135 blasts within the existing permitted mine workings have been used to calculate:- The amount of explosives that can be used- Areas where the amount of explosives used needs to be reduced– Areas where no blasting will take place– Blast monitoring zones

The assessment shows that the blast vibration limits set by Staffordshire County Council can be achieved by suitable blast design.

Working schemeBlasting

Key Application area

Existing planning permission boundaries

n Proposed area of extraction

Blast monitoring scheme implemented

Limit of blasting to ensure compliance with permitted limits

Limit of blasting using standard amount of explosives

n Limit of property protection pillar

Areas where amount of explosives used will be reduced

n Area where no extraction will take place

We work hard to protect and enhance the natural environment around our site.

Local communityEnvironment

Footpaths: provision of permissive right of way, to improve connections and remove the need to walk on the public highway.

Memorial garden: to remember the victims of the Fauld explosion in WW2.

Facility building: recent investment in an eco-friendly and energy efficient new facility building.

Wildlife: providing habitats for breeding birds - Canada geese visit the site every year.

Facility building

Memorial garden Canada geese

Permissive footpath

Fauld Mine is a proud local employer

At least 30 contractors employed including waste, transport and site services

Over 40 staff employed at the mine

Currently 28 of these live within a 10 mile radius of the site

Over £150,000 annual business rates - paid to East Staffordshire District Council

Local communityEconomic contribution

£2M investment since 2017 on new mining equipment and site infrastructure

Combined length of service for all employees at the mine is 589 years

We are committed to being a good neighbour and playing a responsible role as part of our local community.

We demonstrate this by:– Contributing to local charities / clubs– Volunteering with Staffordshire Wildlife Trust– Supporting local history preservation projects– Improving road safety– Working with local schools– Fundraising to support Midlands Air Ambulance

Local communityBeing a good neighbour

Supporting the Midlands Air Ambulance

Support for Tutbury Church restoration

Sponsoring local clubs

Volunteering with Staffordshire Wildlife Trust

What happens next?

Thank you for attending our public consultation. We hope you have found it useful and we have been able to answer any questions.

Please take a moment to fill out one of our feedback forms. Not only will we consider any suggestions in our proposals, we will work to address any concerns.

Staffordshire County Council will start its own consultation on the planning application once submitted. This will include asking local residents and consultees for their views directly, through site notices and the media.

If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to email us at [email protected]