Weather impacts work – but we’re ready for action!
Like all companies involved in the construction and minerals sector, the weather over winter and spring has had a major impact on the progression of work to provide building materials and build houses. It has been one of the wettest winters for a long time and with sub zero temperatures the laying of bricks, quarrying of building stone and the washing of material, has been suspended for prolonged periods of time. The rainfall has caused delays in site preparation on a number of sites we have been dealing with over the past two months.
Like all companies involved in the construction and minerals sector, the weather over winter and spring has had a major impact on the progression of work to provide building materials and build houses. It has been one of the wettest winters for a long time and with sub zero temperatures the laying of bricks, quarrying of building stone and the washing of material, has been suspended for prolonged periods of time. The rainfall has caused delays in site preparation on a number of sites we have been dealing with over the past two months.
Now the weather is improving we are ready to assist our clients and new customers in “making hay whilst the sun shines”.
We are advising on 4 new housing developments in Yorkshire and one in Derbyshire to engineer the development platform and remediate sites that have had a former quarrying or industrial use. These sites are now moving on apace. We have also completed the design and supervision to fill 3 coal mining shafts as part of a housing complex.
We are currently looking at 4 shafts on a site for future housing, where there are probable reserves of coal and fireclay which we are assessing for extraction at the present time, before capping the shafts and engineering the site for development.
Quarry work, inspections, and planning for sustainability
Our work in the quarrying sector continues to grow with geotechnical inspections, quarry design and planning applications for building stone, aggregates and fireclay. We are currently preparing 3 planning applications to meet demand for quality building products for housing and commercial development. We also are able to secure materials for engineered fill from various sources, within the portfolio of quarries that we work with, so that all available material is used in a sustainable manner to preserve future reserves.
Our work in the quarrying sector continues to grow with geotechnical inspections, quarry design and planning applications for building stone, aggregates and fireclay. We are currently preparing 3 planning applications to meet demand for quality building products for housing and commercial development. We also are able to secure materials for engineered fill from various sources, within the portfolio of quarries that we work with, so that all available material is used in a sustainable manner to preserve future reserves.
National reach in mining and risk assessments
Our mining department continues to provide coal mining risk assessments for development within the former coal field regions and we have undertaken research on the coalfields in Scotland, North Wales, Lancashire, Northumberland and Cumbria, to expand the services to those areas.
Our mining department continues to provide coal mining risk assessments for development within the former coal field regions and we have undertaken research on the coalfields in Scotland, North Wales, Lancashire, Northumberland and Cumbria, to expand the services to those areas.
To date our main area of work on risk assessments has been in Yorkshire, Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and Leicestershire, as we are able to rely on the overlays of the mines within that region for mining assessments.

We are advising a number of sports clubs on land improvement to provide playing fields, dealing with drainage issues and legacy coal mining infrastructure.
We are looking at recovery of waste schemes to improve land for sports facilities to reduce the cost of development and assist in securing a good quality playing surface.
Monitoring landfill sites
Our monitoring work is assisting in the assessment of long term risks on a number of inert land fill sites which we are progressing to closure and surrender of the permits on behalf of the client.
Our monitoring work is assisting in the assessment of long term risks on a number of inert land fill sites which we are progressing to closure and surrender of the permits on behalf of the client.
Land Surveying
We now have the capability of drone surveys for quarries, waste sites and mines, that provides greater detail of faces and slopes for our geotechnical assessments.
The drone has also proved useful for building surveys and inspecting roofs and other areas at height. We can provide a photo montage and digital terrain model of the survey.
ROMP submissions
Finally we are reviewing the ROMP submissions, carried out on behalf of clients some 15 years ago, and are now beginning periodic reviews with the Local Planning Authorities of two building stone quarries and a limestone quarry.
Finally we are reviewing the ROMP submissions, carried out on behalf of clients some 15 years ago, and are now beginning periodic reviews with the Local Planning Authorities of two building stone quarries and a limestone quarry.
We have managed to negotiate a deferral of the submission for one site for two years, as the planning consent has up to date planning conditions to manage the impact of quarrying over that period, until a new area is worked.
Talk with us
If you would like to chat about the use of our services in mineral planning, reserve estimate, restoration or site investigation, please do not hesitate to contact us.
If you would like to chat about the use of our services in mineral planning, reserve estimate, restoration or site investigation, please do not hesitate to contact us.
Relaunch of FGB Fennells
We are relaunching our sister company in June 2018, FGB Fennells, formerly Fennell Green & Bates Chartered Minerals Surveyors, to provide surveying and land advice in regard to minerals and waste operations, to expand the services to our clients in the field of estate management.
We are relaunching our sister company in June 2018, FGB Fennells, formerly Fennell Green & Bates Chartered Minerals Surveyors, to provide surveying and land advice in regard to minerals and waste operations, to expand the services to our clients in the field of estate management.