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Hampshire, Portsmouth and Southampton Minerals and Waste
Local Plan: |
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3. CONSERVING RESOURCES
3.1 The Hampshire County Structure Plan is based on the vision of a more sustainable approach to development. This philosophy underlies the five beliefs set out in paragraph 1.13 above which form the basis of this Plan.
3.2 County Structure Plan Policy MW1 states that permission will normally be granted for minerals and waste development which will act towards: conserving and ensuring the best use of mineral resources; increasing the use of substitute aggregate materials; reducing the output of waste; and increasing recycling and the recovery of resources from waste. That policy is the basis of the following policies of this Local Plan for the conservation of resources.
Policy 1: The Mineral Planning Authorities will grant planning permission for minerals development, subject to the requirements of Policies 6 - 15 and having regard to the provisions of Policies 16 - 20, to ensure that an adequate supply of minerals is available to meet the needs of the construction industry.
3.3 The Government wishes to see indigenous mineral resources developed within its broad objectives of encouraging competition, promoting economic growth, and assisting in the creation and maintenance of employment. It also believes that for the economic well being of the country it is essential that the construction industry continues to receive an adequate and steady supply of aggregates so that it can meet the needs of the community and foster economic growth. At the same time, it is recognised that the extraction of aggregates can have a significant environmental impact and often takes place in areas of attractive countryside. MPG6 stresses the importance of combining economic growth with care for the environment in order to attain sustainable development. Environmental policies are set out in Chapter 4.
3.4 A key element in resource conservation is the minimisation of transportation of minerals and waste, particularly by road. Movement of materials by road not only uses finite oil resources but also causes pollution and adds to global warming, as well as having more local effects of road congestion and environmental disturbance. Minerals supply and waste management facilities should therefore be located close to the places where minerals are needed and waste arises, so that movements of materials are minimised. Every opportunity should be taken to use transportation by water, rail, pipeline and conveyor in preference to road transport and this should be taken into account in the location of minerals and waste development.
Policy 2: The Waste Planning Authorities will grant planning permission for waste development, subject to the requirements of Polices 6 - 15 and having regard to Policies 37 - 39 and 42 - 46 provided they are satisfied that where appropriate the proposed development pays particular regard to the hierarchy of waste management options, in which option (i) is the most preferred and option (iv) is the least preferred:
(i) the reduction of waste;
(ii) the re-use of waste;
(iii) the recovery of waste (recycling, composting, energy from waste);
(iv) waste disposal.
3.5 The first priority for more sustainable waste management is to reduce the production of waste to the minimum consistent with economic sustainability. It is important that as much as possible of the waste that cannot be reduced is recycled and reused and that there is maximum recovery of resources of materials and energy from that waste which cannot be recycled or reused. There is considerable scope for the recovery of materials such as glass and metals from household waste and for the recovery of energy from household and commercial wastes, for example by incineration at 'energy from waste' plants. 'Green' (garden) waste can be composted to make a useable soil conditioner. In addition, much of the construction and demolition waste created in Hampshire could be recycled as aggregate materials and soils. However, recycling of waste and resource recovery will only be possible on any significant scale if there are assured markets for the materials and energy at economic prices. This is only likely to come about with some form of Government action and a wide public and industry acceptance of recycled materials.
Policy 3: The Mineral and Waste Planning Authorities will grant planning permission for development for the production, loading or unloading, handling and distribution of secondary or substitute aggregate materials, particularly recycled waste materials, for use in place of primary aggregates, subject to the requirements of Policies 6 - 15 and having regard to the provisions of Policies 25 and 46.
3.6 In order to minimise the environmental impact of mineral extraction within Hampshire and the need for aggregates from outside the County, as much use as possible should be made of secondary or substitute aggregate materials. Of particular significance in Hampshire is the recycling of construction and demolition waste, particularly crushed concrete, for use as aggregate materials. Not only does the use of this material reduce the need for primary aggregates, but it reduces the quantity of waste requiring disposal.
Policy 4: The Mineral Planning Authorities will seek to safeguard unworked mineral deposits from sterilisation by other development and, in particular, will oppose proposals for development which would prevent or prejudice their future extraction, unless they are satisfied that:
(i) the area affected does not contain a workable mineral deposit; or
(ii) there is an overriding need for the proposed development and the extraction of the mineral deposit cannot reasonably be undertaken prior to or in phase with it; or
(iii) it is essential that the proposed development be undertaken without the delay that would be caused by the prior extraction of the mineral deposit; or
(iv) extraction of the mineral deposit would give rise to such serious adverse environmental, traffic or other impact that it is most unlikely that it would be permitted.
Policy 5: The Mineral Planning Authorities will grant planning permission for the extraction of minerals in advance of development which would otherwise cause the permanent sterilisation of proven mineral deposits, provided that:
(i) mineral extraction and restoration can be completed within an acceptable timescale to enable the subsequent development to take place in accordance with an agreed programme; and
(ii) the site can be worked and restored in a suitable manner and to an appropriate standard to allow the subsequent development to take place; and
(iii) the mineral extraction and restoration operations would not cause unacceptable environmental, traffic or other impact.
3.7 It is established National and County policy that unworked mineral deposits should, as far as possible, be safeguarded from development which could sterilise them by preventing or prejudicing their possible future extraction. MPG1 states that one of the objectives for sustainable development for minerals planning is to prevent the unnecessary sterilisation of mineral resources and that the planning system has an important role to play in safeguarding deposits which are or may become of economic importance from unnecessary sterilisation by surface development. It also says that policies which encourage the extraction of minerals before other more permanent forms of development take place should be included in plans. County Structure Plan Policy MW12 states that the Mineral Planning Authority will normally safeguard unworked mineral deposits from development that would sterilise them unless it can be shown that: the area does not contain a workable mineral deposit; or there is an overriding or urgent need for the development.
3.8 Minerals are finite resources. These resources should only be used when there is a proven need for them; they should otherwise be conserved for possible future use. In addition, mineral resources should not be wasted. In particular, higher quality minerals should not be used for purposes for which lower quality material would suffice and is available.
3.9 As the diminishing mineral resources of Hampshire are used, it is becoming increasingly important that the remaining deposits, particularly of sand and gravel, are kept available to meet future needs. The County Council has notified the District Councils of mineral consultation areas. Within these areas, the District Councils are required to consult the County Council on applications for development which could have the effect of sterilising mineral deposits. These mineral consultation areas will be reviewed and updated from time to time. They will, in particular, include all mineral reserves with planning permission for extraction and the preferred areas for sand and gravel and clay extraction identified in this Plan. In addition, the need to avoid development which would prevent the future working of mineral deposits is an important consideration in the preparation of district local plans. The County Council will also advise District Councils on proposals for development outside mineral consultation areas where such development could prejudice future mineral working. However, the notification of a mineral consultation area will be without prejudice to the consideration of any future proposal for mineral working within that area. The Mineral Planning Authorities seek the co-operation of the District Councils in ensuring that mineral resources are adequately safeguarded.
3.10 Where mineral deposits are believed to exist but detailed geological information is not available, the Mineral Planning Authority (through the District Council where appropriate) may require the proposed developer to establish the existence or otherwise of the mineral deposit, including the potentially workable quantity of mineral, before any application for development which might sterilise the deposit is determined.
3.11 Subparagraph (iv) is included in Policy 4 because it is necessary to apply the safeguarding of mineral deposits in a reasonable and realistic way. There may be cases where built development is proposed in areas of mineral deposits where it is clear that mineral extraction is never likely to be environmentally acceptable, for instance, where a small area is severely constrained by adjacent housing. In such cases it would be unreasonable for the Mineral Planning Authority to seek to prevent the built development on the grounds of mineral sterilisation because it is very unlikely that the extraction of the mineral would ever be considered acceptable. However, in implementing this policy it is necessary to take into account the relative scarcity and value to society of the mineral and the possibility that future technological developments might enable extraction of the mineral to be carried out acceptably.
3.12 Where there is an overriding need for development to take place on land containing a workable mineral deposit the mineral should, wherever possible, be extracted in advance of the development unless this would give rise to unacceptable impact.
3.13 Whilst the Councils believe that the quantities of waste arising and disposed of by landfilling should be reduced, there will be a continuing need for the disposal of large quantities of waste, particularly construction and demolition waste, by landfilling because there is no other practical means of disposal. Thus there will be a continuing need for landfill sites beyond the period covered by this Plan. Although the Plan does not include a policy on this matter, the Waste Planning Authorities consider that significant mineral working voids which could potentially be used for landfilling in the future should be safeguarded from development which could prevent or prejudice such use. In addition, the best use should be made of those sites which are acceptable for landfilling. Where landfill sites are geologically and environmentally suitable for the disposal of non-inert wastes (particularly commercial and household wastes) the void space should not be used for the disposal of inert waste materials, which could be accommodated at other sites (except inert waste materials required for lining, daily cover, restoration, site road construction and other ancillary operations associated with a non-inert landfill site).
3.14 The Waste Planning Authorities seek the co-operation of the District Councils in seeking to ensure that sites which may be needed for the landfilling of waste are safeguarded from development which could prevent or prejudice such use. However, this will be without prejudice to the consideration of any future proposal for the disposal of waste at any such site. The Waste Planning Authorities will also seek the co-operation of the District Councils in safeguarding the sites identified for waste development in this Plan.
