14-07-2025
Conservation site approved for former quarry in Surrey
A former quarry in Surrey is to be converted into a nature conservation site, a council has said. Plans for Clockhouse Quarry in Capel, near Dorking, could take at least 14 years to from Surrey Council Council have granted planning permission to utility company firm will now begin importing around 740,000 cubic metres of inert material, such as soil, from nearby construction projects to create the site.
It will bring an end to the industrialisation of the land that has stretched back to 1947, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service. Gerry Cavanagh, regional manager at Suez, said: "We look forward to delivering all the excellent enhancements for local wildlife and keeping the community updated on our activity as we look to the months ahead."The company said it wanted to "reduce the size and depth" of man-made reservoirs to "minimise both health and safety risks associated with unauthorised access, as well as bird strikes for aeroplanes approaching or taking off from Gatwick Airport".It said the plans should help native great-crested newts and other flora and first decade of the project will see large swathes of the site refilled before a potential two-year pause to allow habitats to establish. This would be followed by another two years of work, ensuring water can drain freely from the restored is expected to start in 2026.
