News – July 3, 2008
MARINET reports that Hanson Marine has obtained a new licence to extract 500,000 tonnes per annum of sand and gravel for 15 years from Area 480 (also known as Area 106 East) located 25 miles south east of the mouth of the Humber estuary in the UK.
The Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC) originally expressed concern during the EIA procedure that dredging might harm the potential for Sabellaria spinulosa reefs (an Annex I habitat under the EU Habitats Directive) within the eastern arm of the site, and the licence has only been issued on the understanding that there will be no dredging there without further consultation and a review of the data collected from pre-dredge surveys.
Area 480 is a fraction under 10 square kilometres in size.