Heidelberg Materials Marine (formerly Hanson Aggregates) wished to renew a number of marine aggregate extraction licences in the Anglian Marine Aggregate region. These areas had been operating under permissions issued through a non-statutory regulatory system called the Government View procedure. These Government View permissions were going to expire at the end of 2013. Heidelberg was therefore seeking to secure their renewal by applying for new 15-year licences under the statutory licensing regime.

All of the licence applications required Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) and Habitats Regulations Appraisals.

The Anglian Marine Aggregate Regional Environmental Assessment provided the majority of the information to support preparation of the EIAs. A key element of the commission was to use this material to maximum effect and streamline Environmental Statement production to avoid repetition.

We worked with Heidelberg and the regulator, the Marine Management Organisation, to generate comprehensive and concise reports that complement the MAREA.