PDE Consulting Limited (PDE) were commissioned by FM Conway Limited (FMC) to prepare and submit to the Environment Agency (EA) an application for an environmental permit for their Site in Newhaven in East Sussex.  The application was for a bespoke installation permit to authorise the storage and treatment of road planings.

The Site will act as a processing hub for planings removed from roads within the region.  Non-hazardous asphalt road planings (EWC code 17 03 02) will be stored and treated by crushing and / or screening to produce Recycled Asphalt Pavement (RAP).  The RAP will subsequently be used in the adjacent asphalt manufacturing process, also operated by the Operator under a Part B permit issued by the local council, or transferred off-site for re-use elsewhere.

The processing of asphalt planings is an increasingly important consideration for many asphalt manufacturers with industry practice moving towards increased sustainability.  By utilising recycled planings within asphalt production, manufacturers are able to produce a more sustainable final product, reducing the waste arising from road resurfacing projects, when compared to asphalt mixes which use 100% virgin materials.

Road planings containing coal tar (EWC code 17 03 01*) will be segregated and temporarily stored in a covered bay before being transported off Site for recovery / disposal only.

The application was submitted on 15 May 2025 and the final permit was issued on 28 July 2026.  There were delays in issue of the final permit due to the initial draft containing many errors, and subsequently multiple drafts and discussions with the EA were required for the Operator to be content with the final permit conditions.

PDE recently submitted a Section 73 application to Essex County Council on behalf of Sewells Reservoir Construction Limited (SRC) seeking to vary conditions 3 and 4 attached to planning permission reference ESS/01/18/CHL relating to land at Sheepcotes Farm, Little Waltham, Essex.  The existing permission allows for the construction of an agricultural reservoir involving the extraction, processing and exportation of sand and gravel and soils.  The variation of conditions 3 and 4 will allow SRC an additional two years to continue the existing mineral extraction operations prior to the restoration of the site to an agricultural reservoir. 

The application was validated by Essex County Council on 16 July 2026.

Should planning permission be granted it will enable the remaining aggregates to be extracted in full, avoiding the sterilisation of mineral which would occur if the remaining aggregates were left in situ.  This will allow the agricultural reservoir to be constructed in full accordance with the previously approved restoration scheme.

PDE Consulting Limited (PDE) were commissioned by Fortis IBA Limited (Fortis) to prepare and submit to the Environment Agency (EA) an application to vary an environmental permit for the A303 Enviropark, Drayton Road, Barton Stacey, Andover, Hampshire, SO21 3QS.  The bespoke installation permit allows the storage and treatment of Incinerator Bottom Ash (IBA) to create IBA Aggregate (IBAA).

The proposals included the deconstruction and removal of the existing IBA processing plant and the construction of an upgraded, replacement plant (replant) within the current permit boundary.  As well as a new, enhanced IBA recovery facility to be located within an eastern extension area, outside the current permit boundary.

The replant will be operated within a generally enclosed building for improved environmental management.  A loading shovel will feed the IBA into a feed hopper,  which will allow the IBA to flow through a number of conveyors, screens and separation processes to remove the ferrous and non-ferrous metals.  Any oversize material will be crushed (within the replant building) and re-fed back into the process.  A picking station will improve the recovery of any remaining metals.  The residual material from each of the fractions produced forms the IBAA.  The non-ferrous fraction will be transferred onsite to be further refined in the adjacent, enhanced IBA recovery facility.

The enhanced IBA recovery facility will take place within a fully enclosed building, comprising a material receipt and storage area, dry and wet separation plants and finished products storage area.  The imported feed material (screened IBA / non-ferrous fraction) to the enhanced IBA recovery facility will comprise fine and coarse fraction sizes.  The finer feed material will be processed through a dry separation plant, including various conveying and screening processes, using specialist de-dusting extraction equipment to liberate metals and maximise IBA recovery.  The coarser feed material will be processed through a wet separation plant.  The material is washed and the water removed via a de-watering screen.  This water is recycled within a closed loop system, with water being stored in tanks within the building.  Recovered IBA residue will be returned to the adjacent IBA recycling site for use in IBAA.  The recovered metals from the enhanced IBA recovery facility are then ready for export and onward recycling.

The application was submitted on 19 September 2025.  It was duly made as of 04 December 2025.  The EA did not have the need to issue any Schedule 5 notices during the review period.  The final permit was issued on 13 July 2026.  The timescale for the permit being assigned for duly making, subsequently being assigned for determination, and issue of the final permit (total determination period just under ten months), was a distinct improvement on EA performance over the past few years especially for a complex application of this type.

PDE recently submitted a planning application to Essex County Council (ECC) on behalf of G&B Finch Limited to allow for a southern extension to Asheldham quarry for the extraction, processing, sale and distribution of sand and gravel with subsequent restoration using inert materials.

Alongside this application PDE also submitted two section 73 applications seeking the variation of conditions attached to extant permissions at the quarry to allow for the continuation of existing operations in line with the timescales for the working and restoration of the southern extension. An amendment was also made to the approved quarry phasing to reflect a delay to the restoration of the plant site and water management lagoons which is required whilst the southern extension is worked and restored.

We are pleased to announce that on 26 June 2026 ECC’s Development and Regulation Committee voted unanimously in favour of the officer’s recommendation for approval for all three applications, subject to conditions and a deed of variation to the existing Section 106 Agreement. This this is great news for G&B Finch as the southern extension allows the release of much needed aggregate reserves to support local development and supports continued employment at the quarry.

Following completion of mineral extraction the extension area will be restored back to agricultural land and will deliver significant biodiversity net gain through tree and hedgerow planting and enhanced agricultural margins. This will complement the approved restoration for the wider quarry which seeks to deliver a mosaic of habitats and enhanced public access, benefitting the local community.

On behalf of Allen Newport Limited, PDE have successfully renewed the groundwater abstraction licence for Marston’s Pit located on Cavenham Road, Tuddenham, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, IP28 6SE.

The renewed licence allows the continued use of abstracted groundwater for mineral washing and the addition of soils washing to the permitted activities. Following the receipt of pre-application advice, the application was submitted in January 2024. With the application being passed between three Environment Agency (EA) officers, the renewed licence was issued on 28 May 2026, with the determination period lasting over 29 months.

Rather than extend the boundary of the existing dewatering licence, the EA required two additional applications to allow for dewatering activities to be undertaken in an extension to the quarry. The two new applications were submitted in December 2024 and April 2025, and the licences issued on 28 May 2026.

The date of expiry of all three licences is 31 March 2030.

The Environment Agency has issued a variation to Sewells Reservoir Construction Limited’s (SRC) permit for the operation of a waste facility located in Wembley, London.

The application was submitted on 11 November 2024, and was assigned for validation checks in July 2025 when it was confirmed duly made as received. The application was assigned to a different officer for determination and the final permit was issued on 14 May 2026. The overall determination period was over 18 months.

The permit was originally issued as a standard rules SR2009 No 5 in June 2022, which allowed the operation of an inert and excavation waste transfer station, with a throughput of less than 250,000 tonnes per year.

The varied bespoke permit allows SRC to accept up to 500,000 tonnes per year of imported wastes, with three additional waste codes approved. The permit allows the physical treatment of a range of construction and demolition wastes, via manual & mechanical sorting/ separation, screening and crushing, to produce soils, soil substitutes and aggregate. The waste facility will be operated in accordance with the approved dust and noise management plans.

PDE submitted a planning application to Suffolk County Council on behalf of Allen Newport Limited, seeking the erection and use of a concrete batching plant and associated infrastructure, together with the installation of a weighbridge and associated office on land at Cavenham Quarry, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk.

We are happy to announce that planning permission was granted by Suffolk County Council on 19 March 2026.

The grant of planning permission will allow Allen Newport Limited to supply the batching plant with sand and aggregate from existing mineral extractions taking place within the wider Quarry, with the plant forecast to produce 50,000 m3 of concrete per annum.

The grant of planning permission also allows for the installation of a weighbridge and associated office. This will allow Allen Newport Limited greater operational control over incoming and outgoing movements, ultimately assisting with the safe an efficient operation of the site.

On behalf of Allen Newport Limited, PDE recently submitted a planning application to Suffolk County Council for the installation and operation of a ground mounted solar array on land at Cavenham Quarry, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk.

We are delighted to announce that planning permission was granted by Suffolk County Council on 19 January 2026 subject to planning conditions.

The grant of planning permission is fantastic news for Allen Newport Limited. The solar array will have a generating capacity of 1.35 megawatts and will be used to supply renewable energy to the ongoing operations within Cavenham Quarry which consist of mineral and waste processing plant and site offices.

PDE recently submitted a planning application to Essex County Council on behalf of Sewells Reservoir Construction Limited (SRC) to allow for retrospective changes to the configuration of the recycling facility including, additional concrete hardstanding, concrete block bay walls and the importation and soaking of expanded clay.

Planning permission was granted by Essex County Council on 24 December 2025.

The grant of planning permission means that operations within the recycling yard can continue within their present configuration allowing SRC to continue delivering valuable recycled aggregates to the local construction market.

On behalf of Sewells Reservoir Construction Limited (SRC) PDE recently submitted a planning application to Tendring District Council for the installation and operation of a ground mounted solar array on land at Martells Quarry, Slough Lane, Ardleigh, Essex, CO7 7RU.

Planning permission was granted by Tendring District Council on 17 December 2025 subject to planning conditions.

The grant of planning permission is fantastic news for SRC as, following the discharge of pre-commencement planning conditions, it will allow them to commence construction of the solar array. The array will have a generating capacity of 1 megawatt and will be used to provide clean energy to SRC’s established operations at Martells Quarry, reducing their reliance on non-renewable sources of power including diesel generators which are currently used to power some processing plant.

The switch to renewable energy will assist SRC with their aim of reducing carbon emissions from operations in line with the Company’s Vision 2030 and wider government objectives to reduce reliance on fossil fuels.