Summary report on the geology of the proposed HS2 Route (3) in the Chesham and Amersham Constituency

This brief open-file report summarises the information available from the British Geological Survey (BGS), a component body of the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), on the geology, hydrogeology and potential geological hazards of the proposed HS2 Route 3 within the Chesham and Amersham Constituency, and surrounding areas. The report summarises the geology and hydrogeology of the district and highlights geological and hydrogeological considerations that may need further investigation along the route. Further review and analysis of existing data and possible field investigation would be required to confirm details of the local geology. The report was requested by Mrs Cheryl Gillan MP following a meeting with Dr Martin Smith, Head of Geology & Landscapes programme, on Monday 16th May 2011 at the offices of the Secretary of State for Wales in Whitehall

Minerals safeguarding areas for Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin

Minerals Policy Statement 1: Planning and Minerals (DCLG, November 2006) requires all Mineral Planning Authorities to define Mineral Safeguarding Areas (MSA’s). This report describes work carried out by the British Geological Survey on behalf of Shropshire County Council and Telford & Wrekin Council to delineate Mineral Safeguarding Areas in Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin. The report uses the methodology outlined in “A guide to mineral safeguarding in England” (McEvoy et al., 2007). Maps showing the extent of individual mineral resources in Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin have been prepared by the BGS. Minerals Safeguarding Areas have then been defined for each mineral resource. This data has been provided in digital form for use with a geographical information system

A new stratigraphy for the glacial deposits around Lowestoft, Great Yarmouth, North Walsham and Cromer, East Anglia, UK

A new stratigraphical model for the glacial deposits around Lowestoft, Great Yarmouth, North Walsham and Cromer (east of Weybourne and Edgefield) is presented, based on a combined research programme by the British Geological Survey and the Department of Geography, Royal Holloway University of London. This stratigraphical model is founded upon evidence derived from sedimentological descriptions, geological mapping and analytical lithological techniques including clast lithological analysis, derived pre- Quaternary palynomorphs and heavy mineralogy. The previously accepted ‘North Sea Drift’ / ‘Lowestoft Formation’ scheme is abandoned in favour of four formations that relate to assemblages of till units and associated outwash lithofacies, the mapping of major discontinuities, and morpho- and tectono-stratigraphical associations. The new scheme consists of the Happisburgh, redefined Lowestoft, Sheringham Cliffs and Briton’s Lane formations

The sand and gravel resources of the country around Whitchurch and Malpas, Clwyd, Cheshire and Shropshire : description of 1:25,000 sheet SJ 44, 54

The geological maps of the Institute of Geological Sciences, pre-existing borehole information and 99 boreholes drilled for the Industrial Minerals Assessment Unit form the basis of the assessment of the sand and gravel resources of the country around Whitchurch and Malpas. The glacial sediments of the district proved to be more complex than is shown on the published geological map. Glacial Sand and Gravel, present over much of the area in the south and east, shows rapid lateral and vertical variation in composition although sand-grade deposits predominate. Recorded thicknesses of overburden and waste also have a wide range. All the deposits in the district that might be potentially workable for sand and gravel have been investigated and a simple statistical method has been used to estimate the volume. The reliability of the volume estimates is given at the symmetrical 95 per cent probability level. The 1:25 000 map is divided into 7 resource blocks, containing between 2.9 and 37.2 km2 of sand and gravel. For each block the geology of the deposits is described, and the mineral-bearing area, the mean thicknesses of overburden and mineral and the mean gradings are stated. Detailed borehole data are also given. The geology, the position of the boreholes and the outlines of the resource blocks are shown on the accompanying map

Aggregate supply and demand for sustainable communities : a practical approach to problem-solving [executive summary]

Adequate supply of aggregate resources is vital for developing and sustaining our modern society. However, these resources are finite and can only be extracted from where they occur. The Milton Keynes and South Midlands (MKSM) Growth Zone was first identified by the Regional Planning Guidance for the South East (RPG9, 2001). The Sustainable Communities Plan, published by the former ODPM in 2003, to help address the acute housing shortage in England a sustainable pattern of development, identified potential for up to 370 000 new homes within the Growth Zone by 2031. The Milton Keynes & South Midlands Sub- Regional Strategy (2005) provides a detailed analysis of areas with potential for development within the Growth Zone and considers factors including employment, transport links and utilities. This report presents an analysis of aggregate resource availability in and around the growth zone. It also considers past and present aggregate supply and demand, environmental factors, and transport and planning issues. It aims to establish mechanisms for supplying the resources required to develop sustainable communities in designated growth zones. The Project Area encompasses the MKSM Growth Zone and surrounding areas with potential sand and gravel resource. This executive summary provides a digest of a much more detailed technical report – ‘Aggregate supply and demand for sustainable communities: a practical approach to problem solving’ (Harrison et al., 2007). It is intended for use principally by those involved in planning and economic development

Mineral resource information for development plans : phase one Northamptonshire resources and constraints

This report is one of a series prepared by the British Geological Survey for various administrative areas in England and Wales for Phase One of the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions Research Project Mineral Resource Information for Development Plans. The report and accompanying map relate to the area of the Mineral Planning Authority of Northamptonshire. The report and map delineate and describe the mineral resources of current, or potential, economic interest in the area and relate these to national planning designations which may represent constraints on the extraction of minerals. Three major elements of information are presented and described: • the geological distribution and importance of mineral resources • the extent of mineral planning permissions and the location of current mineral workings • the extent of selected planning constraints (national statutory designations) This wide range of information, much of which is scattered and not always available in a consistent and convenient form, is presented as a digitally-generated summary map. The map is produced at 1:100 000 scale, which is convenient for overall display and allows for a legible topographic base on which to depict the information. In addition, as the data are held digitally using a Geographical Information System (GIS), easy revision, updating and customisation are possible, including presentation of subsets of the data at larger scales. Basic mineral resource information is essential to support mineral exploration and development activities for resource management and land-use planning, and to establish baseline data for environmental impact studies and environmental guidelines. It also enables a sustainable pattern and standard of development to be achieved by valuing mineral resources as national assets. The purpose of the work is to assist all interested parties involved in the preparation and review of development plans, both in relation to the extraction of minerals and the protection of mineral resources from sterilisation, by providing a knowledge base on the nature and extent of mineral resources and the environmental constraints which may affect their extraction. However, it is anticipated that the map and report will also provide valuable data for a much wider audience, including the minerals industry, the Planning Inspectorate, the Environment Agency, the Countryside Agency, other agencies and government bodies, environmental interests and the general public. The mineral resource information has been produced by the collation and interpretation of data principally held by the British Geological Survey. The methodology for the collection and display of the data is described and a range of sources of information and further contacts is presented. The mineral resources described are sand and gravel, limestone, building stone, ironstone, refractory clay, hydrocarbons and secondary aggregates

Geology of the Bedford district : a brief explanation of the geological map Sheet 203 Bedford

This Sheet Explanation provides a summary of the geology and applied geology of the district covered by geological 1:50 000 Series Sheet 203 Bedford, published as a Bedrock and Superficial Deposits edition in 2010. The district lies in the south-east of the English Midlands, about 45 miles north of London and includes parts of Bedfordshire, Northamptonshire and Buckinghamshire