|
 The Cement Works
at Westbury
 Negotiations
to buy the land that is now the
Lafarge
chalk quarry just to the south east of the
White Horse were first
started with the war department in 1945. The land was originally the edge of
what are now the live firing ranges on Salisbury plain. The entrance to the
quarry can be seen as you drive up to the White Horse from Westbury. The
main works are situated just North East of Westbury and include the second
group of quarries, which contain Kimmeridge Clay and the occasional sea dragon!
 The cement works
started producing cement
in 1962, with a single
wet process kiln. In 1965 the second kiln was added. This took total
yearly production capability from 200,000 tonnes to
700,000 tonnes of Blue Circle cement each year.
The chimney is a significant landmark and can be seen for miles around. It
rises to 400 feet (122 metres). The works and quarry are now owned and
operated by Lafarge. They employ about 130 people on the site
and estimate
that they contribute £10 million a year to the local community, through
wages, rates, and by using local supplies and subcontractors.
 Lafarge have been using tires as a fuel at the
works for some time but recently applied for permission to burn Recycled
Liquid Fuel. RLF is made from liquids created in the manufacture of products
like paint and nail varnish remover. It is already used by Lafarge in its
French plants and by other companies at six other locations around the UK,
but that didn't make the residents of Westbury any happier. Protest groups
were set up, and campaigns planned. For the moment it looks as though
Lafarge have won. Permission was granted, subject to six months of testing
and strict guidelines. As of March 2005 this trial has been delayed by at
least two years while the Lafarge undertakes an investment program post
problems with quality control. I'm making a local history website, not a
news site; if you would like to know more I suggest you research the topic
through the
BBC or
Wiltshire Times websites. |
