Policies and Sustainability in Greywacke Quarries in Northern Ireland: ПОЛИТИКИ И УСТОЙЧИВОСТ НА ДОБИВА НА ГРАУВАКИ ОТ КАРИЕРИ В СЕВЕРНА ИРЛАНДИЯ

Northern Ireland has a substantial resource of High Polished Stone Value PSV aggregate. Exports take place to the rest of the UK and Europe. QPANI (2010) identified 183 Quarries and Sand pits within its boundaries. Fifteen of these supply greywacke. The Geological Survey of Northern Ireland (GSNI) consider the total turnover from the quarrying industry to be around £630 million per year: approximately 3% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) (Belfast City Council, 2017). With substantial demand and a finite resource, the sustainability of greywacke demand strategies for Northern Ireland is examined. With the formation of Local Development Plans (LDP) by the council areas, this research informs on the supply and demand of Greywacke. The current LDP drafts are based mainly on environmental considerations rather than statistical information. The paper identifies that the quarries believe BREXIT will not have a detrimental effect on their trade internally but will have a negative effect on their trade with the rest of Europe. The Geological map of Northern Ireland determines the location of quarries but efficiency of vehicles can be shown to provide a 16.9% reduction in pollution through purchase of more efficient vehicles. This can be achieved through a combined single source policy document as the majority of the quarries shortly will either replace their vehicles or invest in additional ones. In relation to greywacke, reserves are robust in County Down but need examined for Mineral Extraction plans in other counties.