The Future

Mountsorrel Quarry

The need for continued supply

Mountsorrel Quarry plays a vital role in meeting Leicestershire’s mineral needs, and our pink granite continues to be in high demand across the construction industry. The Leicestershire Minerals and Waste Local Plan (adopted 2019 and reviewed in 2022) aims to secure a consistent and sufficient supply by prioritising extraction proposals that extend existing rail-linked operations.

Mountsorrel Quarry, which has the largest rail distribution network in Leicestershire, allows us to transport our rock efficiently and sustainably to rail depots across the Midlands, East Anglia and the Southeast. Due to the investment we have made in our strategic railhead, we are able to distribute far higher quantities of our products via rail compared to our sector competitors. Therefore, Mountsorrel is perfectly positioned to ensure Leicestershire provides a long-term sustainable supply of crushed rock until 2058.

It is also important to recognise that minerals can only be extracted where they are found, and extending an existing site is preferable to opening a new one, as it requires a smaller additional area of land to deliver a larger amount of mineral.

Whilst the quarry has planning consent until 2040, the demand for minerals from Mountsorrel Quarry means that reserves could run out in less than fifteen years. However, it is estimated that within the currently consented area, the quarry now has a remaining life of between 3 and 4 years at the current output levels before the continued working of the permitted reserves would begin to restrict the ability of the quarry to be extended.

To continue providing a consistent, high-quality supply of products to some of the most critical infrastructure in the UK, we need to secure the future of the quarry, which can only be done by expanding it in the coming years.

Planning for the future – Regulation 25 request

Timeline

  • October 2023: Submitted a planning application for a northern and south-eastern extension to Mountsorrel Quarry to Leicestershire County Council (LCC).
  • May 2024: LCC formally requested additional environmental information as part of the Environmental Statement (Regulation 25 request).
  • October 2025: Submitted this additional information to LCC, who have now concluded their statutory consultation on this information. For more information on the Regulation 25 request, please click here.

Next Steps

LCC are now carrying out formal consultation on the additional information submitted in support of the planning application. This means residents and other stakeholders have an opportunity to provide their comments to the Council. The submitted documents will be made available on the County Council’s website. 

Consultation

Consulting with communities has been an important part of developing our proposals for Mountsorrel Quarry. We have sought to provide opportunities for residents to learn more about our proposals, ask questions, and share their views. Feedback gathered during our consultation has helped to shape the planning application and ensure our approach remains transparent and responsive to local priorities.

As well as ongoing consultation with stakeholders via direct meetings and our liaison group, we have:

  • October 2022: held three public exhibitions to introduce our proposals and ask for feedback
  • September 2023: held three information sessions to give residents the opportunity to view our final plans (materials are available to download here).
  • June 2025: held two drop-in sessions to provide an update on our application including the Regulation 25 request (materials are available to download here).

Resources

    • A high resolution map of the final proposals is available to download here.
    • A high resolution map of the Northern extension working scheme – end of stage one is available to download here.
    • A high resolution map of the Southeastern extension working scheme – Wood Lane Diversion Plan is available to download here.
    • A high resolution map of the final restoration scheme is available to download here.

Paper copies of any of the above materials can be sent to your home address upon request.

The full suite of environmental studies and planning documents is available from LCC’s Planning Portal. You can find the application documents by visiting LCC’s Planning Register. The application case reference number is 2023/EIA/0096/LCC. If you require a paper copy of the planning application, please contact the Leicestershire County Council.