Cemex is investing £6.6 million in its Hatfield Sand and Gravel quarry in Hertfordshire, securing a further decade of operations and ensuring a continued supply of essential construction materials to support homes, businesses and infrastructure projects across the UK.
The development represents a significant investment in our UK operations and demonstrates Cemex’s long-term commitment to maintaining a reliable domestic supply of the essential resources that underpin the UK’s growth and development. The investment will extend the life of the quarry by another 10 years and unlock access to approximately 3.5 million tonnes of sand and gravel reserves. As part of the project, construction work is underway to extend the site’s conveyor system, enabling future extraction from new reserves located beyond the current operational area (you can watch a video showing some of the recent construction work, below). This construction work began in October 2025 with excavation of the new reserves expected to begin January 2027.
Commenting on this investment, Lex Russell, MD Materials UK, shared: “This significant investment reflects Cemex’s long-term confidence in the UK construction sector. Hatfield plays an important role in supplying the sand and gravel needed for vital building and infrastructure projects, and this investment ensures Cemex continues to play an important role in supplying materials for construction and infrastructure projects across the region, for years to come.”
Listening to the Community
While the investment secures the future of the quarry, the project has also provided an opportunity to strengthen relationships with the local community. The development required the closure of two local roads to allow the installation of new tunnels for the conveyor route, creating understandable concerns among local residents about the impact of the works on the surrounding area. Recognising that more could be done to keep local people informed, the Hatfield team took proactive steps to increase engagement and create opportunities for open dialogue.
Working together Steve Copland, Engineering Project Manager, and the site team organised a dedicated site visit for local residents, giving them the opportunity to see the development first-hand, learn more about. Around 10 residents attended the visit, alongside a local councillor. During the two hour event the group was able to view the new conveyor route and tunnels while speaking directly with the team about topics including vehicle movements, working hours, noise management and the wider development plans. The visit created a valuable opportunity for residents to ask questions, raise concerns and gain a clearer understanding of why the works were necessary and how the investment will benefit the area in the long term.
Feedback from attendees was overwhelmingly positive, with residents appreciating the opportunity to visit the site, meet the team and receive information directly from those delivering the project. To further improve communication, the team has also launched a dedicated webpage for local residents, providing regular updates on the development and advance notice of significant activities through email communications. These actions have helped create a much stronger relationship between the quarry and the local community, demonstrating the value of proactive engagement, transparency and face-to-face conversations.
The Hatfield project is a great example of how Cemex is not only investing in the future of UK operations and the UK’s construction industry but also investing time and effort in building trust and understanding with the communities in which it operates.
Please take a moment to watch this short video showing the conveyor system development works at Hatfield quarry over the past summer months. HERE