HAMPSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL
MINERALS POLICY PANEL
24 JULY 1995
HAMPSHIRE MINERALS AND WASTE LOCAL PLAN -
HMS DAEDALUS, STUBBINGTON/LEE-ON-THE-SOLENT
(PREFERRED AREA 5)
REPORT OF THE COUNTY PLANNING OFFICER
1. Summary
1.1 This report outlines new information on the sand and gravel
content of Preferred Area 5 - HMS Daedalus, in the Hampshire
Minerals and Waste Local Plan - Deposit Plan (1993). It
relates this to the preferred area requirement for sand and
gravel extraction identified in the Plan and the possible
continued aviation use of part of the HMS Daedalus airfield.
It recommends that further changes to the Plan be put forward
to the current Public Local Inquiry into objections to the
Plan: to amend the boundary of Preferred Area 5 to include
the southern runway; and to include a statement that, if the
area of the western runway is not used for aviation, it will
be treated as part of Preferred Area 5.
2. Introduction - Progress of Local Plan Inquiry
2.1 The Public Local Inquiry into objections to the Hampshire
Minerals and Waste Local Plan - Deposit Plan (1993) opened on
21 March 1995. It is programmed to continue until 15
November 1995, with a four week break during August.
2.2 Whilst there have been many changes to the programme, the
Inquiry is running to schedule and it is still expected that
the first part of the Inspector's Report, dealing with waste,
will be received by March 1996. Objections to the general
policies of the Plan and the policies for minerals and waste
development have been heard; and the Inquiry is now
considering the site specific objections. Objections
relating to waste sites are currently being heard; most of
the mineral site objections will be heard after the August
recess. Objections to Preferred Area 5 - HMS Daedalus will
be heard on 5-8 September, when the Inquiry will be held at
Thorngate Halls, Gosport.
2.3 I have been responding to the objections to the Deposit Plan
at the Inquiry, in accordance with the resolution of the
Planning and Transportation Committee on 24 January 1994
that: "powers to respond to objections to the Deposit Plan
and propose amendments to the Plan in response to objections
during the course of the Public Local Inquiry into the Plan
be delegated to the County Planning Officer".
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2.4 In my report to this Panel on 16 February 1995 I said:
"9.3 In accordance with that resolution, in the event
that changes to the Plan need to be formulated
during the Inquiry, I intend to draft these in
conjunction with the County Secretary and to put
them forward to the Inspector as proposed County
Council changes under the powers delegated to me.
However, in the case of any proposed changes which
would significantly alter the substance or policy
content of the Plan, I intend to refer them to the
Panel for agreement before confirming them to the
Inspector as proposed County Council changes".
2.5 I have put forward to the Inspector a number of further
proposed changes to the Plan so far during the Inquiry.
These have been sent to Members of the Panel for their
information. However, an issue has arisen concerning
Preferred Area 5 - HMS Daedalus, which I consider requires
proposed changes which are of such significance that they
should be considered by the Panel.
3. HMS Daedalus (Preferred Area 5)
3.1 At its meeting on 16 February 1995 the Minerals Policy Panel
approved a Proposed Pre-Inquiry Change to the Deposit Plan to
reduce the area of Preferred Area 5 - HMS Daedalus,
Stubbington, Lee-on-the-Solent. A copy of my report to that
meeting of the Panel is attached. The reduced area of the
HMS Daedalus site and the accompanying revised criteria for
working, as agreed by the Panel, are shown in Appendix 2 to
that report. These were included as Proposed Changes PCA1-
5.2a and PCA1-5.3a in the County Council's Additional
Proposed Pre-Inquiry Changes published in February 1995.
Sand and Gravel Yield
3.2 The reduced Preferred Area 5 was estimated to have a
potential mineral yield of 2.6 million tonnes of sand and
gravel, compared with 5.4 million tonnes within the whole
HMS Daedalus airfield site as originally included in the
Deposit Plan.
3.3 The Ministry of Defence has recently had a geological survey
of the site undertaken, including boreholes and trial pits.
The final results of this survey are awaited. However, I
have been informed of the preliminary findings of the survey.
These are that the sand and gravel content of the HMS
Daedalus airfield site is significantly less than the
previous estimate used in the Deposit Plan. In particular,
the content of the reduced Preferred Area is considerably
less than the estimate of 2.6 million tonnes. In addition,
much of the sand and gravel deposit is overlain by a thick
layer of overburden which may render its working uneconomic.
I am expecting to receive more detailed information on the
geology of the site from the Ministry of Defence and I shall
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make a further, oral report at the meeting.
3.4 The Deposit Plan, as amended by the Proposed Pre-Inquiry
Changes (January 1995), identified a requirement for
preferred area provision of 12.97 million tonnes of sharp
sand and gravel to be made in the Plan. This included an
over-provision of 20 percent, as considered necessary. The
preferred areas in the Deposit Plan were estimated to have a
combined yield of 13.1 million tonnes of sharp sand and
gravel expected to be available in the period to 2008 (i.e.
the Plan period, to 2001, plus a seven year landbank period).
3.5 These figures have been revised during the Inquiry to reflect
changes in the permitted reserves at some sites. The
required preferred area provision is now 13.48 million tonnes
of sharp sand and gravel, but the estimated yield of the
preferred areas is now only 12.9 million tonnes. This is a
shortfall of 0.6 million tonnes in the preferred area
provision, giving an over-provision of only 15 percent.
3.6 A reduction in the sand and gravel yield figure for HMS
Daedalus would increase this shortfall; it would further
decrease the over-provision of preferred areas in the Plan,
and would even result in the Plan under providing.
3.7 Whilst a shortfall of 0.6 million tonnes can be argued as
being relatively insignificant, as I have already done at the
Inquiry, a higher shortfall is likely to weaken the Plan and
make it much less defendable. It would increase considerably
the strength of the cases being put forward by industry and
landowner objectors for additional sites (omission sites) to
be identified as preferred areas in the Plan. In particular,
the omission sites at Netley/Hound (Om4, Om5 and Om10) could
be argued as being the best located to make up a shortfall at
Stubbington/Lee-on-the-Solent. However, other omission sites
in Hampshire, such as those at Squabb Wood, Embley (Om7),
Roke Manor, Shootash (Om20) and Badminston Farm, Fawley
(Om44) could also be advanced as part alternatives to HMS
Daedalus. As agreed by the Panel on 4 July 1994 none of
those omission sites are considered to be acceptable for
inclusion as preferred areas in the Plan. Consequently, I
shall be opposing them at the Inquiry.
Aviation Issues
3.8 The reduction in the size of the HMS Daedalus Preferred Area
reflected the 'optimum airfield' scenario identified in the
KONVER Study report by Arup Economics and Planning (see
Appendix 1 to the attached report). This option involves the
retention of both the western and southern runways, with only
the eastern runway being removed for sand and gravel
extraction. This was supported by Gosport Borough Council,
which said it would withdraw its objection to Preferred Area
5 if the boundary of the site was amended in this way.
Fareham Borough Council has maintained its outright objection
to mineral working on any part of the site.
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3.9 The KONVER Study report also included a 'minimum airfield'
scenario, involving retention of only the main, western
runway. The report said about this option:
"8.10 In order to retain an operational airfield on the
site there is a minimum area required for runway(s)
hangars and support facilities. This would involve
the retention of the main runway (05/23) and hangars
to the north-west of the site. This scenario would
result in some narrowing of the buffer between
Stubbington and any area of mineral extraction on
the eastern part of the airfield, although the
strategic gap and mineral reserves would still be
safeguarded.
8.11 However, this scenario results in a smaller
aerodrome of approximately 55 hectares or 28 percent
of the HMS Daedalus area. This would limit the
scope of services available from the site including
the loss of the helicopter manoeuvring area. Whilst
this is workable, limitations on the range of
services available from HMS Daedalus may make it
less feasible for continued military use."
3.10 I have now reconsidered the two airfield options put forward
in the KONVER Study report. I have concluded that there is
insufficient justification for sterilising the sand and
gravel deposits on the southern part of the HMS Daedalus site
by the retention of the southern runway. The retention of
this runway, as well as the main, western runway, is not
essential; many airfields operate with a single runway. It
could also adversely affect the viability of the airfield
because additional maintenance would be required for a runway
that saw little use; it would be an expensive luxury.
3.11 Paragraph 8.14 of the KONVER Study report is relevant to this
issue:
"8.14 Many General Aviation airfields exhibit marginal
financial performance, breaking even but not
generating commercially attractive rates of return
for their operators. In some cases, operators
supplement airport income with other more lucrative
aviation activities such as aircraft servicing and
sales. It is not possible to derive likely future
costs in civilian use from Royal Navy accounts, nor
within the scope of this study to forecast the
profitability of HMS Daedalus. On the basis of
experience at other aerodromes, however, aviation
use might not generate surpluses sufficient to
prompt operators to place a high purchase value on
the site."
3.12 From the initial information about the geology of the
airfield it seems that the deepest sand and gravel and
shallowest overburden exists across the southern part of the
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site. Therefore, the re-inclusion of the southern runway
into Preferred Area 5 would significantly increase the sand
and gravel yield of the site, thereby diminishing the case
for other (omission) sites to be included in the Plan. I
shall make a further, oral report on the sand and gravel
yields of different parts of the HMS Daedalus airfield at the
meeting.
3.13 In view of the new information on the sand and gravel content
of the site and the lack of justification for retention of
the southern runway, I consider that the boundary of
Preferred Area 5 - HMS Daedalus should be amended again to
accord approximately with that shown in Figure 8.2 - Scenario
3 Minimum Airfield in the KONVER Study report (as shown in
Appendix 1 of the attached report). I consider that such an
amended boundary should be put forward to the Inspector as a
further proposed change to the Plan, for consideration when
the objections to Preferred Area 5 are heard in September.
Western Runway Area
3.14 In my report to the Panel on 16 February 1995 (paragraph 4.9)
I said that the sand and gravel deposits remaining under the
retained part of the airfield would be available for possible
future working in the event that the land ceased to be used
as an airfield. I went on to say that consideration of the
western part of the airfield can be left until a future
review of the Plan.
3.15 Whilst I support provision being made for the continuation of
aviation use on part of the HMS Daedalus airfield, it must be
recognised that it is by no means certain that such use will
prove to be viable and will actually materialise. The whole
of the airfield was included within Preferred Area 5 in the
Deposit Plan and I still consider that the whole of the site
is acceptable for mineral working, subject to the criteria
set out in the Plan being met. Therefore, if there is no
continued aviation use of the western runway, I consider that
this part of the site should also be reincluded into the
Preferred Area.
3.16 Whilst this situation, if it arose, could be addressed in a
review of the Plan, I believe that it is important to ensure
that the airfield site is treated, and its future development
and use considered, as a whole. Only in this way will the
comprehensive reclamation of all redundant parts of the
airfield for long term environmental, amenity and
recreational benefit be achieved. Therefore, I consider that
it is necessary and appropriate to make provision now, in
this Plan, for possible future sand and gravel extraction on
the western part of the airfield.
RECOMMENDATION
I recommend that the following further proposed changes to the
Hampshire Minerals and Waste Local Plan - Deposit Plan (1993) be
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submitted to the Inspector conducting the Inquiry into objections to
the Plan:
(i) amendment of the boundary of Preferred Area 5 - HMS Daedalus
to include the area of the southern runway, as indicated in
Figure 8.2 - Scenario 3 Minimum Airfield in the KONVER Study
report by Arup Economics and Planning;
(ii) inclusion of an additional policy, following Policy 22, to
say that in the event that there is no continuation of
aviation use of the western runway of the HMS Daedalus
airfield, the area will be treated as being part of Preferred
Area 5 for sand and gravel extraction; and
(iii) inclusion of additional text following this additional policy
to say that any sand and gravel extraction within the western
runway area of the HMS Daedalus airfield will be subject to
a substantial unworked margin of at least 100 metres width
being maintained along the western side of the area.
3055/PD
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