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Casting An Eye Over The Sourcing Of Stone (While Giving Back To The Environment)
We have been sourcing our high-grade natural limestone from Derbyshire-based Longcliffe Quarries for decades.
Like Haddonstone, Longcliffe is a family-owned company, operating with a strong commitment to offering premium quality products and service to their clients. It is this philosophy, coupled with their dedication to developing new, sustainable ways to manage their sites, that makes them the natural choice as our preferred limestone supplier.
The premium quality of Longcliffe’s natural stone aggregates means that in turn, we can offer our clients the very best cast stone designs. Over 50% of high-grade natural limestone is included in our cast stone mixes, making it one of the highest-quality cast stone options on the market today.
In this blog, we showcase some of the practices undertaken by Longcliffe as part of their environmental management system.
Longcliffe’s Environmental Management System
Longcliffe has operated as a limestone quarry for over 90 years. They are acutely aware of how their operations may impact the natural environment and as such, are committed to a programme of continual improvement to minimise its effect on the environment, prevent pollution and to provide a safe working environment for its employees.
Longcliffe’s environmental management system meets the requirements of the international standard set of ISO 14001:2015 which requires organisations to document and improve their environmental impact.
For Longcliffe, this system incorporates:
- Mineral Resource Efficiency
- Biodiversity and Landscape
- Woodland Management
- Energy Management
- Renewable Energy
“Longcliffe has been certified to the ISO 14001 environmental standard for a number of years, and last year became the first operation of our kind in the country to be certified to the ISO 50001 energy management standard. This entails constant improvement in the way in which energy usage is managed as well as doing everything possible to minimise energy consumption and to maximise the efficiency with which energy products are bought”.
Mick Barkley, Sales Director, Longcliffe Quarries Ltd.
Mineral Resource Efficiency
Longcliffe quarries high purity limestone from the 330-million-year-old Carboniferous Age Bee Low formation. Limestones continue to form under the sea in many parts of the world and its abundance in the UK means that it will practically never run out.
However, quarried mineral reserves are understandably not replaced and high-purity limestones quarried by Longcliffe are less widespread. They are therefore committed to reserving the high-quality sections of their sites, ensuring that their application is beneficial and practical.
These include incorporating calcium into animal feeds for bone development, and for the manufacture of soda, lime and silica glass, as well as cast stone components as manufactured by Haddonstone.
To reserve the high-quality sections of their sites, Longcliffe has constructed a 3D map of all their mineral reserves by drilling numerous holes of around 100m around each of their sites. This has enabled them to analyse numerous mineral samples around each site and ascertain the correct reserve for the most suitable application.
This means that Longcliffe can conserve the purest stone for the most demanding applications. This method was developed with geological consultants QuarryDesign Ltd using GEOREKA software, are unique to limestone quarrying in the UK.
Longcliffe’s operations are also based on rigorous mineral planning conditions permitted by Derbyshire County Council, which includes the necessity for the company to sell a high percentage of aggregates for industrial applications.
Biodiversity and Landscape
As part of their commitment to protecting in the immediate area, Longcliffe strive to limit the impact of their operations by restoring disturbed areas and blending internal quarry faces into the landscape. They also enhance their quarry areas and manage numerous environmental projects which encourage biodiversity, including the upkeep of local Hoe Grange Nature Reserve.
One of the practical things the company does is the forming of rollovers on the ledges that support internal quarry faces and creating grazing areas, planting native trees, grasses and flowers.
They also install dry stone walls to remain in keeping with the local Peak District landscape.
“We are proud to supply into many industries and in particular the cast stone sector where we have developed grades in conjunction with our customers such as Haddonstone. Our relationship with this prestigious company goes back many years and their large planters have pride of place in our Head Office (photos below). With long term reserves we anticipate our relationship will continue to flourish and wish Haddonstone all the very best for the future!”
Mick Barkley, Sales Director, Longcliffe Quarries Ltd.
Hoe Grange Nature Reserve
Hoe Grange is a former Longcliffe quarry that has been transformed into a thriving nature reserve and is now one of the best sites in Derbyshire to observe a wide range of butterflies.
In partnership with both Derbyshire Wildlife Trust and Butterfly Conservation, Longcliffe has funded the development and ongoing management of this special nature reserve. Some of the activities have included:
- The planting of many butterfly-attracting plants including wych elm, buckthorn and dog violet
- Creating a new habitat for crested newts and amphibians in the form of a new pond and the restoration of a large dew pond
- Creating a new hay meadow full of purposely sown grassland grasses and flowers
A full list of the species of butterfly identified at Hoe Grange can be found on the Longcliffe website.
Woodland Management
Longcliffe has undertaken a local project in the Derbyshire area with the aim of creating a sustainable woodland management programme. This includes the management of several wooded areas and copses across the Longcliffe estate and aims to benefit local wildlife by providing a rich variety of habitats.
Many trees have been planted in and around Longcliffe’s quarries in accordance with a restoration and after-use plan, as agreed with the mineral planning authority, Derbyshire County Council.
Woodland management continues with the thinning of mixed species in high priority woodlands. The aim is to allow the woodland to develop whilst maintaining its screening values.
Energy Management
Longcliffe’s energy management activities are aimed at promoting climate protection, conserving resources and include:
- Reduce energy consumption and carbon emissions
- Reduce the use of fossil fuels
- Use alternative, renewable energy sources
Energy Efficiency
The energy used in the processing of Longcliffe’s limestone and dolomite products is the largest contributor to our overall carbon footprint making it a key priority in their environmental agenda. They are constantly upgrading plant and machinery and energy efficiency is a key consideration in their planning and investment programme.
Longcliffe’s ISO 50001 certificate for energy management forms part of their Integrated Management System (IMS) and recognises that they have a robust system to manage and reduce their energy consumption.
Longcliffe’s full energy efficiency aims and activities can be found on their website and include:
Electricity: using energy efficient motors, minimising energy by controlling motor speed, installing power factor correction equipment, using LED lighting with intelligent controls, and using appropriately sized and variable speed air compressors.
Gas: increasing the efficiency of drying limestone by using fluid bed dryers, storing in silos to reduce moisture content, the use of PLC burners and the minimisation of gas usage by automatically linking gas flow in to the temperature of the emission gas.
Renewable energy: developing a renewable energy plan, along with the installation of two 2.3MW wind turbines which generate the equivalent of 85% of the electricity that Longcliffe uses. For more information see our renewable energy plan.
Transport sustainability: investment in a modern transport fleet that meets and exceeds industry and emissions standards. Fleet efficiency is optimised through GPS tracking and specialist management systems – an activity that has previously saved 4% in fuel efficiency and they were awarded the prestigious Freight Transport Association Small Fleet Operator of the Year award.
Renewable energy
Longcliffe’s Renewable Energy Plan includes the improvement of energy efficiency and also the investment in new renewable energy forms, enabling the company to generate their own energy.
Wind Turbines: Ryder Point
The construction of two 2.3MW wind turbines at the Ryder Point quarry in January 2016 has successfully generated power equivalent to 85% of that consumed by all their electrical operations.
Solar
A 9kW solar panel array along with a 12kW TESLA storage battery is installed on the roof of the company’s head office.
“As a family owned business we are extremely proud of our relationship with our employees, contractors, suppliers, neighbours and most of all our customers. Our portfolio of products is continuing to grow and recent investments in a washed aggregates plant, Longfloor liquid cement screeds is helping us to maintain our standing as the UK’s largest independent supplier of high quality calcium carbonates.”
Mick Barkley, Sales Director, Longcliffe Quarries Ltd.
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