The UK’s aggregates association is calling on government to reinstate a sustainability fund that benefitted quarrying communities which was axed in cost saving measures earlier this year. The
The previous fund drew around £20million a year from the aggregates tax to support a variety of sustainability projects linked to aggregates extraction and supply. The MPA has said that, although it recognises the financial pressures that led to this decision, it believes that there is an outstanding justification for introducing a new scheme. According to the MPA, a new initiative, with some critical differences from the original scheme, could be affordable and generate very significant sustainability benefits.
MPA is proposing a scheme with a reduced value of around £10million per year which will have a greater focus and be more accessible to all local communities in quarrying areas. The key changes proposed by the MPA would be that 50% of the new fund would be available for local community projects. This represents a doubling of the £2.4million of funding on average available to local communities under the previous scheme. A further 30% would also be channelled into biodiversity and nature conservation projects which would also have a predominantly ‘local’ focus.
MPA believes that this funding should be accessible to all local communities in quarrying areas and has suggested the introduction of Local Aggregates Community Trusts to manage the funding.
