Middleton Hall wins top European award

The former Middleton Hall sand and gravel quarry on the Staffordshire/Warwickshire border has won a top European restoration award. The site was named ‘best of the best’ by UEPG - the European aggregates trade association - at its 2016 sustainable development awards at the Brussels Centre of Fine Arts. It was put forward by the UK Mineral Products Association after winning the MPA’s coveted Cooper Heyman Cup for outstanding achievement in restoration in 2015.

The 470-hectare site has been restored to a mix of after-use from sport and leisure to reed beds, woodland, pasture and fishing. The majority of the restored area is managed as a nature reserve by the RSPB, while a smaller section at Bodymoor Heath has been developed into a training ground for Aston Villa football club.

Head of land and mineral resources Paul Williams said: “It’s great news that our efforts have been acknowledged on an international stage, enhancing our reputation as an industry leader. This is an excellent example of the high class restoration and biodiversity work that is carried out at sites up and down the country.”

UEPG launched its first European restoration award scheme in 1997. In 2005, the scope was enlarged to include all facets of sustainable development.