holcim uk scoops nature award at national ceremony

Holcim UK picked up first prize in the Landscape Scale Restoration category for its Calcicolous Grassland Conservation project at its Cauldon Cement and Caldon Low Quarry sites in Staffordshire.

Calcicolous grasslands are vital for nature conservation in the UK and a priority habitat that has undergone significant decline due to farming and development. As they are limestone-based they include areas of vegetation that have evolved to thrive in the calcium rich, free-draining soil and support a rich wildlife community.

The land around the company’s Caldon Low and Cauldon quarries incorporates areas of valuable wildlife resource and includes several designated Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and Staffordshire Sites of Biological Importance (SBI).

Since 2023 an ambitious programme to establish more of this species-rich habitat by translocating established grassland to sites within the Rue Hill and Caldon Dales SSSIs nearby has been taking place.

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This has included running trials at both quarries with Staffordshire County Council, Natural England and the Staffordshire Wildlife Trust to make sure the most appropriate machinery and excavation techniques are used, as well as the methods of preparing receptor sites and monitoring the results.

The results from the work have also been used in ecological restoration courses taught by the University of Reading and the Quarry Products Association.

Holcim UK was also highly commended in the Landscape Scale Restoration (Sand and Gravel) category for its Little Paxton restoration, an ongoing creation of high quality wetland habitat in conjunction with local stakeholders, The Friends of Paxton Pits and Huntingdonshire District Council.

Tom Redfern, Senior Sustainability Specialist at Holcim UK, said: “We’re delighted to have won in one category and been highly commended in another especially as nature is a vital pillar in our overall sustainability strategy.

“As a business we have a responsibility to advocate for nature and to protect, restore and enhance it wherever we can.

“In regards to our Staffordshire sites, we have been carefully managing our landholdings over many years to maintain and increase the extent of calcicolous grassland at both locations. We have successfully completed several phases and we continue to monitor their integration to ensure that wildlife can thrive and it can be enjoyed  for many years to come.

“We have also worked very closely with the community at Little Paxton on our ongoing restoration of that site so it is really pleasing to have that recognised and for members of local groups to be part of it.”

For more information visit www.holcim.co.uk