Raymond Brown Quarry Products Ltd has secured planning approval for a major sand & gravel quarry spanning Hurst Farm and Station Road, Moreton, near Dorchester, Dorset (DT2 8RA). The scheme, submitted to Dorset Council in July 2023 is intended to replace declining production at Raymond Brown’s nearby Binnegar Quarry and strengthen Dorset’s long-term aggregate supply. The identified site covers ~135 hectares (334 acres) of agricultural land across two separate parcels, west of Moreton and north of Crossways and is expected to yield ~11.5 million tonnes of minerals (~7.5 million tonnes of Poole Formation soft sand and ~4 million tonnes of river terrace sharp sand and gravel). Hurst Farm contains ~6 million tonnes of reserves, with a further ~5.5 million tonnes at Station Road.
Raymond Brown proposes to extract ~600,000 tonnes of aggregates annually over 20 years, followed by up to five years of final restoration. Extraction will be phased, beginning at Hurst Farm before progressing to Station Road. Shallow sand & gravel deposits will be excavated using wet-working methods, while deeper soft sand will be recovered using electrically powered dredging equipment. A new minerals processing complex at Hurst Farm will wash, grade and stockpile materials from both extraction areas, with crushing facilities available when required. The development also includes an aggregate bagging plant, ready-mixed concrete plant, cement storage, offices, weighbridge, wheel-wash facilities and internal haul road with operations projected to generate ~200 daily HGV movements, comprising 100 arrivals and 100 departures.