by Trevor Bevins, Local Democracy Reporter.
A Portland quarry could remain in use for another eight and a half years – possibly until 2036.
The Admiralty Quarry off Easton Lane takes in much of the inert material from local building sites – with no other viable site available locally, according to the application to Dorset Coumcil.
Operators of the non-recyclable site, G Crook & Sons Limited, are telling Dorset Council that infilling has been slower than originally anticipated when infilling started with estimates suggesting that another eight years would be needed to complete the infilling and full site restoration. The company says that a survey undertaken in late 2025 found that a further 223,350m3 of imported inert materials are required to complete the restoration of the quarry. Based on 25,000m3 of inert waste per year, an 8-year extension is required.
The company, which has its headquarters at West Knighton and operates a diverse range of businesses, say that, for flexibility, it would like to amend the original conditions to add an extra six months to that 8-year time frame.
The original conditions, agreed in 2012, said that the whole site would have to be reclaimed by May 30, 2027.
The Quarry is on the eastern side of Portland, 1km south of Fortuneswell and 0.5 km east of the A354 Easton Lane. It lies south of the Verne Citadel and the High Angle Batteries on high ground above the East Weares some 350 metres north of the nearest houses on Grove Road – with access via a 800-metre long haul road.
Said a waste materials specialist agent acting for the operators: “Unlike the majority of Portland’s quarries, Admiralty is remote from houses and settlements and is very well screened from public view by perimeter scrub, landscaped bunds and the undulating landscape which is the product of historic quarrying.”
Added the agent in the application to Dorset Council, which is open to public comment: “There is a need for a waste development such as this in the Weymouth area. This has been demonstrated since the facility opened. It fulfils a need for unrecyclable waste disposal in the area. A survey of sources of materials was undertaken in 2010 which showed that 70% of the waste imported to Admiralty Quarry came from within a 7 mile radius of the quarry, (Portland, Weymouth, Upwey, Broadway and Chickerell) and 100% of the imported waste is generated within 15 miles. This material is the “bread and butter” business of small contractors involved in general day to day building and development work in the Weymouth conurbation and that is expected to continue…”
“The people of Portland and visitors to the area will in due course benefit from the permanent reinstatement of the old quarry at the optimum restoration levels with improved footpath network and access to open space and a geological trail.”
Full details of the proposal can be found on the Dorset Council website using the reference P/VOC/2026/01888 .
