Celebrating Leadership in Restoration and Innovation
“The award recognises the massive amount of hard work that the Tarmac and RSPB teams have put into the project over the years. Tarmac and RSPB have won the cup, but the real winner is the wetland wildlife that calls Langford Lowfields home.”
Michael Copleston, former Langford Site Manager and now Head of England at the RSPB
Tarmac’s commitment to high‑quality restoration and nature recovery received major recognition at the MPA Quarries & Nature 2025 Awards, celebrating both the depth of its environmental programmes and the strength of the partnerships that underpin them. The awards highlighted decades of expertise across restoration, research and innovation, demonstrating how sustained stewardship continues to deliver meaningful gains for nature across Tarmac’s nationwide portfolio.
Restoration Award: Transforming Langford Quarry into a Wetland Landscape
A central highlight of the awards was the Restoration Award for Langford Quarry, recognising its long‑term transformation into a thriving wetland habitat. Delivered through a decades‑long partnership between Tarmac and the RSPB dating back to a joint planning application in 1988, Langford has been progressively restored into a mosaic of reedbed, hay meadow, wet woodland and scrub—now forming RSPB Langford Lowfields, the largest reedbed in the East Midlands.
Sitting along the River Trent, the site has evolved into a vital refuge for rare and declining species affected by climate change and sea‑level rise. Its importance is reinforced by its role within a broader landscape-scale vision to restore connected wetland habitats across the Trent Valley, supported by similar projects at neighbouring Tarmac sites such as Besthorpe Quarry. The transfer of Langford Lowfields to the RSPB in early 2023 ensures its long‑term conservation and management.
Michael Copleston, former Langford Site Manager and now Head of England at the RSPB, reflected on the significance of the award:
“I spend a lot of time telling people how wonderful Langford Lowfields is and the honour of winning the Cooper-Heyman Cup is excellent confirmation that the reserve really is a very special place. The award recognises the massive amount of hard work that the Tarmac and RSPB teams have put into the project over the years. Tarmac and RSPB have won the cup, but the real winner is the wetland wildlife that calls Langford Lowfields home.”
“At Tarmac, we are committed to delivering quarry restoration that goes beyond compliance, creating landscapes that benefit biodiversity, local communities, and future generations. The recognition of Langford Quarry highlights how long‑term vision and collaboration can achieve outstanding results.”
Jenny Oldroyd, Restoration Manager at Tarmac
High Commendations for Wivenhoe, Dry Rigg and Arcow
The judging panel also recognised the strength of Tarmac’s wider restoration approach, with high commendations awarded to the planned restoration of Wivenhoe Quarry, and the landscape‑scale efforts at Dry Rigg and Arcow quarries, both acknowledged for their contribution to creating connected, resilient natural habitats. These commendations reflect the consistency and quality of Tarmac’s restoration practice across contrasting landscapes, demonstrating the value of integrated site design, early engagement with conservation partners and long‑term ecological planning.
Innovation Award: Advancing Future‑Focused Restoration Through Research
Tarmac’s leadership in environmental innovation was also celebrated through the Innovation Award, recognising its long‑term partnership with Cranfield University. More than a decade of collaboration has supported research into new methods for measuring and enhancing biodiversity net gain and carbon sequestration on restored land, with recent projects focusing on sites such as Maxey and Wivenhoe.
This partnership brings together academic insight and operational experience, with MSc students contributing applied research that strengthens restoration techniques, improves monitoring approaches and supports Tarmac’s commitment to climate resilience and nature recovery.
“These awards are a testament to the dedication and expertise of our restoration teams, as well as the strength of our partnerships with conservation organisations and academic institutions.”
Enrique Moran Montero, National Restoration Manager at Tarmac
Looking Ahead
The multiple awards received at the MPA Quarries & Nature 2025 event reflect the collective impact of Tarmac’s restoration teams, partners and long‑standing collaborators across the conservation and academic sectors. From nationally significant wetland landscapes to innovative research programmes shaping the future of biodiversity measurement, the achievements demonstrate how technical expertise, long‑term collaboration and responsible land stewardship continue to deliver real benefits for nature.
These successes reinforce Tarmac’s belief that quarry restoration is not simply about returning land—it is about creating resilient ecosystems, supporting local wildlife and helping shape landscapes that will thrive long after extraction has ended
