Marine Aggregates

Aggregate is sand, gravel and crushed rock used as raw materials by the construction industry. The majority of aggregate comes from land-based sources but since the 1960s developers have increasingly turned to marine sources to supplement demand and meet the UK’s construction needs. Marine sand and gravel is particularly important in London and the South East of England, where it accounts for almost a third of the total regional demand for sand and gravel. Exploitation of marine aggregates is not, as yet, widespread in Northern Ireland.

The Crown Estate owns the mineral rights to the seabed extending to the edge of the UK continental shelf and issues consents for non-exclusive sampling and licences for commercial aggregate extraction. The planning and consenting process is, however, the responsibility of Government, who through a consultation process determines whether an area can be used for aggregate extraction.

To ensure that extraction does not cause unacceptable adverse impacts, a range of non-statutory controls have been imposed on dredging activities. However, these will be replaced shortly by a statutory system which will transpose the provisions of the Environmental Impact Assessment and Habitats Directives, insofar as they relate to marine minerals dredging, into UK law.

A consultation document on the proposed regulations and associated guidance was published in June 2006. The consultation exercise closed on 1 September 2006.

The Environmental Impact Assessment and Natural Habitats (Extraction of Minerals by Marine Dredging) (England and Northern Ireland) Regulations 2007 have now been made and can be viewed using the following link.

Marine Aggregate Extraction Regulations.pdf (167Kb)

Fees associated with the introduction of these Regualations will be subject to consultation.  For further information please visit the EHS website using the following link.

EHS website