Sand martins at Mangreen Quarry on A140 to be protected

A colony of more than 50 sand martins have taken to nesting in a sand bank at Mangreen Quarry and experts say they need to be built new homes when the quarry is restored to nature.

Sand Martins have made their homes at the Mangreen Quarry site (Image: Ian Burt)

Tarmac is in the process of restoring the quarry, off the A140 Ipswich Road, near Dunston, on the outskirts of Norwich, having extracted sand and gravel from the site since 2010.

Restoring a quarry involves reinstating the land. Tarmac's plans include turning some of it into farmland, open water, ponds, meadows and grassland.

Mangreen Quarry, on the outskirts of Norwich (Image: Google Maps)

That was supposed to be done by October last year, but the company has experienced delays in getting an environmental permit from the Environment Agency for the material needed to fill in the quarry.

The company asked Norfolk County Council for an extension and its planning committee has agreed to extend the deadline for restoration to December 2027.

But ecologists at County Hall advised a condition should be attached to that permission to safeguard the sand martins.

Tarmac has been told that the sandbank containing sand martin nests should not be removed while the birds are using or building nests.

And the company has been told that, when it is removed, it must provide an artificial Sand Marting nesting feature elsewhere at the site.

Part of the site is also being used as a recycling facility and highways depot.

County councillor Brian Long (Image: Archant 2018)

Brian Long, chairman of the council's planning committee, expressed frustration at the time the restoration was taking, but councillors did unanimously grant permission.

Sand martin factfile

Sand martins visit the UK in the summer and are the smallest European hirundines - the collective name for martins and swallows.

Sand Martins visit the UK in the summer (Image: Ian Burt)

They arrive in March and leave for Africa in October.

The birds, which grow to 12cm in length and have a 28cm wingspan, nest in colonies, digging burrows in steep, sandy cliffs, usually around water.

They have dark brown upper parts and dark under wings, with pale under parts and a distinctive dark chest stripe.

Helping hand for nature

A Norfolk town is leading the way in giving nature a helping hand - and other areas are being urged to follow suit.

Redenhall with Harleston Town Council declared the parish to be a Nature Recovery Area in 2022, encouraging the community to do more to support the environment and wildlife.

Harleston (Image: Newsquest)

Initiatives include building providing food and water for birds - including Harleston's swift population, building bug houses, planting pollinating plants or people letting sections of their garden grow wild.

South Norfolk Council is keen for other parishes to create similar Nature Recovery Areas.

South Norfolk councillor Trevor Graham (Image: South Norfolk Council)

Trevor Graham, who represents Harleston on the council, said: "Community Nature Recovery is a very simple idea that everyone can get involved in, working together to give nature and our local environment the help it needs to recover and thrive.

"The scheme is delivered from the bottom up, not through government or large organisations, but by ordinary people doing their bit to help nature and support each other.

"Small actions taken by ordinary people, added together can make a real difference.

"The collective size of gardens in England is greater than the size of the country’s nature reserves. What we do in our back gardens does count and will make a difference."