Eton Aggregates limited

Dorney Lake, venue for the Rowing and Canoeing events for the 2012 London Olympics. A 2,200 metre lake set in a spectacular 170 hectare site, with a spacious Park and Arboretum and a Nature Reserve, all developed from the extraction, processing and sale of 4.1 million tonnes of sand and gravel. Planning permission for the development was granted after appeal in 1994. Work commenced on-site in May 1996 with initial soil and overburden stripping, the erection of a new processing plant, construction of a public footbridge over the River Thames joining the riverside footpaths of Berkshire and Buckinghamshire. This footbridge also carried part of a 1.6 kilometre conveyor system which enabled some 50%of the excavated mineral to be processed at the existing Bray Quarry on the Berkshire side of the Thames thus reducing the number of lorry movements leaving the Dorney site. Excavation of mineral commenced out with the area of the lakes to create reception voids for the deposition of all overburden and in some areas underlying clay which had to be excavated to achieve the required minimum depth of water to meet the international rowing regulations. Development of the main lake commenced in November 1997 with 1,250 metres of completed lake together with the boathouse, associated roads, cycleways and other facilities handed over in 2000. This included the major part of the Park and Arboretum with all its planting and seeding much in its second season. Progress continued with the development of the main lake with ever increasing encouragement from the rowing fraternity, First 1,500 metres and then 2,000 metres were handed over before activity shifted to the excavation of the Return Lake and the adjacent Nature Conservation Area. The processing plant was removed in the spring of 2004 and all the remaining mineral was sent to the Bray plant via the conveyor for final processing. The last mineral was excavated in September 2006, the conveyor removed and the final section of site reinstated. Immediately prior to this the Amateur Rowing Association had hosted the 2006 World Rowing Championships at Dorney Lake which was deemed a huge success by all concerned not least the World Rowing governing body, FISA, and many of the local populace who had originally been most vociferous in their opposition to the development.