The restoration of a gravel quarry near Norwich back to farmland will continue for more than a decade. 

Permission to extract more than 600,000 tonnes of sand and gravel at Hall Farm in Wymondham was granted in January 2014, making it one of 26 such sites across Norfolk. 

Today, the quarry is around 58 acres - equivalent to roughly 36 football pitches - although mineral extraction operations have remained "relatively small scale" with around 60,000 tonnes mined each year.

Work started in Wymondham Quarry in 2014Work started in Wymondham Quarry in 2014 (Image: Google) These materials were supplied to sites within a 10 to 15-mile radius, including into
Wymondham, Hethersett, Attleborough and Norwich.

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But as work in the quarry nears completion, efforts are being made to restore the site to farmland and make it suitable for growing crops again. 

This is being done using inert waste that does not decompose, such as concrete, rubble and sand. 

The quarry covers nearly 60 acres in southeast WymondhamThe quarry covers nearly 60 acres in southeast Wymondham (Image: Google) Work to fill in Wymondham Quarry started in June 2021 after the operator, Longwater Gravel Company Limited, received a special permit from the Environment Agency allowing them to do so. 

The company is now requesting permission to extend the restoration deadline to 2036, giving them "sufficient" time to fill the quarry in. 

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As part of the operation, the firm wants to import an additional 20,000 tonnes of material which would be processed at a new aggregate recovery facility (ARF) and used to further fill the quarry.

It will be filled in and restored to farmland by 2036 at the earliestIt will be filled in and restored to farmland by 2036 at the earliest (Image: Norfolk County Council) ARFs improve the amount of waste recovered from mining, meaning the quarry can be filled in more quickly.

Despite this increase in activity, the Longwater Gravel Company says the number of HGV trips will remain low and the impact on nearby roads will be minimal.

The firm, established in 1952, is a family-run aggregate extraction and processing company.

It runs two other quarries in Horstead and Coxford Abbey, as well as owning a distribution and administration centre in Costessey.