Cemex has submitted an application for a new sand and gravel extraction site at Midnight Farm located in the South West, Dorset, approximately 2 km from the town of Fordingbirdge. The proposal, submitted in January 2025, is under review by Hampshire County Council and Dorset Council.
The development area comprises around 89 hectares of agricultural land, located at northeast of Cemex’s existing Hamer Warren Quarry, where extraction has taken place since 1960s. Whilst most of the site lies within the Hampshire county, the proposed access from Hillbury Road falls under Dorset Council’s authority.
If approved, the project will extract 3.6 million tonnes of sand and gravel over 15 years, with an annual output of 250,000 tonnes. The site aims to replace reserves at Hamer Warren Quarry (Bleak Hill), which, based on current approved extraction, is expected to cease operations within four years.
Proposed operational hours are Monday to Friday from 07:00 to 17:00 and Saturdays from 08:00 to 13:00, consistent with Hamer Warren Quarry. Up to 45 loads of aggregate are expected to leave the site daily during initial years.
This is one of over 30 minerals and associated planning schemes identified last month by BDS as part of its regular monitoring of all 400+ planning authorities in Great Britain. Access to this information is available by annual subscription to the BDS Planning Portal. For more information on subscribing to the Portal or BDS research services and published reports, email: contact@bdsmarketing.co.uk or visit www.bdsmarketing.co.uk