Any uses for a disused sand quarry?

onrail · 06-04-2021 2:48pm #1

I see 15 acres of a disused quarry up for sale. Being sold as agricultural land, but obviously needs fairly significant regrading to render it useful for farming.

It's up for abut €5k/acre so around half the going rate for nearby farmland. To be honest, I dont think it's be worthwhile trying to re-grade or farm it properly, but maybe there are some other uses people could think of? There's about 100m of road frontage.

- Solar Panels?
- Forestry?
- Try for a couple of sites on the road?

Any other ideas?

Reggie. · 06-04-2021 2:51pm

onrail wrote: »

I see 15 acres of a disused quarry up for sale. Being sold as agricultural land, but obviously needs fairly significant regrading to render it useful for farming.

It's up for abut €5k/acre so around half the going rate for nearby farmland. To be honest, I dont think it's be worthwhile trying to re-grade or farm it properly, but maybe there are some other uses people could think of? There's about 100m of road frontage.

- Solar Panels?
- Forestry?
- Try for a couple of sites on the road?

Any other ideas?

Fishing lake?

lakill Farm · 06-04-2021 2:53pm

Surely its down to location and if there was prior planning for quarrying

i cant see it being worth €5k an acre if no licence , as the costs associated to reinstate the property is incredible .

You would be lucky to give it away

onrail wrote: »

I see 15 acres of a disused quarry up for sale. Being sold as agricultural land, but obviously needs fairly significant regrading to render it useful for farming.

It's up for abut €5k/acre so around half the going rate for nearby farmland. To be honest, I dont think it's be worthwhile trying to re-grade or farm it properly, but maybe there are some other uses people could think of? There's about 100m of road frontage.

- Solar Panels?
- Forestry?
- Try for a couple of sites on the road?

Any other ideas?

onrail · 06-04-2021 2:54pm

Reggie. wrote: »

Fishing lake?

Nah, It's sand and well elevated, so won't be holding much water!

onrail · 06-04-2021 2:56pm

lakill Farm wrote: »

You would be lucky to give it away

Thinking along the same lines myself, if there was liability attached to the sale to reinstate.

SmartinMartin · 06-04-2021 2:57pm

Golf links?

selectamatic · 06-04-2021 3:00pm

Might be suitable for outwintering cattle.

148multi · 06-04-2021 3:00pm

Is all the sand excavated

06-04-2021 3:03pm

There is an abandoned large pit near me. I thought it might be possible to either break through it and create another more direct route to two rural roads or perhaps establish a lane on which sites could be sold which would be many times more sites than the road frontage on the plot.

There are a large number of abandoned sandpits around where I come from and I wonder when are the Aggregate Companies ever forced to return them to agricultural land or improve the sites rather than leaving them like the cratered surface of the moon.

The lorries without exageration destroy the roads, they leave the pits abandoned and just move on elsewhere.

onrail · 06-04-2021 3:08pm

148multi wrote: »

Is all the sand excavated

Must be if the owner is getting rid for that price!

06-04-2021 3:13pm

Did they even do the courtesy of leaving a soil mound somewhere in the pit.
Sand has zero nutritional value. You might be able to call it fibre.
Agricultural land is expensive because it has life-sustaining qualities. A sand pit sustains nothing.

popa smurf · 06-04-2021 3:19pm

Depends where you are and acsess to it. probably you could rent it out to boy racers that want to race around it on a Saturday night, if you could get a permit for builders to dump builders rubble you get so much a load, clay pigeon shooting, you could put storage containers in it for storage but of course all these would be subject to planning and insurance and all the bull you have to go through to make a few pounds.

06-04-2021 5:59pm

Its a pity with some of these pits that the owner did not put it in writing that the soil be put back on the ground the place can be farmed again, they look terrible site on the countryside.

wrangler · 06-04-2021 6:46pm

Fred Daly wrote: »

Its a pity with some of these pits that the owner did not put it in writing that the soil be put back on the ground the place can be farmed again, they look terrible site on the countryside.

I see that done around here but they'll never be right, During the road construction here Ascon rented a field beside me for storing clay during road construction, thousands of 70 ton dump trucks went in in the worst of weather..... that was 15 years ago and the field isn't right yet

06-04-2021 7:15pm

wrangler wrote: »

I see that done around here but they'll never be right, During the road construction here Ascon rented a field beside me for storing clay during road construction, thousands of 70 ton dump trucks went in in the worst of weather..... that was 15 years ago and the field isn't right yet

If it was put in worst of weather with that weight traveling on it you can see why it never came back right , i know it does not fully recover but given a chance you will get a good job.

Birdnuts · 06-04-2021 7:52pm

Fred Daly wrote: »

Its a pity with some of these pits that the owner did not put it in writing that the soil be put back on the ground the place can be farmed again, they look terrible site on the countryside.

Dunno - many now act as refuges for alot of wildlife that has disappeared from intensive farmland. The ones around my parents place near Naas look great in the summer as they are covered in all types of orchids and other flowers which support an impressive array of pollinators etc.,

Markcheese · 06-04-2021 9:53pm

How far away from a city or town are you ?? Basically if you're in the middle of nowhere then there's probably not much demand- the nearer you are to a bigger urban centre the more likely so done will want it..
But depends on the condition and conditions attached ..

kk.man · 06-04-2021 10:19pm

selectamatic wrote: »

Might be suitable for outwintering cattle.

Alot around here was used for that. It was free draining and had the shelter of mounds. Just drop in a round bale of silage in the circular feeder, job done. I would have given my right arm for one back in the day, probably not allowed now.

148multi · 06-04-2021 10:24pm

onrail wrote: »

I see 15 acres of a disused quarry up for sale. Being sold as agricultural land, but obviously needs fairly significant regrading to render it useful for farming.

It's up for abut €5k/acre so around half the going rate for nearby farmland. To be honest, I dont think it's be worthwhile trying to re-grade or farm it properly, but maybe there are some other uses people could think of? There's about 100m of road frontage.

- Solar Panels?
- Forestry?
- Try for a couple of sites on the road?

Any other ideas?

Can you get permission for a tip, soil or rubble.
I see loads being brought from Dublin to roscommon and mayo, it would appear that there is a shortage of tips.

onrail · 06-04-2021 10:46pm

148multi wrote: »

Can you get permission for a tip, soil or rubble.
I see loads being brought from Dublin to roscommon and mayo, it would appear that there is a shortage of tips.

Good question. I can only imagine that the cost of planning permission, environmental permitting etc for it would be huge.

Is there such thing as a landfill for soil and construction rubble only?

FrancieBrady · 06-04-2021 10:51pm

Think big.

This was built in a disused quarry in Cornwall. The Eden Project. Amazing place.

https://www.edenproject.com/

06-04-2021 10:51pm

148multi wrote: »

Can you get permission for a tip, soil or rubble.
I see loads being brought from Dublin to roscommon and mayo, it would appear that there is a shortage of tips.

You have to apply for a permit to the local council .

memorystick · 07-04-2021 6:15am

It might make a perfect halting site with designated allotments and infrastructure. A lad could rent it out to travellers if properly managed.

wrangler · 07-04-2021 7:15am

Fred Daly wrote: »

If it was put in worst of weather with that weight traveling on it you can see why it never came back right , i know it does not fully recover but given a chance you will get a good job.

It's not my land, it's land beside me. I was pressured alright to allow them in but I knew what it'd do to the structure of the land. As you say the land is recovering all the time, it has even stopped growing rushes at this stage. Nature is amazing

Track9 · 07-04-2021 3:56pm

Perhaps consider an area for Tractor & Trailer & Jeep & Trailer Driving instruction.
Practice areas for them etc.

148multi · 08-04-2021 3:39pm

onrail wrote: »

Good question. I can only imagine that the cost of planning permission, environmental permitting etc for it would be huge.

Is there such thing as a landfill for soil and construction rubble only?

If you take a small bite of the apple at a time its easier, a mound around the perimeter to stop discharge of soil particals into the water. You would need to talk it over with a planner, stick to a certain number of cubes, then go again.

youllbemine · 08-04-2021 4:38pm

148multi wrote: »

If you take a small bite of the apple at a time its easier, a mound around the perimeter to stop discharge of soil particals into the water. You would need to talk it over with a planner, stick to a certain number of cubes, then go again.

As posted already, you'd end up spending a fortune to get it through planning, consultation process with neighbours never mind environmental groups etc. Might make you money in the long run but youd want to have deep pockets when starting out.

Nekarsulm · 09-04-2021 9:07am

If there were lots of different levels etc, then perhaps you could think about an "Off road/4x4 course" or clay pigeon shooting ground. Or some combination of the two.

youllbemine · 09-04-2021 11:22am

Mountain biking is kicking off in Ireland in a big way the past 12 months. I think just here to stay. The GAP in Glencullen, Dublin mountains have a great business going. If there is a good elevation you could do something along those lines. As with everything insurance will be a kick between the legs and planning too.... but think of the endless smiles!

Example below...

https://youtu.be/FbVR2WDrWno

onrail · 09-04-2021 11:26am

Jayses I may get the Bank Manager on the phone...

lakill Farm · 09-04-2021 3:04pm

Is there not a mountain bike track down near cloughjordan closed up ?

youllbemine wrote: »

Mountain biking is kicking off in Ireland in a big way the past 12 months. I think just here to stay. The GAP in Glencullen, Dublin mountains have a great business going. If there is a good elevation you could do something along those lines. As with everything insurance will be a kick between the legs and planning too.... but think of the endless smiles!

Example below...

https://youtu.be/FbVR2WDrWno

youllbemine · 09-04-2021 3:17pm

lakill Farm wrote: »

Is there not a mountain bike track down near cloughjordan closed up ?

There is unfortunately. Bike Park Ireland based out of Roscrea. Issues with insurance as I understand.

They had a great thing going. Hopefully they can open up again at some point in the not so distant future.

AmyMay · 09-04-2021 3:26pm

onrail wrote: »

I see 15 acres of a disused quarry up for sale. Being sold as agricultural land, but obviously needs fairly significant regrading to render it useful for farming.

It's up for abut €5k/acre so around half the going rate for nearby farmland. To be honest, I dont think it's be worthwhile trying to re-grade or farm it properly, but maybe there are some other uses people could think of? There's about 100m of road frontage.

- Solar Panels?
- Forestry?
- Try for a couple of sites on the road?

Any other ideas?

Ideal for keeping horses on in winter (less mud, low cost) and in summer suits the horses that are prone to obesity or laminitis when kept on grass. They are built to live on plains/desert so this ground suits them well.
Someone might outwinter cattle on it either but you'd need to be more aware of drainage and run off in that situation.

blue5000 · 09-04-2021 7:52pm

Out wintering cattle is a fantastic way to get topsoil started on a place like that. They'd want to be fed hay that has grass seed in it. Move the feeders every time they're fed. The cattle dung being trampled in (with seeds in it) provides nutrients for plants to get established.

09-04-2021 7:59pm

Sand pit on the outskirts of kilkenny left for years nothing done with it horses things dumped in it rezoned sold for housing the owner made a fortune out of it.

Any uses for a disused sand quarry?

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