On January 28th, we held our latest Quarry Conversations meeting at Weston Museum, and we were thrilled by the fantastic turnout! More than 50 members of the public joined us for an insightful evening, demonstrating just how much passion and interest there is in the future of Old Town Quarry.

This event was made possible thanks to the dedication and hard work of our Quarry project team (Sarah Pearse, Sarah Jackson and Molly Matthews), alongside the invaluable support of our external contractors and project partners. Their efforts ensured a well-organised and engaging session. A special thank you to Steve Clark (arboricultural consultant), who provided expert insights on site tree management and shared plans for new tree planting after the building works are completed following the re-opening of the Quarry site. Additionally, Mark Hodson (Build Site Manager) guided attendees through the progress of the construction work and outlined the next steps for the development.

Access the presentation from the event here.

Our Senior Development Officer, Molly Matthews, shared her enthusiasm about the event:

“It was wonderful to have the opportunity to talk through the project with the community. To not only have so many members of staff on hand to help, but also key project delivery partners such as Mark from John West Contractors and Steve from Jack Pine Trees available to discuss the build and answer questions, made it much more engaging and authentic.”

The discussions focused on two key aims of the project:

• Building work – The session provided updates on construction progress and future plans.
• Community engagement – A summary of the community engagement process, that shows how we can work together to preserve and enhance Old Town Quarry.

For full details of the topics discussed at the meeting click here.

We were delighted by the level of engagement from the community and truly appreciated the many thoughtful questions raised after the presentation.

The positive response on social media has been overwhelming, with high levels of reach and engagement – demonstrating just how much our residents care about the future of Old Town Quarry. A heartfelt message from a community member on Facebook beautifully captured the spirit of the evening:

“I was thinking during the meeting just how lucky we are to have this & so many other locations/sites that we all feel so passionately about & love.”

We look forward to the next Quarry Conversations and hope to see even more members of the community involved. Thank you for your continued support!

If you’d like to stay up to date with upcoming events, project updates, and new developments, we invite you to sign up for our Quarry mailing list!

For further information, please feel free to email us at quarry@wsm-tc.gov.uk.