CEMEX build bird hotels in quarries

Company prepares for arrival of sand martins with creation of sacrificial sandbanks at all UK quarries

THERE may still be a bit of a nip in the air, but Spring has definitely arrived and with it come flocks of sand martins that have flown thousands of miles from the Sahara to breed in the UK.

CEMEX quarries are prepared for their arrival with sacrificial sandbanks piled up, ready to offer them the perfect home.

The creation of the sandbanks at all CEMEX quarries is just one of the many initiatives that the company has developed in partnership with the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB).

With the support of the RSPB, CEMEX are committed to a number of challenging biodiversity targets, including the creation and maintenance of 1,000ha of priority habitats by 2020.

Last year was a significant year with 139ha of priority habitats created and managed, well ahead of the annual target of 100ha.

‘One of the main reasons for exceeding the challenging target is the development and implementation of action plans for key sites,’ commented CEMEX sustainability director Andy Spencer. ‘Much of our land is being managed to enhance its biodiversity.’

One such site is Moota Quarry, near Cockermouth, in Cumbria, where weeds and invasive plants have been removed; bat, barn owl and kestrel boxes have been placed around the site; and sensitive maintenance of woodland has been undertaken – all specific measures to protect and promote nature and wildlife at this particular site.

Mr Spencer added: ‘Quarries and concrete plants provide much-needed building materials for use in construction projects in our communities, but we have to balance the need for homes, schools, roads etc with the needs of nature both now and in the future.’