Aesthetic issues
The aesthetic impact of a quarry or a manufacturing facility is highly important to a local community. Whilst a manufacturing facility may be an economic blessing for a community, it still needs to have as negligible an impact on the aesthetics of the local area as possible. With quarries, there is a similar concern.
Screening (either natural or man-made) is often used to negate any negative visual impact. In the case of quarries, progressive restoration can be undertaken to reduce the visual impact. Quarry waste is used for screen banks and for banking up against steep faces. These banks are often carefully graded and planted to give a natural feel.
In sensitive areas, such as Special Landscape Areas, a conventional quarry would be an alien landform and can be visually intrusive - for instance, if it broke the skyline. In such circumstances quarries can be designed to blend into the natural environment. For instance, in Hafod, South Wales the rock quarry is an extension of the existing valley. The aim is the establishment of a restored slope identical to the natural valley sides.
Quarries are also returned to beneficial uses. The industry has a very strong track record when it comes to quarry restoration. Quarries are restored to be: farmland; nature reserves; watersport parks; fishing lakes; and even shopping centres (e.g. Bluewater shopping centre in Kent). Restoration of quarries is tightly controlled by planning permissions in terms of both the end use and speed of delivery and there are annual awards for the best restorations too - given by the Quarry Products Association (QPA).
