Contact: Jeremy Smith, ext 6730 email: [email protected]

1. Summary

1.1 This report seeks approval to submit the Hampshire Minerals and Waste Local Development Framework - `Core' Strategy (the Strategy) to the First Secretary of State for consideration and subsequent examination before a planning Inspector. This is a statutory requirement of the Town and Country Planning (Local Development) (England) Regulations 2004 and includes a six week public consultation process which is scheduled to start in May 2006. The May 2006 submission date is a commitment made by the County Council in the Hampshire Minerals and Waste Development Scheme (the Development Scheme), which came into effect on 21 July 2005.

1.2 This report also seeks delegated approval to the Director of Environment, in consultation with the Executive Member for Environment: North Hampshire and Spatial Strategy, for carrying out any minor textual amendments which may become necessary in the period to submission, provided these do not affect the emphasis or direction of the Strategy or its policies.

1.3 The Strategy has been jointly produced with Portsmouth and Southampton City Councils, and the New Forest National Park Authority (NPA). The New Forest NPA indicated support for the Strategy at its meeting on 17 February and will endorse it for submission after the NPA gains its planning powers on 1 April. Southampton and Portsmouth City Councils will be considering the Strategy, with a view to approving it for submission, at their meetings on 15 March and 4 April respectively.

1.4 On 25 July 2005 Cabinet approved an `Issues and Preferred Options' consultation document (an earlier stage of development of the Strategy) for a first phase of public consultation under the 2004 Regulations. That consultation took place between 30 September and 11 November 2005. All comments received during this, and an earlier informal phase of consultation, have been considered and several changes have been made to the Strategy.

1.5 An iterative appraisal process has been taking place, informing the Strategy throughout its preparation. This appraisal process is called Integrated Sustainability Appraisal (ISA) and it has been undertaken to fulfil the statutory requirements of Sustainability Appraisal and Strategic Environmental Assessment.

1.6 The Strategy has also been shaped by `More from Less' which details stakeholders' aspirations on minerals, waste and natural resources issues. `More from Less' is the culmination of a 17 month long stakeholder consultation process that took place between September 2003 and December 2004, and involved more than 350 interested people from business, local authorities and community groups.

1.7 Copies of the Strategy are available in the Members' Rooms, along with the Sustainability Report (independently prepared by environmental consultants, Halcrow) and other supporting and background documents, including a Consultation Statement, a Technical Document and a document explaining how the Proposals Map will be changed. Copies of these can also be viewed on the Internet (at http://www3.hants.gov.uk/minerals and waste/planning-policy/development-framework.htm) or are available from the Policy Team (01962 846730). Copies of non-technical summaries of the Technical Document (Appendix 1) and Sustainability Report (Appendix 2) are attached to this report.

2. The Strategy

2.1 Under the new planning regime Local Plans have been replaced by Local Development Frameworks. The existing Hampshire, Portsmouth and Southampton Minerals and Waste Local Plan will be replaced by the Hampshire Minerals and Waste Development Framework. The Framework will consist of a suite of documents. Some of these, such as the Strategy, will be produced jointly. Others, such as the Statement of Community Involvement which was submitted to Government on 1 November 2005, are produced separately. The Development Scheme sets out the timetable for production of the various documents making up the Framework.

2.2 The Strategy provides the `overarching' planning strategy for minerals and waste development in Hampshire and covers the period to 2020. Whilst the Strategy covers the land-use issues of minerals and waste, it also addresses the social, economic and environmental implications of minerals and waste development, and the spatial implications of these. It reflects national and emerging regional minerals and waste strategies. The Strategy addresses the following key issues:

(i) Sustainable Design, Construction and Demolition

Reduce the demand for primary minerals, and support markets for recycled materials, by encouraging the principles of sustainable design, construction and demolition for new built development.

(ii) Management of Wastes

Aim to be net self-sufficient (eg imports equal exports) in the provision of facilities for the management of Hampshire's waste by 2016. This includes not planning for the landfilling of an element of London's waste, as this would be contrary to principles of sustainable transport of waste and there is a lack of potential capacity in Hampshire.

Meeting the requirements of the Government's waste policy to drive the management of wastes up the waste hierarchy by:

(a) eliminating the growth in waste production by 2025;

(b) increasing the beneficial re-use of waste;

(c) increasing the recycling and composting of all wastes to 60% by 2020;

(d) increasing the recovery and treatment of un-recyclable wastes, including the generation of electricity and use of heat from waste processing plants; and

(e) reducing landfill to the bare minimum needed to dispose of residues, including applying strict pre-treatment requirements on waste destined for landfill.

New waste management sites will be required to handle the following indicative amounts of waste:

Activity	Indicative Capacity Required
Recycling/Composting	1-1.2 million tonnes a year
Recovery and Treatment	0.4-0.5 million tonnes a year
Non-Hazardous Landfill	4.2 million tonnes (2006-2020)
Inert Landfill	9.4 million tonnes (2006-2020)

(iii) Minerals Supply

Stabilise the consumption of primary aggregates by 2016.

Plan for the supply of land-won sand and gravel at a rate of 2.63 million tonnes a year until 2020, and provide for the supply of 1.7 million tonnes a year of recycled/secondary aggregate during this period.

Distribute the land-won sand and gravel apportionment to Hampshire's geographical areas using the following approach.

Partial Geographic Apportionment with a Strategic Reserve

Apportion some of Hampshire's production of sand and gravel in the period (2005-2016) to geographical sub-areas, taking account of existing sites. Some of the production, at the latter end of the plan period (2017-2020), would be held in a `Strategic Reserve' - which would remain unallocated to specific geographical areas - pending both the Regional Assembly's revision of the method of apportionment and a review of mineral demand across Hampshire. The following table indicates this:

Geographical Area	Indicative `New' Provision (2005 - 2016)	Annual Apportionment
North East Hampshire	2.444 million tonnes	0.433 million tonnes a year
Downland	4.483-5.183 million tonnes	0.643 million tonnes a year
Forest (excluding the New Forest National Park)	0-5.483 million tonnes	1.163 million tonnes a year
South Hampshire	3.888 million tonnes	0.391 million tonnes a year
Strategic Reserve (2017-2020)	10.52 million tonnes

(iv) Locational Issues

The location of minerals and waste development would be directed on the basis of development:

(a) on suitable industrial and previously developed `brownfield' land, including the use of derelict farm buildings and land;

(b) of `strategic' scale facilities, in urban areas of North East Hampshire and South Hampshire;

(c) as part of `areas of major new development'

(d) which encourages the sustainable transport of minerals and waste or failing that is close to, and with good access to, suitable roads; and

(e) which encourages the co-location of activities to maximise resource benefits.

Major minerals and waste development would be unacceptable in protected areas, such as the New Forest National Park, Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty and designated nature conservation sites. However, in the New Forest National Park, the proposed South Downs National Park and Hampshire's Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, restricted small-scale waste management facilities, other than landfill which meet a local need, may be allowed. Oil and gas exploration and production will not be permitted in the New Forest National Park.

The Strategy also includes policies which safeguard existing mineral deposits, and minerals and waste sites, including wharves and rail depots, pending a review to be included in the forthcoming sites plans.

(v) Site Selection

The Strategy includes a site selection methodology which details how potential minerals and waste sites will be evaluated and brought forward into the two forthcoming sites plans. The methodology has four stages:

Stage 1 - includes finalising the site evaluation criteria, producing a list of sites to be evaluated and carrying out initial evaluations. At this stage, elimination of clearly unsuitable sites will take place.

Stage 2 - includes a limited `issues and options' consultation on the methodology and evaluation criteria, the evaluation of sites and the list of sites to be eliminated.

Stage 3 - includes taking into account the outcome of consultation, revising the evaluation and elimination of sites, producing a list of proposed sites (fitting the requirements of the Strategy) and carrying out a `preferred options' public consultation.

Stage 4 - includes taking into account the outcome of consultation and the Inspector's report on the Strategy following the public examination, finalising the nominated sites, drafting the two site allocation documents, submitting these to Government, followed by more public consultation.

2.3 The Strategy includes 18 strategic policies, covering the following issues:

S1 Sustainable design, construction and demolition

S2 Waste growth and demand for natural resources

S3 Net self-sufficiency

S4 Recycling and composting

S5 Capacity requirements for recycling, composting and recovery and treatment

S6 Landfill

S7 Specialist facilities

S8 Sand and gravel

S9 Recycled and secondary aggregate

S10 Chalk

S11 Brick-making and other clay

S12 Oil and gas

S13 Wharves and rail depots

S14 Safeguarding of existing development

S15 Sterilisation of mineral reserves

S16 Location of waste management

S17 Co-location, systems and infrastructure

S18 Site selection.

3. Development Control

3.1 The Strategy also includes, in a separate section, 21 development control policies which are needed to update the policies in the existing Hampshire, Portsmouth and Southampton Minerals and Waste Local Plan. These cover the following issues:

DC1 Sustainable minerals and waste development

DC2 Sites with International and National designations

DC3 Impact on landscape and townscape

DC4 Historic heritage

DC5 Green belt

DC6 Highways

DC7 Biodiversity

DC8 Pollution, health, quality of life and amenity

DC9 Public safety

DC10 Water resources

DC11 Flooding

DC12 Restoration and aftercare

DC13 Waste management and recycling (excluding landfill)

DC14 Landfill

DC15 Land-won sand and gravel

DC16 Chalk

DC17 Clay

DC18 Wharves and rail depots

DC19 Oil and gas

DC20 Borrow pits and spoil sites

DC21 Prior extraction of minerals

DC22 Additional plant, buildings and minor development

DC23 Local development orders.

3.2 They reflect, and help to implement, the principles and approach in the strategic policies.

4. Consultation Process

4.1 A detailed summary of the consultation process, including its outcomes, is included in the Consultation Statement which is available in the Members' Rooms. The Consultation Statement is legally required to be submitted, alongside the Strategy, to the first Secretary of State. The consultation process has informed the development of the Strategy.

4.2 Between September 2003 and February 2005 there was an ongoing stakeholder dialogue process, known as the Material Resources Strategy (MRS), which brought together representatives from many sections of the local community, together with a wide range of business interests and representatives from Hampshire County Council, Portsmouth City Council, Southampton City Council and Project Integra. One of the key outcomes of this stakeholder dialogue process was the publication of the document `More from Less', which outlined community aspirations for the future of minerals and waste in Hampshire, Portsmouth and Southampton. This process was beneficial and helped to shape the Strategy.

4.3 The consultation process and stages of preparation for the Strategy were also driven by the statutory requirements of the new planning system. The requirements of preliminary `informal' consultation were met through the stakeholder dialogue, undertaken as part of the MRS, and a letter and newsletter detailing its main outcomes, which were sent to interested parties, including statutory consultees. Responses were received from a number of parties. Main issues included:

(i) increasing public and business awareness and education on waste issues;

(ii) increasing recycling and composting and supporting markets for recycled products;

(iii) examining the potential for expansion of existing facilities rather than developing new ones;

(iv) strengthening the link between policies;

(v) stopping mineral extraction in certain places;

(vi) reducing needless aggregate disposal at landfill;

(vii) strategic placement of facilities, including in rural locations; and

(viii) protecting high quality landscapes, not just national parks.

4.4 These responses, along with `More from Less', helped to shape the direction of the Strategy and inform the ISA process. At this stage a further consultation document, which was called the `Issues and Preferred Option', was drafted. This document expanded upon the main minerals and waste issues facing Hampshire and advanced a preferred option for the future planning of minerals and waste in Hampshire until 2020. The Issues and Preferred Option document was approved for consultation by Cabinet on 25 July 2005. This first phase of statutory public consultation took place between 30 September and 11 November 2005. At the same time consultation was carried out on an Interim Sustainability Report (detailing the outcomes of the ISA process at that point) and a background Technical Report (providing supporting data and trends on minerals and waste production). Copies were sent to a number of MRS stakeholders, statutory consultees and other interested parties and were made available at approximately 150 different locations. Advertisements were placed in 10 newspapers.

4.5 The Issues and Preferred Option document included 54 questions related to specific aspects of the suggested approach. General comments were also invited. A total of 131 valid responses was received. Generally the approach and direction of the proposals were well supported. However, there were a number of areas where there was slightly less support and these included:

(i) Waste Growth - although the long-term aspiration to eliminate the growth of waste was supported, there was some doubt about whether this could be achieved by 2025. Opinions were divided about whether this could be achieved within the timescale proposed or whether an earlier target should be set.

Comment: Reducing waste production has considerable benefits in terms of sustainability; the first stage of this is to eliminate waste growth. The 2025 target suggested in the Strategy appears achievable and provides a logical extension to the emerging regional targets. Extending the timescale beyond 2025 may indicate a lack of intent to address this issue.

(ii) London's Waste - respondents were generally opposed to accepting some of London's untreated waste for landfilling in Hampshire.

Comment: Finding new non-hazardous landfill to meet Hampshire's needs, even though these will be much reduced in the future, will be very difficult. Consequently the Strategy takes a restrictive approach to new landfill and also requires all waste destined for landfill to be pre-treated. Accepting some of London's untreated waste would be contradictory to this approach and is therefore not supported.

(iii) Identifying Sites - some respondents, although not a majority, wished to see all sites, no matter how small, identified in the two forthcoming site allocation documents. There was also some discussion about whether landraise (landfilling above ground, not on a mineral void) should be considered in the event that insufficient mineral voids are suitable for non-hazardous landfill.

Comment: It is not realistic to identify all sites, given the scale of new development necessary, and that this will be met by networks of sites, varying in scale from small community-based to large strategic sites. The Strategy proposes to only identify specific sites for large strategic facilities, such as new quarries and landfill, and strategic recycling, composting and recovery and treatment plants. With regard to non-hazardous landfill, this will be restricted to the bare minimum necessary to dispose of the unusable residues from recycling, composting and recovery and treatment. Given this it is unlikely that landraising will need to be considered; accordingly the Strategy does not provide for landraising.

(iv) Sand and Gravel Supply - responses were inconsistent on this issue. Although a small majority felt that the historic balance of supply (approximately 40% coming from the Avon Valley north of Ringwood) was a good basis for future supply, when offered a choice the majority of respondents favoured increasing production from South Hampshire to meet perceived increased demand in this area. A majority of respondents felt the current level of extraction in the Avon Valley harms the New Forest National Park.

Comment: Unfortunately, although it is desirable to reduce the transport distances between supplies and demand, other issues are also important. These include the fact that aggregates can only be extracted where deposits exist, and that existing extraction in the Avon Valley principally supplies local markets in the New Forest and Dorset. Furthermore, the demand for sand and gravel in South Hampshire is largely met from dredged sources imported to wharves in and around Southampton and Portsmouth. Given this, there is no overriding justification for changing from the historic balance of supply. However, it is important to make sure that future aggregate extraction in the New Forest area does not adversely affect the National Park or its setting. Accordingly, the impact on the National Park, is included as one of the evaluation criteria in the proposed site selection methodology.

4.6 Specific comments were also received on a number of items. These have been very helpful in developing the approach set out in the Strategy. In particular, comments were received which helped to shape the Strategy's approach to net self-sufficiency at the local level, landfill location - by providing detailed siting requirements, transport - particularly regarding the approach to accessibility and congestion, location - consideration issues such as of airport safeguarding and protection of the quality and yield of potable water supplies, safeguarding - issues such as allowing partial sterilisation of mineral deposits in certain cases and site identification - level and stages of public involvement.

5. Integrated Sustainability Appraisal Process

5.1 A summary of the appraisal process, including its outcomes, is included in the attached Non-Technical Summary of the Sustainability Report. This summarises the content of the Sustainability Report, which is legally required to be submitted, alongside the Strategy, to the first Secretary of State. A copy of the full Sustainability Report is available in the Members' Rooms and on the Internet at http://www3.hants.gov.uk/minerals and waste/planning-policy/development-framework.htm or from the Policy Team (01962 846730). The appraisal process has informed the development of the Strategy.

5.2 Generally, the conclusions of the ISA process favour:

(i) approaches that reduce waste production, as far as possible and as soon as possible;

(ii) where waste is produced, approaches that favour re-use, recycling and recovery and treatment, preferably on-site, and in that order;

(iii) design of new facilities that support markets for recycled products and reduce demand for primary aggregates, and where possible improve water and energy efficiency;

(iv) approaches which limit the landfilling of wastes to unusable or un-recyclable wastes, and where landfill must be carried out, restoration should seek to add value, for example by restoring mineral voids, increasing access to the countryside, improving habitats and providing reservoirs or back-up grazing for the New Forest;

(v) if disposal and/or recovery and treatment must take place, the facilities should recover as much value as possible from the waste by pre-treatment, recovery of energy and heat and the creation of secondary aggregates through recycling residues;

(vi) approaches that minimise the road transport of minerals and waste by encouraging sustainable transport and self-sufficiency (including local net self-sufficiency within Hampshire), and locating sites near to sources of waste and markets for recyclables and aggregates (ideally by providing a dispersed pattern of smaller local facilities);

(vii) approaches that encourage collection over `bring' systems, and seek to optimise collection systems to reduce vehicle movements;

(viii) approaches that favour the co-location of minerals and waste facilities, including with other built development, to share synergistic benefits (such as use of heat and materials) and logistical benefits (such as allowing return loads);

(ix) approaches that protect sensitive landscapes, habitats and other designated or sites;

(x) approaches that reduce the risk of air and water pollution and flooding;

(xi) approaches that create jobs, especially in deprived areas;

(xii) approaches that reduce fly-tipping and seek to encourage recycling through education, advice and design;

(xiii) if London's waste requires landfilling, it should be carried out at sites accessible to sustainable transport or failing that located as near to London as possible;

(xiv) the use of fuels, made from waste processing, in waste collection vehicles; and

(xv) the generation of renewable energy at minerals and waste sites.

5.3 The Strategy takes on board the majority of the outcomes relevant to spatial planning of the ISA process and, taken as a whole, the Strategy represents the most appropriate balance between deliverability and maximising social, economic and environmental benefits. In particular, the target to increase recycling of all waste in Hampshire to 60% by 2020, would mean an approximate doubling of recycling activity over a 15 year period, to a level equivalent to the best in Europe. The law of diminishing returns applies beyond this level. For example, increasing the recycling/composting target beyond 60% would start to threaten deliverability, in terms of cost and what is realistically achievable, and erode environmental and social benefits through increased, and possibly unacceptable, public involvement in segregation, increased transport and the need for coercive enforcement.

5.4 The main areas where the ISA outcomes have not been taken forward relate to London's waste - because Hampshire does not have the sustainable transport infrastructure or potential landfill capacity to accept it - and the proposed net self-sufficiency of geographical areas within Hampshire, which has been adjusted because the realities of the site identification process, given Hampshire's constraints and the amount of development already in place, mean that delivery of this aspiration is unrealistic.

5.5 Given that any new development will have impacts, the Strategy also includes a number of measures to mitigate these impacts.

6. Other Assessment Processes

6.1 The Strategy has been assessed, in accordance with the 1994 Habitats Regulations, on its impact on internationally designated habitat sites. Given that the Strategy does not deal in specific sites, this is difficult to assess but it is unlikely to have an effect since safeguards have been put in place through the Strategy's development control criteria and policies and the site selection methodology.

7. Associated Documents

7.1 The Strategy is legally required to be submitted to the first Secretary of State accompanied by the Consultation Statement, the Sustainability Report and a Proposals Map Local Development Document. A Non-Technical Summary of the Sustainability Report along with a technical background report will also be made available, and used as part of the consultation process.

7.2 The Proposals Map Local Development Document is a supporting document which explains how the Strategy changes the adopted Proposals Map in the Hampshire, Portsmouth and Southampton Minerals and Waste Local Plan. It will detail those areas of the existing Proposals Map which are to be removed or updated upon adoption of the Strategy.

8. Next Stages

8.1 The next stage is submission to the First Secretary of State in May 2006, followed by a final phase of statutory consultation. Depending on the number and nature of responses received during this next phase of consultation, the Strategy will probably need to undergo public examination before an independent Inspector. The public examination, if required, is scheduled to take place during January and February 2007. The Inspector will prepare and submit a binding report on the Strategy, considering its suitability and soundness, to the County Council. The County Council is obliged to make any changes required by the Inspector, and then adopt the Strategy. Adoption is scheduled to occur in July 2007.

9. Impact Assessments

9.1 Assessment of the Race Relations (Amendment) Act has been considered but the Strategy does not deal with developments that directly have issues of gender, race, disability, age, religion or the disadvantaged. Therefore the potential to impact directly on these groups is limited, although it is accepted that, as the Strategy has a spatial dimension which can involve public access, the location of facilities near to concentrations of minority groups, and their access to facilities, could potentially be an issue when dealing with site locational issues in the Hampshire Minerals and Hampshire Waste Management Sites Plans. The Strategy does contain measures to facilitate disabled access to new, publicly accessible minerals and waste sites and to ensure that new sites take account of adjacent communities needs as part of the site selection process.

10. Conclusion

10.1 The Strategy meets the key requirements of national and regional sustainable development, and minerals and waste policy, whilst reflecting the outcome of public consultation and meeting Hampshire's social, economic and environmental needs.

10.2 Approval is now sought to submit the Strategy to the First Secretary of State, and to undertake the final statutory consultation stage.

Recommendations

The following decisions are sought:

(i) That Cabinet recommends the County Council approve `the Strategy' Development Plan Document (hereinafter called the Strategy) and the consequential Proposals Map (Local Development Document) as part of the Hampshire Minerals and Waste Local Development Framework:

(a) for submission to the first Secretary of State;

(b) for final public consultation, pursuant to Regulation 28 of the Town and Country Planning (Local Development) (England) Regulations 2004; and

(c) as a basis for future plan-making and development control processes.

(ii) That Cabinet recommends the County Council authorise the Director of Environment, in consultation with the Executive Member for Environment: North Hampshire and Spatial Strategy, to make any minor amendments, provided these do not alter the emphasis and direction of the Strategy or its policies.

764Rpt/JS