§ Mr. Wintertonasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the total area of land in Cheshire being worked for sand and gravel, specifying the number of workings the total area of which exceeds 10 acres; and what is the total area of land being worked for silica sand.
§ Mr. Graham PageA consultation document issued in 1969 by Cheshire County Council indicated that in May 1968 planning permission for sand and gravel extraction covered 750 acres of which 400 acres remained unworked. Silica sand workings covered a further 550 acres. Mineral production returns16W made to the Department show that at the end of 1972 there were in Cheshire 19 active workings for sand and gravel and five for silica sand, but these returns do not indicate the number exceeding 10 acres.
§ Mr. Wintertonasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the extent of sand and gravel reserves in Cheshire and the percentage thereof at present being worked; and what is the extent of silica sand reserves and the percentage thereof at present being worked.
§ Mr. Graham PageAlthough geological maps indicate broadly the location of sand and gravel and silica sand in Cheshire, information on their thickness and quality, and their location where overlain by other deposits, is insufficient at present to enable an accurate assessment of the size of the reserves to be made. The Mineral Assessment Unit of the Institute of Geological Sciences is assessing the extent of sand and gravel resources in the country but the work will not be completed for some years.