Archived decisions
RESPONSE TO THE SOUTH EAST ENGLAND REGIONAL ASSEMBLY (SEERA) - REGIONAL MINERALS STRATEGY
The Regional Minerals Strategy is of importance to Hampshire in that it sets out the context for minerals planning and identifies the apportionment of aggregates supply from land-won, marine-dredged, recycled/secondary and imported sources that will need to be met through the Minerals and Waste Development Framework. The County Council submitted a number of comments to SEERA in November 2003 in response to a consultation draft Strategy. Further to this, SEERA sought views on the final draft Regional Minerals Strategy in March 2004 which is intended to replace the relevant section of existing Regional Planning Guidance for the South East (RPG9).
It is noted, with regret, that the County Council's comments on the consultation draft with potentially the greatest impact on Hampshire have not been reflected in the final draft Strategy document, and of particular importance, comments on the overall regional aggregates target and its sub-regional apportionment between mineral planning authorities. In view of this, coupled with the detailed comments stated in section 8 and 9 of the Executive Member report, and in support of Aim 2 of the Corporate Strategy (Stewardship of the environment) the following decisions were made on 11 May 2004:
(i) That the South East England Regional Assembly be informed of the County Council's views on the final draft Regional Minerals Strategy, that:
(a) Hampshire objects that the regional reduction in the apportionment has not been allocated more equitably and sustainably throughout the region, as set out in paragraphs 9.2 to 9.5;
(b) Hampshire objects that no policy revision has been made to take into account that the proposed New Forest National Park apportionment will not be met after 2006;
and
(c) the strategic sustainability appraisal that was carried out is flawed, in that it does not take into account the impact of the proposed New Forest National Park and does not consider alternatives for apportionment of the regional target; the appraisal should be carried out again, with opportunities for input from Mineral Planning Authorities.
(ii) Hampshire should maintain its objection to the aspects of the Regional Minerals Strategy noted above, and should seek representation at the Inquiry later this year if these comments are not taken into account.
(iii) That Southampton City Council, Portsmouth City Council, the New Forest Committee, the South East England Development Agency, the South West Regional Assembly, Dorset County Council and Wiltshire County Council be informed of the County Council's response.
The final draft document has been submitted to the Deputy Prime Minister who has appointed a Panel to advise him. The aim of the Panel is to identify the key matters to be considered at, and the participants to be invited to, a public examination to be held in Reading commencing 4 October 2004. Following the public examination, the Panel will produce a report in December 2004 for consideration by the Deputy Prime Minister, who will publish for consultation the changes that Government may make to the proposed alterations. Following the consultation period, the Secretary of State will issue the final version of the Regional Minerals Strategy.
JONATHAN K. GLEN,
Executive Member
for Spatial Strategy