Archived decisions

REVISED RESPONSE TO SOUTH EAST ENGLAND REGIONAL ASSEMBLY - REGIONAL MINERALS STRATEGY

The County Council's response to the South East England Regional Assembly (SEERA) - Regional Minerals Strategy was reported to full Council on 22 July 2004. Several objections were made, namely:

- that the regional reduction in the apportionment had not been allocated more equitably and sustainably throughout the region

- that no policy revision had been made to take into account that the proposed New Forest National Park apportionment would not be met after 2006


- that the strategic sustainability appraisal carried out was flawed

Since that date the Government has announced its decision on the boundary for the proposed New Forest National Park. This has resulted in the area of the Park being significantly reduced from that proposed by the Countryside Agency and the part of the Avon Valley that contains a major gravel production unit and potential reserve has been excluded. This has led to a reappraisal of the County Council's approach to the Regional Minerals Strategy. Now that the reduced National Park area does not include major gravel production sites or potential ones, future gravel production targets should not apply separately to the Park but be included within the rest of the Hampshire figures.

In view of these developments, a further decision was taken on 14 September 2004 to seek agreement with SEERA that the separate sub-regional apportionments for aggregates for the National Park and Hampshire be consolidated and for the necessary representations to be made to the Examination in Public. The decision taken supports Aim 2 of the Corporate Strategy (Stewardship of the environment) by seeking to reduce the amount of mineral resources identified for extraction in Hampshire, to minimise the amount of waste created and increase the amount of recycled aggregate produced and used. Notwithstanding the above, the County Council maintains its objections concerning the methodology for the sub-regional apportionment process as identified in the Executive Member report of 11 May 2004.