“We are committed to act as a citizen, integrated to the local life and respecting the environment: we established relationship with all stakeholders for all working sites (the elected officials, State representatives, neighbours, associations and the press), as a rule we think we have to inform the public and to take part to local projects”
[extract of the environmental policy of the CB Group aggregate business]
RESPECTING RESIDENTS & STAKEHOLDERS
- A genuine local stakeholder, the CB Group has set-up, on each site, local dialogue and follow-up committees (called CLCS committes) to inform all stakeholders (elected officials, residents, associations, etc.)
- Our approach is to preserve and integrate sites into their local landscape. On the Ferques site, within the Regional Natural Park we integrate our quarry into the carrier Basin Landscaping Plan. Unique in France, this dialogue enables us to control changes to the landscape induced by the extractive operations.
The Open House Days are a keystone in the integration process with our neighbours and the local stakeholders.
Carrières Blanc in Izernore (01), opened it doors to the public in June 2012 for people to better understand its work and its challenges, then in June 2013 it was CBS in Limont-Fontaine (59) turn. Every time, about 500 people came to visit the quarry, we always pay a special attention to schools-spokesperson of our business. In September 20017, it was the biggest quarry in France that opened its doors to the general public for 2 days, to meet and greet the neighbours, students, locally elected officials, the employees and their families. This was an amazing event that gathered more than 5000 people.
Growth in a concerted manner: amust for the Granulats (aggregate) Unit of CB Group.
Nowadays, to avoid any disagreement regarding land between private and industrial sectors, we must go far beyond regulations. Quarry workers, whose activity relies on using a soill that is shared by all, have understood some times ago that their survival depends on their capacity to create – on the long run and in full confidence – a good local relationship with the various stakeholders (the neighbours gathered or not as an association, locally elected officials, the various state reprensentatives and the press). This concertation process enables all the local citizens to engage in the local life, to make their voices heard and it helps quarry workers to evolve in harmony with their local environment.
“Local Commission for Concertation and Follow up (LCCF) – lets communicate to progress together”
Why organise those LCCF ?
The LCCF are part of the transparency process of the Group. Those commissions are a mean to inform about the evolution of the quarry discussed and it is also part of the environmental process. Stakeholders are gathered to discuss with us, but it is also the opportunity to show them that we have heard their voices and that actions were duly taken.
In 2016, in Carrières Blanc the LCCF took place on September 19th 2016 in Izernore, it was on September 27th 2016 in Champdor, then on September 28th 2016 in Hauteville and on Spetember 23rd for Porcieu-Amblagnieu. Those opportunities to communicate, where elected officials, local associations, partners and neighbours are gathered are a good time to debrief about the year’s progress for the various sites, to explain the projects underway and to answer questions in a friendly atmosphere.
At Carrières du Boulonnais in Ferques, open house day and reception are often organised to allow stakeholders to see the inside of the quarry. It is an opportunity to be informed of how the projects presented dureing the LCCF are evolving.