Imerys' Clay Country Vision - The Imerys Regeneration Programme for the Mid Cornwall Area

Frequently Asked Questions

Imerys is a mining company, why are you doing this?

As a responsible company Imerys takes its social and sustainability responsibilities very seriously and aspires to go well beyond mere compliance. Here in Cornwall we see our Clay Country Vision proposal on surplus industrial land (which is no longer required for china clay operations) as an exciting and innovative way to give something back to the community and the local environment, that will make a significant contribution to promoting employment led regeneration and achieving more sustainable lifestyles.
Does this development mean Imerys is closing down its operations?

The proposals in the Clay Country Vision do not mean that Imerys is closing down its operations. In fact, over £35 million has been spent on new production facilities over the last 12 months. 1.25 million tonnes of high quality clays are being mined annually by Imerys in the mid Cornwall area employing around 1,200 people.

Many of the clays produced in Cornwall have unique properties and are not easily found in other parts of the world. It is against this background that Imerys is confident that it will be mining china clay in mid Cornwall for many decades to come.
What is an Eco-town?

Eco Towns will be:
(Source: Dept. of Communities and Local Government publication: Eco-towns Living a greener future)
What makes the Imerys proposal different to the other Eco-town submissions?

Imerys is proud of its Clay Country Vision which includes plans for up to 5,000 new homes and has been short listed into the final 15 Eco-town submissions currently being considered by the Department for Communities and Local Government.

Imerys’ proposals cover six diverse sites with a total area in excess of 700ha and which are in single ownership. The vast majority of this total area is already disturbed industrial land, having formerly been part of the china clay mining and processing operations.

The six site concept that Imerys is progressing allows a unique mixture of employment, housing (with up to 50% of the houses being affordable) leisure and open space. In fact less than one third of the total area will be used for housing and employment with the remaining area being fully restored and available for a variety of recreational, leisure and tourism activities.

In creating these new communities Imerys intends to employ strong sustainability principles, for example using a high level of building materials from secondary aggregates which are a by-product of clay production and also utilising Imerys' global expertise in the innovative use of building materials. Imerys also have plans for innovative energy supplies, which could be sourced from wind power, solar heating and biomass.

The proposals will generate strong links with the existing Clay Country communities which have a strong cultural and heritage background and it is the intention that the new developments will complement these existing settlements.

A key element of Imerys’ vision is the way that the transport infrastructure can be enhanced and adapted to provide more sustainable transport modes between the six sites and existing major settlements and to reduce congestion on the main routes around St. Austell. Investigations are currently underway to see how more sustainably powered vehicles could be incorporated into the transport network as well as providing additional and improved pedestrian routes and cycle-ways. We will also review the potential for better public transport in cluding more frequent bus services using electric powered buses and local rail connections as two of the main sites are on the Paddington to Penzance main line.

All of these initiatives are consistent with Imerys' commitment to pursue a low carbon strategy as a part of its vision

Finally it is the opportunity to provide so much diversity in our scheme, from housing to employment to leisure and tourism, all of which are underpinned by sustainable principles which makes the Imerys scheme stand out.
Why are you building so many houses and where will the people come from?

Imerys’ proposals are designed to try and enhance and complement the existing clay area settlements and help them to perform more sustainably by, for instance, providing services and facilities that are currently absent.

There is a national shortage of housing in the UK and whilst the Imerys’ proposals are at the lower end of the proposed EcoTown submissions, in terms of housing provision, the 5,000 new houses that are planned can make a measured and appropriate increase to the numbers of homes available to local people. These new homes will be distributed across 5 largely interlinked sites and it is hoped that a high proportion of these new homes will be occupied by people already working in the mid-Cornwall china clay area whom, at the present time, do not have accommodation of their own. It is also anticipated that the new employment, leisure and recreational opportunities created as part of the Clay Country Vision will encourage people to move to the area.

It should also be noted that, independent of the EcoTown process, the recently published draft Regional Spatial Strategy (RSS) calls for a significant increase in housing provision in the Restormel area, our proposals will go some way to meeting this objective
What about affordable houses?

Imerys is very aware of the challenge to meet local affordable housing demand. Imerys wants to play its part in meeting this challenge and its Clay Country Vision plans to deliver a mix of housing types that includes up to 50% affordable housing. Imerys recognises that average wage levels in mid Cornwall are lower when compared to other parts of the South West region and are investigating a variety of schemes to ensure that affordable homes are just that, affordable and available.
Where will the jobs come from and what type of jobs will they be?

Creating significant numbers of new and rewarding jobs is at the centre of Imerys’ Clay Country Vision. The company is engaging in a wide ranging debate both within the community and at a wider level with regard to the job opportunities which are likely to be introduced into the area. Imerys believes that there will be significant opportunities for the creation of a range of new jobs. The Clay Country Vision includes a new technology park located adjacent to the second largest proposed housing development at Baal, just to the north of St Austell. There are existing centres of excellence, in the area, with regard to technology and sustainable developments such as the Eden Project, Mid Cornwall College and Imerys’ own Research & Development facilities which could all make a contribution to developing technology based employment. For example, Imerys believe that opportunities will emerge to develop the environmental technologies and innovation sector. These might be linked to renewable energy generation, energy management systems and control and production of low carbon building materials from waste materials. The proposals will, through enhanced education and training, seek to develop the local skills base to ensure this can meet requirements.

In addition to new office and industrial units, the Company also recognises the existing strong local craft skills and the need for small workshop units and business start-up spaces. The Clay Country Vision includes very large areas of open space which will include new lakes and provide opportunities to establish a range of outdoor leisure pursuits and recreational activities that will build upon Cornwall’s reputation as an attractive tourist destination, It is anticipated that the promotion of green leisure and tourism will also generate a wide range of new employment opportunities.
What about transport links? The roads area already very busy and this will only make things worse.

Transport and accessibility issues are very important and are at the forefront of Imerys’ thinking with regard to its Clay Country Vision.

A key element in the Vision is the way that the transport infrastructure can be enhanced and adapted to provide more sustainable links between the six sites and existing settlements. Imerys is currently investigating how ‘clean energy’ vehicles could be incorporated into the transport network, for both personal and public transport.

Emphasis is also being placed on improving public transport links and providing additional and enhanced pedestrian routes and cycle-ways. Imerys will also review the potential for better rail connections within the mid Cornwall area and with the Penzance – London mainline.
Why build on green fields?

Imerys’ Clay Country Vision covers six diverse sites with a total area of in excess of 700ha. The vast majority of this area is already disturbed industrial land, having formerly been part of the china clay mining and processing operations. In fact less than one third of the total area will be used for housing and employment with the remaining area being fully restored to a diverse range of habitats, including heathland woodland and grassland. These areas will be available for a variety of recreational, leisure and tourism activities. Within the area (approximately 200ha) identified for housing and employment, only approximately 38 ha of development will be on land that has not been previously disturbed by china clay operations.

Whilst Imerys will be looking to minimise the loss of existing greenfields, in some cases the development of this land will be required to provide new infrastructure and enable more cohesive communities to be created. It will also ensure that new development areas are well related to existing and new community facilities. Imerys will be carefully considering this issue as its Vision proposals for each site are worked up in more detail. In some cases the open nature of some greenfield areas will be retained as they will be incorporated into new public open spaces and corridors within the new development areas.
What does ‘low carbon emissions’ mean and how will this be achieved?

There is now a broad consensus amongst the world’s scientific community that emissions from human activity are resulting in significant changes to our climate and the consequences of this will be felt worldwide through increased temperatures, sea level rise and more frequent and intense severe weather events. Carbon dioxide and other emissions from fossil fuels are the major contributors to climate change.

A low carbon environment means that these emissions are cut to an absolute minimum and preferably zero. We aim to achieve this by a combination of measures that will cut carbon emissions through adopting the highest levels energy conservation in buildings, transport and employment. We will supplement this by delivering an ambitious programme of decentralised renewable energy production.
What are alternative energies and which ones will be developed?

A wide range of alternative energy technologies are being looked at by Imerys, including: wind power, biomass and anaerobic digestion at the strategic level and solar thermal and photovoltaic – solar energy at the individual household level. However, Imerys is also investigating some more innovative technologies, such as pump-storage, where disused pits are used to generate hydro-electric power. Another innovative idea being considered is the potential to use electric cars as an electrical mass storage device - that can store energy from a wind farm and put it back into the grid when the wind is not blowing.
How long will this take?

It is impossible at this stage to be specific on timings, however it is anticipated that the timescale for the delivery of the proposals will be over a period of several years. It is thought the first delivery of housing and some job opportunities could be in a 4 – 5 year timescale. However, the total scheme is likely to take up to 20 years.