SOIL AND MINERAL WORKINGS

Soil is that medium in which most plant life thrives on land. As such it is probably the most valuable commodity on earth since all land based life derives from or through soil and all that grows and feeds on it.


Organic Soils' properties determine their optimum agricultural use. This leads to variations in the value of land attributable to the nature, composition, depth and regularity of the soil on the land.


Engineers' ‘soils' describes deposits of unconsolidated materials with determinable qualities and characteristics enabling civil and mining engineering design; a different commodity.


The Agricultural Land (Removal of Soil) Act 1953 made it an offence to remove soil from land without planning permission to do so. Introduced in response to concern by members of the Soil Association (founded in 1946 in response to changes in agricultural practice) and others, it marked a turning point in the regulation and control of soil.


The predecessor of DeFRA, (MAFF) worked strongly with minerals industry companies, guiding and encouraging their efforts to protect and preserve soils, extending into valuable research into the re-application of soils on land and ‘aftercare' to bring soils back into viable agricultural use. Topsoil care, preservation, storage and use are paramount features of minerals developments.


DeFRA has recently responded to the abiding concern for Soil in its Soil Strategy for England (found at (http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/quality/land/soil/documents/soil-strategy.pdf)).


This fundamental and irreplaceable resource, SOIL, is at the heart of FTMINS commitment to protect our clients' land, loss of soil and associated loss of value.