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Bulls Lodge
Description
Bulls Lodge Quarry is a sand and gravel producing operation located on an old airfield and farmland. The site comprises several parcels including the current extraction area on the old Boreham airfield which is surrounded by 65ha of restored land used for arable farming, the plant site is situated to the south of the Airfield, Park Farm future extraction area is to the west and Brick House Farm future area is to the south east. Extraction is currently progressing in a southerly direction down the centre of the Airfield.
Advance tree planting operations took place prior to commencement of extraction, along the western and northern boundaries of the Airfield, to the west of Park Farm and to the east of Brick House Farm in order to build up a visual screen to benefit properties located in the area. The landlord of the Airfield requires, where possible for restoration to comprise agriculture and on completion of 5 years of statutory aftercare, the Company will hand over responsibility and management of the restored land to them for future afteruse activities.
The most recent planning application to amend the phasing of working the Airfield and moving to Park Farm has secured extended aftercare on the wetland and grassland habitat creation on site as well as a detailed Landscape and Ecological Management Plan that provides the detailed actions and timeframes for the Site-BAP.
The site sits within a rapidly changing setting as a result of the continued housing and infrastructure development of Chelmsford up to the quarry boundaries that will also see the proposed Chelmsford North East Bypass created across the Airfield as well as housing on Park Farm anticipated as soon as mineral extraction is completed.
Habitat, flora & fauna description
Restored land to date mainly comprises productive farmland managed for arable crops, but a network of native hedgerows has been progressively planted across the restored areas. The original perimeter screenbelt plantations are undergoing active silvicultural management to improve their structure and habitat value, and management to selectively thin and fell sycamore and die-back affected ash within the SNCI copse of semi-natural woodland to the east of the plant site will allow replanting of glades with native species to improve the age range of the tree stock. On completion of quarrying the central Airfield area will fill with water to provide a large lake for water-based recreation and shallow lake margins for extensive reedbed creation.
Ongoing nature projects
Plantation thinning ongoing; new native broadleaved tree planting currently underway on recent north bank reclamation; reedbed establishment may be attempted long in advance of final flooding, around newly created shallows; There is ongoing management of recently created receptor ponds for great-crested newt, as EPS Licence mitigation for habitat loss within the airfield area.
