A NEW environmental initiative is being pioneered in Bolton -- "green" concrete.

Transco, the gas pipeline company, is working on a scheme to make use of road surfacing material dug up during the laying, replacement or repair of mains.

It is normally sent to landfill sites, but Transco in the North-west is now experimenting with the idea of re-processing it for use in the reinstatement of excavations.

Excavated material is sorted on a grader and aggregate of a suitable size is then used to make "foam" concrete for filling holes in the road.

Foam concrete is a mix of aggregate, sand, mortar and a foaming agent that expands to make a lower density fill than solid concrete.

Asset manager Jeff Lang, based in the regional headquarters in Spa Road, Bolton, said: "Recycling this material reduces the amount being tipped in landfill sites and at the same time reduces the quantity of stone or gravel taken from quarries or gravel pits -- an environmental plus on two counts."

Foam concrete was reliable and did not lead to sunken trenches and potholes.

"Transco has been using this technique for years and the introduction of recycled aggregate is a new advance that we are pushing forward," he said.

Network assistant Rob Sinclair has been working on the idea for more than three years.

"We want to find a local authority which will allow us to start trials over two to three months," he said. This would hopefully be in December or January.

"We have been talking to the highways engineers in several areas and they have shown interest," Mr Sinclair said.

Transco, which would expect to benefit from reduced landfill costs, believes other utilities will also find the re-processing idea attractive.

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