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Hampshire, Portsmouth and Southampton Minerals and Waste
Local Plan: |
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Alternative Aggregates
5.48 County Structure Plan Policies MW1 and MW6 state that the use of marine-dredged, rail-borne, sea-borne and substitute aggregate materials will be encouraged and supported and that permission will normally be granted for facilities to enable the supply of such materials into Hampshire. If the supply of aggregates needed in Hampshire over and above that to be produced from local land-won sources is to be met by alternative aggregates, it is essential that adequate provision is made within the County for those alternatives to be supplied. In particular, there must be sufficient capacity at wharves and rail-head depots for landings of marine-dredged sand and gravel and imports of crushed rock and there must be sites for the production of recycled crushed construction and demolition waste. If not, there will be great pressure for an increase in production of land-won sand and gravel above the planned levels. However, it may be the case that Government action is required to encourage and promote the supply and use of alternative aggregates, particularly in the case of sea-borne crushed rock, where large-scale investment in wharf facilities will be needed, and recycled waste materials, where there are obstacles in the form of relative costs and aggregate specifications. While the import of aggregates by road from other counties is part of the current pattern of aggregates supply, the Councils do not favour importation by road and do not wish to see any increase above existing levels. It is recognised, however, that the supply of alternative aggregate materials into Hampshire from other sources may have environmental implications in other places. The Councils seek a balanced approach to aggregates supply in line with national and regional policy and do not seek to protect the environment of Hampshire unfairly at the expense of the environment elsewhere.
