Butser Quarry: serving the construction industry

We purchased Butser Quarry in 2017 following a search for sites in Hampshire that would enable us to supply our own aggregates to the construction industry, including customers that we’d built up strong relationships with over the years.

After acquiring the Butser site near Petersfield, our team spent many months getting the site ready for use and quarrying began in 2018. An excavation plan was put in place to ensure safe, efficient and sustainable quarrying for the years to come.

We are now five years into the quarrying and have recently applied for our permit to be granted permission to commence infill. When we purchased the site, it was agreed that we would undertake continuous quarrying of chalk and inert infill, as well as recycling concrete, hardcore and asphalt until 2030. We will then restore the land for agricultural use.

TJ supports the work of the Environment Agency who regularly carry out land analysis of the quarry. We’re happy to comply in order to ensure high quality materials are being sourced and supplied to our valued customers.

Environmental wellbeing

To ensure the future wellbeing of the environment, whilst also protecting the health and safety of our staff, customers and the public, we endeavour to effectively manage the environmental aspects of our processes and activities. We’re committed to minimising the impact of our operations on the environment by means of a programme of continuous improvement, which includes:

• Continual enhancement of our environmental performance and management system.
• Complying with all relevant environmental legislation.
• Continual commitment to the prevention of pollution through operational controls, training and risk assessment.
• Making efficient use of resources, reuse rather than dispose where possible and promote the use of recycled materials.
• Improve waste management and reduce waste to landfill where possible.
• Continually aim to minimise energy consumption through effective energy management.
• Reduce wherever practicable the level of uncontrolled atmospheric emissions.
• Manage and control effluent discharges arising from our operations.
• Ensuring that our Environmental Policy is implemented in full through managerial vigilance, regular auditing and review.

What products and services does Butser offer?

Rock chalk

We utilise our rock chalk in several forms – as crushed chalk, ‘as dug’ chalk and agglime chalk. As well as being very strong, rock chalk is also porous, which is ideal for good drainage.

The crushed chalk – also referred to as 1a fill rock chalk – is our most popular chalk product and offers great value for money. It is suitable for construction projects as a primary general fill aggregate. It’s most commonly used for capping, laid over terram to raise and level natural ground ready for a Type 1 sub-base. 

Our ‘as dug’ chalk is used as a temporary base or infill for construction projects and works well for these purposes as it is naturally hard. The agglime part of the chalk is a powder-like material that is spread over agricultural fields to make the ground more fertile.

Aggregate collection

We now offer an aggregate collection service from Butser. Available materials include chalk, crushed concrete, iBlend, track ballast SUDS and screened soil, in loads of 1-30 tonnes. To collect, you simply need to contact us to place your order, at which time we’ll advise you on stock availability and take payment or put it on your trade account if you have one.

Upon arrival on site, you must report to the weighbridge and be wearing full PPE. Please note that delivery is available for those unable to collect.

Rubble tipping

All construction companies, contractors and those in the building industry are permitted to drop off unwanted concrete, bricks, paving slabs, stone and asphalt anytime at our registered waste site near Petersfield during opening hours and as often as needed, free of charge.

We will crush the hardcore and use it to make recycled aggregates that we produce in-house so you know it’s being put to good use. Many places charge per bag to dispose of this type of waste, so this could be the ideal solution for many businesses.

Simply bring your hardcore waste along to Butser Quarry, which is located on the A3 at Petersfield, GU31 5SP. We’re open 8am – 5pm Monday to Friday. To unload, you simply need to hold a waste carrier’s licence and be wearing a hard hat, hi-vis top and steel toed boots to ensure your safety. Get in touch to find out more.

Recycled aggregate production

Type 1 iBlend is our own recycled aggregate that we make using the unwanted rubble/hardcore tipped at Butser by construction companies as well as that collected as part of our muck away and grab hire services. This is a great product as not only is it diverting rubble waste from landfill, but it’s also putting unwanted materials to good use by reusing them to produce a valuable and sought-after product.

As iBlend is produced locally, it’s ideal for a range of projects in the Hampshire, West Sussex and Dorset areas as it’s easy to access. As a recycled aggregate, the cost to produce iBlend is far lower than that of quarrying a primary product. If used as an alternative to a primary aggregate, it could represent a significant cost saving.

Corporate Social Responsibility

Butser Ancient Farm

We’ve donated rock chalk to Butser Ancient Farm several times over the years, for use during visits from local schools. The most recent donation was 30 tonnes, delivered in three 10-tonne loads over the space of a year at the farm’s request. The chalk is used by school children visiting the farm; they use it for sculpting as the chalk’s properties lend itself to being worked with and sculpted effectively. Butser Ancient Farm is a unique experimental archaeology site nestled in the South Downs National Park and is open to visitors and education groups throughout the year.

QE Park bike trail project

We donated 40 tonnes of rock chalk to Queen Elizabeth Country Park to enable the construction of a new bike trail for riders who are keen to try off road cycling for the first time. The Park already had two official bike trails for mountain biking and the donated chalk was used to construct a new third route.

The new trail has been constructed by the Queen Elizabeth Country Park Trail Collective – a group of local mountain bikers volunteers – who work in partnership with the Park. TJ was happy to contribute to the project when approached regarding a donation.

Explore the services TJ Transport provides and find out more about other projects we’ve been involved in…