A Biodiversity Action Plan for the aggregates industry in Herefordshire

Herefordshire Biodiversity Partnership

Contents

1. Foreword

2. Nature conservation

2.1.Links to LBAP & UK BAP

3. Current status

3.1.Trends in aggregate extraction within the county

4. Historic Background

5. Previous survey effort

6. Links with GAP

7. Current factors affecting the habitat and geology

8. Current action

9. Plan aims

10.Sign up date

11.Targets / Objectives

12.Actions

13.Appendices

13.1. Partners involved

13.2. Key species & habitats

13.3. References

13.4. Historical Perspective

1. Foreword

Former and extant quarry sites have been shown to support some very unique and

important biodiversity that is found exclusively within Herefordshire such as water beetles,

plants and birds.

This plan aims to identify actions that can complement quarry biodiversity conservation

and create strong links to the Herefordshire Biodiversity Action Plan.

Many stakeholders have an involvement with quarries, be it through the planning,

operational or recreational context and it is our aim to bring these organisations together

to create a plan which will advise biodiversity gains in an ecologically and landscape

sensitive manner that recognises social, cultural and economic values.

This plan aims to identify opportunities to enhance the biodiversity resource within

Herefordshire quarries and create strong links with the Local Biodiversity Action Plan to

achieve targets laid down in the LBAP revision, 2007.

Please add any text changes or additions if you feel that this needs more information.

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2. Nature ConservationQuarries within Herefordshire include operational large-scale sand & gravel extraction

sites, hard rock, domestic building rock quarries, and disused domestic sites. The 3 main

types of quarried minerals include limestone, sandstone and Sand & gravel. They occur

throughout the county, with sand & gravel sites occurring within the floodplains and rock

sites in more peripheral parts of the county

2.1 Quarry types2.1.1 Sand and gravel – important for water environments

Gravel extraction leaves a void below the previous surface forms. In Herefordshire

this often includes large water bodies, although there is scope for infilling pits to

create wet grassland, wet woodland, or dry land including restoration to agriculture.

Targets for water loving fauna and flora are therefore appropriate. Historically,

local authorities used gravel pits for landfill refuse sites but this is no longer

acceptable. The objective in planning terms is that the land should be reclaimed to

some viable ‘beneficial use’ – including for biodiversity. As gravel pits cover large

areas they have the best potential for conservation. They often also make

important contributions to the archaeological and fossil record, as well as giving

information on conditions and ice movement during the Ice Age.

2.1.2 Crushed rock – important for geology and topography

The process involves blasting rock faces, scooping up the loose stone and

transferring it to a crusher. Crushed rock is screened and sorted by size. The

product is often used for road stone, either as pre-coated asphalt or dry material.

Due to the geological and ecological interest that such quarries create, and the fact

that they are generally on hillsides, infilling is neither practical nor desirable.

Opportunities arise for leaving exposed rock faces important for lime-loving plant

species and rock nesting birds. Limestone quarries are often rich in fossils.

2.1.3 Building stone – important for traditional rural landscapes and crafts

These are generally small-scale and low-key. However there is potential for

significant environmental harm if not sensitively managed and restored. There are

opportunities for local biodiversity enhancement at micro-level, (given a positive

approach) during extraction as well as in restoration. Sites tend to be worked

intermittently over many years, delaying restoration. Such small quarries need to

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be recognised for their contribution to local landscape character and traditional

stone-working skills.

2.1.4 Historic features within quarries

In addition to types of quarries identified it is worth mentioning that structures on

sites that can provide habitat for fauna and will form specific environments for

flora.  The most obvious example is the benefit of limekilns to providing habitat for

bats - the joints in limekilns are often very open and lead to cavities within the

structure that replicate the conditions that are encountered in natural caves and

therefore the retention of these and other structures is important in providing

additional habitat.

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Please add any text changes or additions if you feel that this needs more information.

2.2 Links to LBAP, & UK BAP

It has been documented that quarries hold huge potential for supporting a wealth of

biodiversity due to several reasons, including lack of human access, new habitats being

created through continuous disturbance, and huge potential for habitat restoration and

creation in the decommissioning phase through the planning process.

The Herefordshire LBAP was revised in 2007 and as a result, has revised target goals

identified by partners for both species and habitats. Through having a quarry action plan,

this will complement and assist in the delivery of the county targets by achieving quick-

wins.

Some very fragile BAP habitats can occur in quarry sites and these include early

successional habitats and bare ground which is important for several invertebrates as well

as transient habitats such as heaps (little ringed plover) and exposed rock cliffs utilised by

nesting raptors such as peregrines and kestrels.

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Please add any text changes or additions if you feel that this needs more information.

3.0 Current status (including importance)Progressive legislation since 1947 has complicated the interaction between quarries and

the planning system. Currently all quarry sites exclusively recognised as such through

the provisions of the Environment Act 1995 enjoy a deemed use until 2042. A current

planning permission is still required however, and end dates prior to 2042 may be

imposed on new sites or extended areas. Current permissions require restoration

schemes on completion of extraction, where the Action Plan might be most effective. All

quarry permissions must be reviewed every 15 years to update the planning conditions to

modern standards; opportunities thereby arise for implementing the Action Plan at these

staging points. Farmers have permitted development rights to extract minerals

specifically for agricultural use within their holding without any planning control.

Aggregate sites are generally worked in phases, and restoration schemes are

implemented progressively on completion of each phase. This means that new habitats

are created during the life of the active quarry, as well as on completion.

Restoration schemes are not static: an approved scheme may be amended according to

circumstance; it may or may not be fully implemented; it may take many decades – well

beyond the lifetime of the original developer or the approving officer; even if a scheme is

fully actioned, topographical or hydrological changes may occur which alter its

effectiveness; envisaged land uses may not be realised or may be altered by future

owners; development and use of surrounding land may alter the status of a minerals site.

Flexibility is therefore a key consideration.

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3.1 Trends in aggregate extraction within the county Demand for aggregates is unpredictable: during growth periods demand rises, but

increased re-use of materials (secondary aggregates) and improved technology to raise

quality levels may counteract this. In a commercial world, strategic requirements vary -

according to the type of material, the volume available, and the destination markets.

Minerals are a finite resource and so supplies are reducing, whilst accessibility/availability

is diminishing with increasing pressure from other land uses (known as sterilisation of

resources).

Trends are therefore multi-layered –

Demand is increasing with population growth and housing need.

Commercial activity counteracts the potential for biodiversity

Diminishing resources and reduced numbers of sites also restrict potential gains

Scope for future biodiversity enhancement is therefore at some risk, making the need for

comprehensive targets – and effective implementation - all the more important.

Whereas ten years ago conventional restoration of minerals sites was generally ‘to

agriculture or forestry’, it is now recognised that such sites have a much more important

contribution to make to biodiversity and geological conservation. Increasing public

knowledge and appreciation of such matters makes the concept of leaving a minerals site

to nature more acceptable. There is also better recognition of the importance of varied

landforms and ecology (in particular plants and invertebrates) to human success, and the

interest found in the various stages of site recovery (such as bare earth and colonisation).

Better public education is still needed however, and the conventional perception that

quarry sites should be quickly cleared and grassed or planted needs to be redirected.

In Herefordshire, the trend with regard to aggregates currently appears to be towards a

very small number of rather larger quarries. These are dominated by a very few

operators, who also control the markets. Waste operators are increasingly providing

facilities for recycling secondary aggregates, sometimes within existing gravel quarries.

This would appear to be the situation until at least the 2020s and regional planning policy

seems to support the approach. It may delay final restoration but it does allow for

progressive restoration by responsible large organisations.

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4. Historic backgroundThroughout the county there are small farm quarries and many worked-out or disused

sites. Those subject to modern planning control will have documented

restoration/reclamation plans but many older sites did not, and have been abandoned, in-

filled or put to other uses. Herefordshire was formerly important for brick-making and

many old (often unrecorded) clay pits exist, however due to generally poor quality

material and depleted resources there is now no extraction of clay. All worked-out sites

contribute to the county’s biodiversity and geological interest at both strategic and site-

specific levels. Many are locally designated as Local Geological Sites formerly known as

RIGS. They are generally outside the scope of this plan because they are not (or are no

longer) subject to any control. However the aims and targets of this plan could be

relevant and useful where old quarry sites form part of a community initiative such as in

promoting recreation or study.

Some of these sites, many of great importance, are outside the scope of this plan. These

have a wealth of interesting geology from the Precambrian of the Malvern Hills in the

east, to the Carboniferous limestone of the south and the Silurian siltstones and

limestones of the northwest. These sites all provide interesting habitats related to the

varied geology.”

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5. Previous survey effort

In 2006 Herefordshire Biological Records Centre organised their annual recorders away

day to Wellington quarry – a working sand & gravel extraction site, hosted by Tarmac. An

array of County naturalists turned up in the rain and stealthily collected more than 350

species records for the sites including Arctic tern, Southern Marsh Orchid, Greenshank,

Pink water speedwell,, Adonis ladybird, Great crested newt, Wild mignonette and

Hydroglyphus pusillus (Water beetle species).

In 2007, the recorders visited Bodenham Lake, which is a site, managed by Herefordshire

Council as a nature reserve that was previously a mineral extraction site but is now in

complete restoration. Once again, recorders did an excellent job of scouring the site and

collecting over 400 species records, turning up some interesting discoveries such as

Common Cudweed (not common in this part of the world), Baccidium rubella (ancient

woodland lichen species found in the old orchard section), Broadleaved helleborine,

Polyporous various var.nummularius (although this fungus is not rare, this specimen

proved to be unusually branched), slow worm, otter, grass snake, badger, and

Plagiominium cuspidatum an unusual bryophyte.

Herefordshire Ornithological Club regularly undertake regular monitoring at Wellington

Gravel Pits and Stretton Sugwas quarry.

In 2009, a new BAP species for Herefordshire was found in a pool at a quarry site which

was a re-discovery for England following a survey by a local consultant.

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Please add any text changes or additions if you feel that this needs more information.

6. Links with GAP

The Herefordshire Quarry action plan will work closely with the Herefordshire &

Worcestershire Earth Heritage Trust who has devised a Geodiversity Action Plan (GAP)

for Herefordshire. The underlying geology of Herefordshire shapes the unique biodiversity

within the county. As well as providing distinctive habitats today, the geodiversity gives

information about conditions that existed hundreds of years ago. Bare rock and scree

slopes provide habitats for species such as invertebrates, reptiles and nesting sites for

peregrines.

Aims and objectives within this plan will attempt to be compatible with the Herefordshire

GAP, by seeking guidance and advice on geodiversity at quarry sites. One action of the

GAP is to work with quarry operators to include geological and biological conservation in

restoration plans. The GAP aims to develop partnership working with the biodiversity

sector. The GAP is currently being entered onto the Biodiversity Action Reporting System

(BARS).

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7. Current factors affecting the habitat and geology

7.1 Recreational Impacts. There are several potential conflicts between

access / restoration and amenity use, i.e. Bodenham Lake & the use of motorised

watercraft causing disturbance and damage to natural habitats

7.2 Poor quality restoration plans can destroy the unique features which

made the quarry special by covering glacial or geological features as well as

removal of quality priority habitats and features

7.3 Cessation of extraction gives a wonderful opportunity to make the

environments created, by quarrying and the opportunities to view geological

features.

7.4 Abandonment and neglect; leading to important early successional

habitats becoming overgrown

7.5 Poor implementation of schemes; leading to habitat loss similar to 8.4,

requiring monitoring and remediation with additional costs.

7.6 Poor after-care or management; leading to habitat loss similar to 8.4,

requiring monitoring and remediation with additional costs. Risk of inappropriate

land use or development.

7.7 Excessive landscaping or changes to topography destroying natural

features

7.8 Poor soil handling; resulting in destruction of soil structure and

consequent biodiversity loss. 

7.9 Lack of expertise in contractors and operators; leading to poor planning

and creation of ill-advised management plans

7.10 Lack of resources for monitoring and follow-up/enforcement; resulting

in no certainty that habitat proposals will succeed in the short, medium or long

terms.

7.11 Loss of ephemeral habitats, in particular on bare rock or earth, and for

invertebrates;

7.12 Loss of geological exposures; resulting in loss of future resources,

heritage context and opportunities for research or education. 7.13 Over-planting with trees, either for forestry, biomass fuels or as screening;

7.14 Conflicts with intensive agricultural use and need for food production;

clarity is needed to prioritise biodiversity and geological conservation on minerals

sites, which are not generally likely to be productive for agriculture. 

7.15 Conflicts with proposals for infilling (also potential for contamination);

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7.16 Changes of ownership – lack of contact or commitment from owners; lack

of sustainable long-term management

7.17 Climate change, flood risk; proposals for biodiversity enhancement in

restoration schemes should include a risk assessment and climate change

evaluation.  Significant opportunities to make practical contributions should be

maximised. 7.18 Changes in the water environment – water table levels etc; water levels can

change unpredictably in quarry sites; restoration schemes need to be flexible to

take account of this.

7.19 Public perceptions of ‘tidiness’, public parks and fishing lakes as desirable; need better informatives to promote biodiversity, to promote 'managed

wilderness'.

7.20 Fly tipping and litter, use of quarries for storing materials and/or refuse; creating exposure to contamination and physical danger to wildlife.

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8. Current Action

8.1 Site BAPs. Sites owned by Tarmac have site biodiversity action plans and it

is the aim of this plan to draw together these plans. Tarmac is drawing up a

geodiversity policy to complement its biodiversity policy.

8.2 Planning process. Planning Policy Statement 9 states that both

biodiversity and geodiversity should be taken into account when all planning

applications are considered.

8.3 Recording the geodiversity at sites

8.4 Monitoring bird species at selected sites by HOC

8.5 ALSF; funding for projects are managed by Defra.  See www.defra.gov.uk.

8.6 GAP

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9. Plan aims

By having an action plan for the quarry industry in Herefordshire, we aim to improve the

biodiversity resource through working in effective partnership with quarry operators and

nature conservation organisations to improve our knowledge in wildlife conservation and

thus ensuring that the planning system is equipped with appropriate information to

effectively improve / enhance their biodiversity value.

In addition, by having the quarry biodiversity action plan, it will assist in achieving the

targets laid down in the Herefordshire Local Biodiversity Action Plan (LBAP) for species

and habitats as well as improving habitat connectivity and the landscape-scale approach

identified as the key delivery mechanism in the England Biodiversity strategy.

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10. Sign up date

December 2009???

 

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Is this feasible? Comments please

11. Targets / objectives

1) EDUCATION AND AWARENESS Educate quarry owners on quarry usage and

conflicting issues – Amenity / Fishing / Access / Parish involvement

2) IMPROVED DATA / ACCESS TO DATA Determination of the biological resource

held within Herefordshire quarries (inc working, derelict and in restoration phase).

Work out the baseline information of the county’s quarry resource. Topic headings

to include biological information, site details, owners, planning history, geodiversity

resource, historical interest

3) CONSERVATION PROMOTION AND SITE MAINTENANCE Promoting and

maintaining bare areas, scree slopes and rock exposures within quarries for geo-

conservation purposes

4) PLANNING AND POLICY Review of UDP / LDF to consider biodiversity / geo-

conservation issues

Please add any text changes or additions to the targets if you feel that they need to be more comprehensive or I have omitted anything.

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12. Actions

Table 1.

Target

code

Action

number

Action text Action Lead Action

Support

Target

date

1 1 Set up E-group / distribution list HBAP

1 2 Earth Science Champions project. 10

sites with a local champion to promote

education and awareness of the

geodiversity of these sites and to monitor

sites once the project has finished

EHT

1 3 Circulate relevant RSPB & Buglife

habitat management / creation guidelines

to quarry owners / managers.

HBAP

2 1 Contact local recording groups through

HBRC to publicise this project & to find

out if there are more quarry species

records available that are not yet on the

HBRC database

HBRC

2 2 Work out relevant HAP / SAP data from

Nature After Minerals website & link to

LBAP targets to determine restoration /

creation potential within the county

HBAP

2 3 Explore the potential for overlaying HC

GIS quarry information with biological

information held at HBRC and

geodiversity information

HBRC

HBAP

EHT

2 4 Promotion of multi-recording (i.e. working

with recorder groups to look at other

taxonomic groups)

HBRC

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2 5 Ensure habitats (including priority

habitats) are mapped for all working and

disused quarries within Herefordshire

HBRC

HC DC

HBAP

2 6 Overlay habitat map with geological map

to determine future habitat improvement

focussing on priority BAP habitats and

habitat linkages, as well as protected

species refuges

2 7 Promote the need for all county sites to

have a biodiversity survey, including

historic sites and bare surfaces

HC CONS

SWS

PARTNERSHIP

TARMAC

HC DC

2 8 Develop a survey programme for

relevant sites in Herefordshire targeting

1. Farmland birds

2. Invertebrates characteristic of

bare ground

3. Aquatic invertebrates (including

odonata)

4. Wildfowl & wader birds

5. Water shrew & other mammals

(inc otter, water vole, bats, brown

hare)

6. Lepidoptera

7. Plant communities / botany

8. Amphibians & reptiles

HOC

HART

HOC

HAM

BC

HBS

HART

3 1 Apply for funding (ALSF) to assist in the

co-ordination of this plan. It could help

deliver the GAP also.

EHT?

3 2 Survey historic features as part of a

community project for biodiversity

features

HC ARCH

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3 3 Retain historic features within quarries QUARRY

OPERATORS

HC ARCH

3 4 Assist in helping quarry operators get

into Higher Level Stewardship

NATURAL

ENGLAND

3 5 Ensure that sites which are designated

as SWS or are situated adjacent to

special wildlife Sites are in positive long-

term management under NI197 and that

the plans are secured

SWS

PARTNERSHIP

4 1 Inclusion of the quarry action plan into

UDP / LDF

HC

Conservation

4 2 Promote the need for all county sites to

have a BAP prepared to allow for

appropriate biodiversity management

HC CONS

4 3 Ensure restoration plans include a

Biodiversity (BAP) element through the

planning process.

HC DC

TARMAC

4 4 Link restoration plans to existing projects

where possible, e.g. Wetland vision

project to ensure that a landscape scale

approach is adopted.

HC CONS

HNT

4 5 Ensure local minerals are utilised in local

built heritage schemes

HC HIST

BUILDINGS

4 6 Review restoration plans (with

community involvement & feasibility

studies) to improve biodiversity resource

at selected sites

HBAP

HC DC

TARMAC

APPENDIX 1

Contributors and Stakeholders

Quarry owners

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Herefordshire Archaeology (Neil Rimmington)

Natural England (Charlotte Morgan)

Butterfly Conservation (Jenny Joy)

Malvern Hills AONB (Paul Esrich)

Wye Valley AONB (Andrew Nixon)

Herefordshire Caving Group (Julia Williams)

Quarry Products Association

Duchy of Cornwall Estate (David Curtis)

Cemex (Shaun Denny)

Foley Estates (Rupert???)

Herefordshire Biodiversity Partnership (Nicky Davies)

Herefordshire Council Ecologist (Joanne Hackman)

Herefordshire Council Ecologist (planning) (Bridgit Symons)

Moira Jenkins

Herefordshire Council (Planning) (Debby Klein)

Herefordshire Nature Trust (Fran Griffith)

Herefordshire Council (Parks & Countryside) (Trevor Hulme)

Tarmac (Bernie Higgins)

Herefordshire Ornithological Club (Steve Coney)

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Is there anyone else who has been omitted that you feel may be interested in being a partner in this plan?

APPENDIX 2

Key species - Link to habitats.

Birds – Peregrine*1, Sand martins*, Little Ringed plover, great-crested grebes,

kingfisher, raven, snipe

Invertebrates – bees,

Mammals - Water shrew, otter, water vole, badgers

Bats – Lesser Horseshoe, Brandts whiskered, Brown long eared, Natterers,

Daubentons,

Plants & lichens

Lepidoptera – grizzled skipper, common blue

Odonata – black-tailed skimmer dragonfly, blue-tailed damselfly

Amphibians & Reptiles – great-crested newt, adder, frog, common toads, grass

snake, slow worm, common lizard

 

Key habitats

Lowland calcareous grassland

Dry acid grassland

Lowland Heath

Exposed rock

Grasslands

Standing open water bodies

Reed beds

Wet woodland

Woodlands

Bare ground

Scree slopes

Scrub

1 Red List Species*

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Please add any species or habitats that have a significant association with quarries that you would like to see get a special mention in this plan

APPENDIX 3

References

Shropshire BAP

Herefordshire BAP

Nature After Minerals

Geology and Biodiversity – making the links working today for nature tomorrow. English

Nature

Herefordshire Minerals and Waste Planning Assessment – Draft Interim report (Part B –

Minerals), March 2009. Entec UK Limited

THIS WILL BE COMPLETED AT A LATER STAGE ONCE ALL OF THE INFORMATION HAS BEEN PUT TOGETHER. DO YOU KNOW OF ANY OTHER RELEVANT DOCUMENTS?

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APPENDIX 4

Historical Perspective

1. Range of site type – quarries The BAP identifies most of the site types that would fit under the quarries banner.  In

addition to those mentioned, quarries formed a variety of functions historically - there are

small delves for building stone/walling stone, larger quarries in solid geology for building

stone and production of lime in limekilns, clay pits for brick making, sand pits, and a

limited number of ironstone extraction pits (mostly the depression of former shafts but

occasionally there is also the surface working along a vein of material) in the south of the

county around the Doward.

2. Components of site typeQuarries contain or are associated with features that help us understand the sites - for

example the face of a quarry can contain evidence of the working practice in the form of

tool marks, buildings or machinery can be present within or immediately adjacent to

quarry that relate to the working practice of the quarry (limekiln) or subsequent after use

(e.g. saw mills are sometimes located in quarries), presence of worked material on site

(sometimes material can be left stacked when the quarry was abandoned and never

used), routeways that link the site with the wider landscape.

3. Value to biodiversity In addition to things identified it may be worth flagging up structures on sites that can

provide habitat for fauna and will form specific environments for flora.  The most obvious

example is the benefit of limekilns to providing habitat for bats - the joints in limekilns are

often very open and lead to cavities within the structure that replicate the conditions that

are encountered in natural caves and therefore the retention of these and other structures

is important in providing additional habitat.

4. Restoration and management Where after use or management during works is being considered then it is of value to

think how the restoration/management could provide information on the past

environments of the quarry area by conserving specific features, interpreting past

environments or restoration of past landscapes (e.g. creation of traditional water

meadows).23

5. Other comments Historic sites could form a component of community projects as identified in the plan, but

they could also form a component of landscape-scale projects or agri-environment

schemes and it would be of value to consider the whole of the resource within the plan

and how the different potential funding resources could be directed to specific types of

site to maximise biodiversity, geodiversity and historic environment gain.

Although aggregate extraction has contributed to our knowledge of the archaeological

record of specific areas this has been done in a recording process as the features are

removed.  There may be merit in retention of archaeological features particularly where

they have a biodiversity benefit aswell.

Neil Rimmington

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