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Hampshire, Portsmouth and Southampton Minerals and Waste
Local Plan: |
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Chalk
Policy 26: The extraction of chalk will not be permitted unless the Mineral Planning Authority is satisfied that there is a clearly established need for the chalk for agricultural, industrial or aggregate uses which cannot reasonably and satisfactorily be met from another source and that the need outweighs any adverse environmental, traffic or other impact that the development would be likely to cause.
5.62 The extraction of chalk for use as agricultural lime has traditionally been carried out on a small scale throughout the chalk areas of Hampshire, including within Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty. In more recent years chalk has also been extracted for specialist industrial uses and as an aggregate, particularly in the south east of the County. The Mineral Planning Authorities consider that the continued production of chalk from small scale workings in order to satisfy agricultural and specialist industrial needs can take place without compromising the policies of the County Structure Plan and of this Plan for the protection of the countryside and the environment. However, further proposals for the extraction of chalk for aggregate use are likely to be opposed since aggregate needs can usually be met from other sources which are likely to have less environmental impact.
5.63 Existing permitted reserves of chalk are believed to be sufficient to meet the production needs of the County over the Plan period (i.e. to the end of 2001). Therefore, no preferred areas are identified for chalk extraction. Any planning applications for chalk extraction will be determined on their merits against the policies of this Plan. There will be a general presumption against the extraction of chalk for aggregate uses except where it can be demonstrated that there is a clearly established need for the material which cannot be met from any other source. Permission will normally be granted for the extraction of chalk for non-aggregate uses where there is an agricultural or industrial need. In all cases permission will only be granted where the need for the chalk outweighs any adverse effect that extraction would be likely to cause. Whilst the small scale extraction of chalk for agricultural or industrial uses may be acceptable within Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, extraction for aggregate uses will not normally be permitted in such areas. In cases where the Mineral Planning Authority considers it appropriate to control the end use of chalk such control may be sought by means of a legal agreement.
