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NSC Home Page > EUAS Contents > 15 Perceptions of the industry: surveys
APPENDICES
15 Perceptions of the industry: surveys
Numerous references have been made to public concerns over the environmental impact of quarrying, particularly traffic, dust and noise e.g. MPG11 Controlling and Mitigating the Environmental Effects of Minerals Extraction in England consultation paper DETR May 2000; the Minerals Industry Environmental Performance Study: Groundwork (for DoE) 1991; many publications by environmental bodies such as CPRE. Most people in the industry are fully conscious of the public's main apparent concerns, however, surprisingly very few attempts have been made to gauge systematically, and report objectively the public perception of the industry, even if it is considered by many to be "blindingly obvious" to quote one commentator.
Such limited surveys as have been conducted, do not always bear out these "obvious" concerns, particularly regarding the extent of the impact perceived and felt. Some of these are summarised below.
Additional views about the industry are contained in the main Industry Section of this report (see Perceptions), in the Education Section (see Post 16 education) and in Appendix 16 (see Textbook survey).
Hertfordshire County Council
Public opinion survey on Minerals and Restoration in Hertfordshire : 1991)Summary of findings:
Only 3.7% of households were adversely affected by mineral working; only 2.6% were affected by the use of former quarries for waste disposal. Volume of traffic was the main concern.Just over 70% of households would not object to an increase of sand and gravel workings in the county of about 20% over the next 15 years. However, almost 70% of those already affected by workings would object.
Most households felt local sourcing rather than importing of aggregates was preferable. However, most respondents were not concerned about Herefordshire encouraging mineral extraction elsewhere.
Most participants generally preferred fewer larger operations, but a third either had no opinion or were prepared to leave it to the planners.
The subjects of most concern were traffic, water pollution and impact on nature and on areas already affected by workings.
Nature reserves and public recreation/leisure areas were the most popular after uses.
The Sand and Gravel Association 1992
Commissioned a MORI public opinion poll* into mineral workings conducted throughout Great Britain (*sample: 1872 in 148 constituencies).64% considered that aggregates needs should be met locally; those living near operations particularly voted this way; only 9% supported imports; c40% would not object; 17% would object to an increase of a third in output over 20 years from their own counties. Those in quarrying counties were most supportive. Only in South East England was there significant objection but even there, 70% had no view.
Over 80% did not consider they were affected by the industry and of those affected, the main concerns were road traffic (10%) and dirt/damage to roads (19%).
The main positive aspects were considered to be:
71% employment.
44% provision of construction materials.
43% input to local economy.
30% oppotunities for leisure and nature conservation after-uses.The Environmental Costs and Benefits of the Supply of Aggregates Phase 2 London Economics (for DETR) 1999.
This was the second and more detailed study carried out for DETR (Part 1: was published in 1998) as a means of informing decisions about the then proposed Aggregates Levy. This built upon the first small scale survey (ten sites - in part 1) and involved 9,631 local questionnaire responses near 21 operational quarries, distribution, recycling plants and wharves throughout Britain and 1,019 responses derived randomly, nationally.
Despite an extremely detailed sampling structure and questionnaire, which included (in both phases), questions seeking respondent's views of the perceived significance of a range of environmental impacts, the findings as published were almost exclusively confined in terms of 'willingness to pay' to avoid damage/impact/intrusion in the landscape. Very little can be gleaned about people's main concerns and priorities for action. People did however indicate a theoretical willingness to pay to stop the external environmental affects of aggregate quarrying, both in their locality and in national parks.
The findings in respect of the other impacts appear to be contained in the sentence, 'also among the respondents aware of quarries (nationally, almost a third of the replies), 8% could see the local quarry, 7% could hear its operations and 12% said traffic from the quarry passed close to their houses.' The affects were considered as good = 3%; bad = 5%, very bad = 10%; none/don't know 90%. Elsewhere in relation to local quarrying, c6% identified quarries as an issue of local environmental concern and 85% had no problems to register; the remaining 15% experienced some impact.
The part 1 study identified transport, dust and blasting from crushed rock quarries to have the most harmful impacts. The problems arising from visual, amenity intrusion and threats to wildlife and heritage were considered noticeable or small.
Environmental complaints from the public
Extract from: Hanson plc UK report on environment, community and the workplace for 2002
Type of complaint
number of complaints
2001
2002
Noise
60
43
Dust
53
57
Traffic
57
28
Blasting
82
43
Other
60
62
Total
312
233
Number of complaints discounts multiple complaints from one source on any one subject to avoid distortion of the data. Very approximately this equates to about one complaint every 1.5-2 years at each plant operated by the company in the UK.