Heidelberg Materials has secured planning consent from Westmorland and Furness Council for a new asphalt plant and associated aggregate storage facilities at Shap Beck Quarry in Cumbria, North West. The application submitted in July 2025 and approved in October 2025 includes the removal of the existing plant which is nearing the end of its operational life.
Shap Beck Quarry extends approximately 118 hectares and comprises two main areas: the northern limestone extraction area, located within the Lake District National Park and operational since 1945, and the southern plant area under Westmorland and Furness Council authority. The approved development replaces a previous consent granted in 2019, which lapsed after not being implemented within the required timeframe. The new proposal adopts a revised layout and a slightly altered location compared to the 2019 scheme.
Heidelberg Materials is planning on investing around £4 million in the replacement installation. The existing asphalt plant, in operation for nearly 45 years, is no longer operational, it cannot process recycled asphalt planings (RAP) and does not meet current technical specifications for highways and infrastructure projects.
The quarry operates on 24-hour weekday basis, producing ~500,000 tonnes of limestone annually, with capacity for up to 1 million tonnes. Whereas asphalt production averages around 66,000 tonnes per annum with permitted maximum capacity of 130,000 tonnes, it is anticipated the new development will maintain the current plant capacity. The aggregates utilised for asphalt production will continue to be sourced from Shap Beck Quarry or imported from other nearby Heidelberg Materials’ sites.
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