Guidance

Reclaim minerals extraction and landfill sites to agriculture

The legislation, policies and advice that planning authorities need to consider to reclaim the quality and structure of soil for farming use.

• From: Natural England
• Published: 16 January 2018
• Last updated: 19 April 2022
  Show all updates

  1. 19 April 2022

     Added links to new guidance on soil handling produced by the Institute of Quarrying. Updated guidance on how to test soil wetness.

  2. 5 February 2021

     Added Defra's 25 year plan to improve the environment 'A Green Future' and how it plans to protect agricultural land and soils.

  3. 16 January 2018

     First published.

Applies to England

Documents

Guide to reclaiming mineral extraction and landfill sites to agriculture

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Planning and aftercare advice for reclaiming land to agricultural use

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Details

These guides apply to proposals for:

• mineral extraction
• landfill and land raising (structures made from above ground waste) – referred to as ‘landfilling’ in these guides

Planning authorities and developers should use the guide for reclaiming mineral extraction and landfill sites to agriculture when considering proposals that affect agricultural land in England.

You should use the planning and aftercare advice to make sure developers understand what’s needed to reclaim sites to agriculture.