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1 Sinnett, D. (2016) Going to waste? The ecological and cultural value of mine wastes. In: UK-Ireland Planning Research Conference, University of Cardiff, Wales, UK, 6-7 September Available from: We recommend you cite the published version. The publisher s URL is: Refereed: No (no note) Disclaimer UWE has obtained warranties from all depositors as to their title in the material deposited and as to their right to deposit such material. UWE makes no representation or warranties of commercial utility, title, or fitness for a particular purpose or any other warranty, express or implied in respect of any material deposited. UWE makes no representation that the use of the materials will not infringe any patent, copyright, trademark or other property or proprietary rights. UWE accepts no liability for any infringement of intellectual property rights in any material deposited but will remove such material from public view pending investigation in the event of an allegation of any such infringement. PLEASE SCROLL DOWN FOR TEXT.

2 Going to waste? The ecological and cultural value of mine waste Danielle Sinnett Centre for Sustainable Planning and Environments UK-Ireland Planning Research Conference. 6-7 th September 2016

3 Introduction UK has long history of mineral extraction Construction materials, metals, industrial minerals, coal Open cast and underground mining Most produce mine wastes Many open cast pits also used for waste disposal Different restoration technologies and end-uses Influences their ecological and cultural value and the services they provide

4 What was the extent of mineral extraction? Commodity England Wales Sand and gravel 23, Igneous rock, sandstone 31, Chalk, dolomite, limestone 35, Clays 23, Anhydrite, gypsum, salt Coal 10, Iron ore Vein minerals (metals) BRITPITS Licence No. 2014/098BP ED British Geological Survey NERC. All rights reserved.

5 And the area of metalliferous waste? South West England Northern and Southern Pennines North Wales and Mendips Lake District, Anglesey and Snowdonia Central Wales and Shropshire Cumbria, South Wales and Forest of Dean Cleveland, East Midlands and Oxfordshire Staffordshire and South Yorkshire Estimated mine waste ha ha ha ha ha 490 ha 11,300 ha 300 ha Polumbo-Roe and Colman, 2010

6 Brief history of mine restoration Prior to 1951 no restoration requirement so many sites abandoned Mineral Workings Act 1951: Ironstone Restoration Fund Mine and Quarries Act 1954: Fencing Mine and Quarries (Tips) Act 1969: Stability Town and Country Planning (Minerals) Act 1981: Restoration and aftercare Three types of end-use: o Agriculture o Forestry o Amenity including nature conservation 1980s to 2000s large scale restoration of mine wastes including some built development Shift over time towards use of native species, enhanced natural regeneration

7 Current situation Many sites still abandoned Others under pressure for redevelopment, remediation Or resource extraction in the future? May be causing risk to water quality, human or ecological health and be unattractive But can have high ecological and cultural value What is the ecological and cultural value of past mineral extraction sites?

8 Credit: Rich Crane

9 Credit: Rich Crane

10 Credit: Rich Crane

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13 Methodology BRITPITS: 128,337 non-active mineral extraction sites in England and 27,124 in Wales Combined with spatial data on land cover and: o Ancient Woodlands, Sites of Special Scientific Interest, Special Protection Areas, Special Areas of Conservation, Priority Habitats (England), Open Mosaic Habitats on PDL, National and Local Nature Reserves o Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, National Parks, Country Parks, World Heritage Sites, Scheduled Monuments, Parks and Gardens (England) Frequency and extent of co-location with these designations and land cover ecological and cultural value Literature review on restoration practices, end uses and potential ecosystem, environmental and landscape services provided by such sites

14 Metalliferous mining fields

15 Land use and land cover Sand and gravel Restoration and land use Dry pits: colonisation to heathland Wet and dry pits: agriculture, amenity or forestry Land cover AH, IG, BW Igneous rock, sandstone Wet and dry pits: amenity or nature conservation IG, BW, AH Chalk, dolomite, limestone Dry pits: colonised sites ecologically important Wet and dry pits: amenity or nature conservation AH, IG, BW Clays Amenity, woodland or nature conservation AH, IG, BW Anhydrite, gypsum, salt Agriculture or forestry AH, IG, BW Coal Deep: colonised sites ecologically important, restored for development or amenity Open cast: Agriculture or forestry IG, BW, AH, S Iron ore Mainly agriculture, some woodland and development IG, AH, BW Vein minerals Colonised sites ecologically important, restored to amenity, woodland or nature conservation, large numbers unrestored Arable and Horticulture (AH), Improved Grassland (IG), Broadleaved Woodland (BW), Suburban (S) IG, BW, AG Land Cover Map 2007: Great Britain 25m [TIFF geospatial data], Scale 1:250000, Tiles: GB, Updated: 18 July 2008, CEH, Using: EDINA Environment Digimap Service, < Downloaded: :14: All other data Natural Resources Wales copyright. Contains Ordnance Survey data Crown copyright and database right 2016.

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19 Co-location with nature conservation sites Sand and gravel Igneous rock, sandstone Chalk, dolomite, limestone Clays Anhydrite, gypsum, salt Coal Iron ore Vein minerals AW SSSI (p)sac (p)spa NNR LNR PHI OMH Eng Wal N/A 11 Eng Wal N/A 389 Eng Wal N/A 123 Eng Wal N/A 120 Eng Wal. Eng Wal N/A 728 Eng Wal N/A 25 Eng Wal N/A 30 Mine data from BRITPITS Licence No. 2014/098BP ED British Geological Survey NERC. All rights reserved. LNR, NNR, SSSI, (p)sac, (p)spa, AW, PH, OMH for England Natural England copyright. Contains Ordnance Survey data Crown copyright and database right All other data Natural Resources Wales copyright. Contains Ordnance Survey data Crown copyright and database right 2016.

20 Co-location with nature conservation sites Majority of sites in areas with no nature conservation status Variation between the types of mineral extraction: o 7.5% of Sand and Gravel quarries in Wales to 27.6% of Vein minerals mines in England Greatest proportions occur in ancient woodlands, SSSIs, SACs, SPAs, priority habitats (England) and OMHs. The most significant associations are: o Lead mining areas in the Pennines and North Wales (SAC, SSSI) o Tin-copper mines of Cornwall (SAC, SSSI) o Chalk, dolomite, limestone quarries (SSSI) SACs, SSSIs, OMHs likely to be due to mineral extraction Ancient woodlands and priority habitats likely to be coincidental and may be degraded by waste sites

21 Co-location with cultural sites Sand and gravel Igneous rock, sandstone Chalk, dolomite, limestone Clays Anhydrite, gypsum, salt Coal Iron ore Vein minerals NP CP AONB SM WHS PG Eng Wal N/A Eng Wal N/A Eng Wal N/A Eng Wal N/A Eng Wal. Eng Wal N/A Eng Wal N/A Eng Wal N/A Mine data from BRITPITS Licence No. 2014/098BP ED British Geological Survey NERC. All rights reserved. AONB, CP, NP, PG data for England Natural England copyright. Contains Ordnance Survey data Crown copyright and database right SM, WHS data for England Historic England Contains Ordnance Survey data Crown copyright and database right All other data Natural Resources Wales copyright. Contains Ordnance Survey data Crown copyright and database right 2016.

22 Co-location with cultural sites Most sites are not co-located with cultural designations, but again variation: o 5.7% for Coal mines in Wales to 63.9% for Vein minerals in England Greatest proportions on AONBs, NPs, WHSs World Heritage Sites associated with mining: o Tin-copper mines in the Cornwall and West Devon Mining Landscape o Coal mines in the Blaenavon Industrial Landscape o Coal, iron, clay and limestone in Ironbridge Gorge Landscape-scale designations which may include mining as a feature of cultural heritage But may also be degraded by such sites

23 Parys Mountain SSSI, SAC Interest WEM Landscape of Historic Interest SSSI PYM Scheduled Monuments

24 Environmental (dis)services Services Disservices Biodiversity Wild species Toxicity to ecological receptors Provisioning Crops, Fish, Timber Impact on water quality Cultural Regulating Environmental settings: Tourism, Education, Recreation, Heritage, Place Climate, Hazard, Pollination, Water quality, Soil quality, Air quality Degraded environmental settings Impact on water, soil and air quality Primarily metal and coal mines

25 Conclusions Despite previous mineral extraction many sites are making a positive contribution At least 27% of all types of mine are co-located with some form of designation o 84% of Vein Mineral mines in England Significant ecological, geological and cultural resources associated with non-active mines o Including those without designation? Providing ecosystem, environmental and landscape services Need to be considered alongside risks and future activities

26 Acknowledgements and references INSPIRE: In situ processes in resource extraction ( ) Funded through the Resource Recovery from Waste programme, Grant Reference: NE/L013983/1 Palumbo-Roe, B., Colman, T., Cameron, D.G., Linley, K., Gunn, A.G The nature of waste associated with closed mines in England and Wales. British Geological Survey Open Report, OR/10/14. Available from: