A former quarry in Westbury is set to be permanently handed back to nature under revised restoration plans submitted to Wiltshire Council.
The proposals would see Westbury Chalk Quarry, which has been closed since 2009, restored in a way that protects and builds on the rich wildlife that has quietly reclaimed the site over the past decade and a half.
The quarry at Long River Road, was operational from the 1960s and was closed in conjunction with Westbury’s cement works.
According to plans submitted by site owner Tarmac, the once-industrial landscape has undergone a natural transformation since quarrying stopped, with “significant areas of the quarry naturally regenerated and various habitats of high biodiversity value become established.”
Ecological surveys carried out in recent years show the former quarry now supports a mosaic of chalk grassland, scrub, woodland and seasonal ponds, providing a habitat for wildlife including reptiles and 45 species of birds.
Rather than stripping back this natural recovery, the revised restoration scheme aims to retain as much of the existing habitat as possible, allowing it to continue to evolve naturally. Limited earthworks would be carried out only where necessary to create areas of calcareous grassland using materials already on site.
The company says the changes also reflect practical realities at the isolated quarry. Planning documents note there is “no possibility for HGV access to the quarry or any other forms of transport,” adding that “no importation of inert restoration material is permitted or viable.”
If approved, the site would continue to be managed under a 50-year nature and geological conservation plan, ensuring habitats are maintained and monitored well into the future.
Wiltshire Council will now consider the application, which must still meet the existing requirement for restoration to be completed by the end of 2036.
Pictured: The quarry site
