Annual Monitoring Report 2018/19

Introduction

Monitoring activity relating to local plan policies, enables the identification of any unintended consequences of policies, whether the assumptions and objectives that the policies are based upon are still relevant and if the policy targets are being achieved. In turn, the findings highlight where adjustments and revisions to policies are required and can inform the development of new policies. Further, with monitoring, any difficulties in achieving delivery in terms of timescales and other measurable targets can be highlighted. Where variance from policy is identified, the actions required to bring implementation back in line can be identified and implemented thereafter.

Following the introduction of the Localism Act in 2011, local planning authorities have much greater flexibility concerning the preparation of Annual Monitoring reports (AMR). An AMR must still be published annually and made available at council offices and published on the website. The Act however allows local planning authorities to choose indicators and targets to include in their AMR, that best relate to local circumstances and priorities in their area.

This AMR relates to the period 1st April 2018 – 31st March 2019.

The Plan is currently in preparation and was submitted to the Secretary of State for examination on 28 June 2019. The programmed hearing sessions will commence in October 2019.

We are therefore using the existing development plan as the basis for this AMR. This consists of a number of documents (local plans) that were adopted by the former districts of County Durham before the local authority was created in 2009.

These existing local plans set out information on how planning and development is currently managed. Saved policies in these local plans will continue to influence planning and development decisions until the County Durham Plan replaces them.

It would be difficult to monitor all of these local plans individually and so it has been decided to monitor indicators that are cross-cutting and common amongst all previous local plans.

The County at a Glance

County Durham covers a total area of 862 square miles and borders Tyne and Wear, the Tees Valley, North Yorkshire, Cumbria and Northumberland. It has high quality landscapes rich in wildlife, attractive countryside, villages, historic towns and buildings and a restored coastline. The environment is one of the County’s key assets.

The County is home to around 526,9801 people of whom over 248,8002 are in employment. The county has 13,6853 business enterprises. Overall, the total GVA is around £8.75 billion4.

County Durham has commuting relationships with Tyne and Wear and Tees Valley labour markets. The County has net out-commuting of 30,3605 people on a daily basis.

County Durham shares many of the problems of the North of , arising from a long-term pattern of sectoral change and industrial decline. It also has unique challenges arising from its legacy of scattered industrial settlements, and its lack of large urban areas to drive growth. Countering these, though, are the unique environments of Durham City and the Durham Dales and the key strengths of Durham University. The county, though commonly regarded as a predominantly rural area, varies in character from remote and sparsely populated areas in the west, to the former coalfield communities in the centre and the east, where villages tend to accommodate thousands rather than hundreds. Around 90% of the population lives east of the A68 road in approximately half of the county by area.

Our largest towns act as service centres for the surrounding communities, providing employment, shopping and key day-to-day services. The role of the towns in County Durham varies widely. Some provide vital services to isolated communities whilst others have grown to provide a much wider range of services for both the town and other communities nearby. Whilst there are over 300 settlements within the county, 94% of the population live within a 5-mile radius of the largest towns.

County Durham remains a source of economically important minerals to meet commercial development needs. A steady and adequate supply should be maintained for both local and nationally important mineral resources. The approach to waste management is to tackle the growth in waste through the use of the waste hierarchy which seeks to prioritise the prevention of waste at source, followed by reuse, recycling, recovery including energy recovery and as a last option, safe disposal.

The remainder of the AMR sets out monitoring indicators under the following headings:

• Housing • Economic Growth and Town Centres • Environmental Quality • Minerals and Waste

1 ONS MYE 2 ONS APS 3 ONS IDBR 4 ONS GVA 5 ONS Census origin and destination Housing

Indicator H1 - Net Housing Completions H2 – Housing Permissions H3 - Percentage of affordable housing units delivered by Delivery Area H4 - Net additional Traveller pitches or plots approved and completed by type H5 – Student Exempt Properties

H1 - Net Housing Completions

2011/12 2012/13 2013/14 2014/15 2015/16 2016/17 2017/18 2018/19 Gross 1,303 1,208 1,093 1,225 1,556 1,417 1,356 1,513 housing completions Demolitions 59 84 3 61 15 7 17 50 Net housing 1,244 1,124 1,090 1,164 1,541 1,410 1,339 1,463 completions * figures may be subject to small changes over time, as data is collected from a large number of sources and due to this some figures may be delayed.

After a decline in completions through 2016/17 and 2017/18, net completions increased by 124 units in 2018/19. Data shows that there were 1,513 gross housing completions for the year 2018/19. There were 50 demolitions within the year bringing the net housing completion figures to 1,463 for 2018/19.

The Housing Delivery Test (HDT) provides the Government’s official measure of housing delivery performance at local authority level. It measures net additional dwellings in a local authority area against the homes required, using national statistics and local authority data6. County Durham has

6https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/728523/ HDT_Measurement_Rule_Book.pdf passed the HDT with a result of 116%7 and is therefore above the required ‘pass mark’ of 95% where no action needs to be taken.

H2 - Housing Commitments and Permissions

Whilst housing completions are important in considering housing supply and delivery, they only show part of the picture. It is also relevant to consider sites that have received planning permission.

Monitoring has confirmed that there remains a large supply of housing sites with planning permission that are yet to be implemented (Commitments) – 11,607 units. There are also 5,770 units to be built on sites under construction8.

National Planning Policy requires Local Planning Authorities (LPAs) to maintain a five-year supply of deliverable sites (against housing requirements) to ensure choice and competition in the market for land. Based on this, as at 1st April 2019 the council can demonstrate a supply of housing land of 6.37 years against its Local Housing Need9.

H3 - Affordable Housing Units Delivered

In 2018/19 there were 532 affordable housing units completed in County Durham. This amounts to 35.2% of all completions.

Affordable housing 600

500

400

300

200

100

0 2014/15 2015/16 2016/17 2017/18 2018/19

H4 – Net additional Traveller pitches or plots approved and completed by type

County Durham has six permanent Gypsy, Traveller sites:

• St Phillips Park (Coundon Grange) • East Howle (Ferryhill) • Adventure Lane (West Rainton) • Drum Lane (Birtley) • Ash Green Way ()

7 https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/housing-delivery-test-2019-measurement 8 As at 1st April 2019 9 http://durhamcc-consult.limehouse.co.uk/file/5494486

• Tower Road (Maiden Law)

There has been no change in the number of pitches in the reporting year.

H5 – Student Exempt Properties

Data is collected on the spatial concentrations of properties with the student exemption from Council Tax by postcode, as a proportion of total residential properties. As background, on 13th April 2016 the council adopted an interim policy on student accommodation. This indicator supports the monitoring impact of the interim policy. In addition, an Article 4 Directions were made for the centre of Durham City on 16th September 2016 and Newton Hall and Framwellgate Moor on 13th May 2017.

These Article 4 Directions means that planning permission is be required for the change of use from a family home to a house in multiple occupation (HMO).

This indicator helps to monitor the impact of the Interim Policy. Below shows the concentrations of the properties benefiting from a student exemption from council tax in Durham City (March 2019)

The darker the shading the greater the concentration of HMOs, it is clear that the concentrations vary across the city with the greatest concentrations in the viaduct area and the city centre.

For more information on the Article 4 designations in Durham City https://www.durham.gov.uk/article/2499/Multiple-occupancy-homes Economic Growth and Town Centres

Indicator EG1 - Employment Proposals approved and completed EG2 - Employment Land Lost to other uses EG3 - Approved and completed retail floor space outside retail centres EG4 - Vacancy rates in retail centres EG5 - Percentage of units within Town Centres in A5 use

EG1 - Employment Proposals Approved and Completed

It is important that there is a portfolio of employment sites across the County which are attractive to new employers, allow the expansion of existing businesses and respond to the changing needs of business.

Approvals

During the 2018/19 there was 16ha of land approved for employment uses B1, B2 and B8. The majority of this was for B2 (General Industry), with 9ha approved at Land North of 25 Copeland Row, Evenwood, for a production warehouse unit and offices, access and ancillary building.

There was a total of 2.5ha of B1 (Light Industry / Offices) approved, 1.2ha of this was the approved new HQ at the Sands, Durham City which is the site of the new HQ for Durham County Council. There was a total of 1.3ha of B8 (Storage and Distribution) approved.

Completions

There was 10.5ha of employment completions in 2018/19 on industrial estates. Of this, 2.3ha was B1 (Light Industrial / Offices) completed at Meadowfield Industrial Estate for a commercial laundry light industrial building.

There was also 1.5ha of B2 (General Industrial) completions at Aycliffe Business Park for a portal frame industrial building.

The remainder of completions were all small scale, covering B1, B2 and B8 uses.

EG2 - Employment Land lost to other uses

It is important that major employment sites across the county are retained to ensure a sustainable distribution of business premises and employment land and maintain a range of investment and job opportunities.

During the monitoring period there was no employment land lost to other uses.

EG3 - Approved and completed retail floor space

The council supports our retail and town centres as key drivers of the economy. It is important that our centres remain viable and are attractive, diverse places want to live, visit and work.

Town centres are important as they are highly accessible places, providing customers with the ability to complete multi-purpose shopping trips. This reduces the need to travel by car. National and local policy therefore maintains the ‘town centre first’ approach to the location of main town centre uses.

Approvals (within town centres)

There were no major approvals within defined town centres.

Approvals (outside town centres)

The following major retail schemes were approved outside town centres.

6,008sqm of retail and other town centre uses approved at former East Durham And Houghall Community College Burnhope Way Peterlee.

It should be noted that the site at Peterlee is an edge of centre site with good links to the existing town centre.

Completions (within town centres)

The following major retail schemes were completed within defined centres:

7,227sqm (gross) of new retail and main town centre use floorspace incorporating new Odeon cinema completed at The Riverwalk (formerly The Gates), Durham city centre.

1,710sqm (gross) new Aldi store completed at former the bus station And Co-op buildings, Front Street, Stanley

Completions (outside town centres)

The following major retail schemes were completed outside defined centres:

1,714sqm (gross) new Aldi store completed at Yoden Way Peterlee

2,470sqm (gross) new Lidl store completed at land to the South Of 1 Boyd Street, Delves Lane, Consett

EG4 - Vacancy Rates in retail Centres

The County Durham Town Centre Surveys are conducted annually, covering over 3,000 units across the 13 largest town centres, 2 district centres and 3 retail parks in County Durham. The following data follow surveys in summer 2019 and provides detail of how the town centres have performed during the monitoring period.

Vacant units

The proportion of vacant units is a key market indicator used to measure the vitality and viability of existing centres.

The following provides details of vacancy rates in terms of units vacant within our defined centres. The centres in italics at the bottom of the list are not defined as centres and are therefore not used in calculating the overall vacancy rate, however they all operate as retail and leisure destinations within the County:

Centre Vacancy rate (%) (units) Vacancy rate (%) previous (figures in red are above the year national average) Peterlee 26* 17.1* Bishop Auckland 24.4* 22.6* Stanley 18.6* 16.2* Newton Aycliffe 18.3* 19.6* 17.2* 16.3* Durham City 11.9* 11.5* Crook 10.6 7.1 Consett 10.5 11.7 Barnard Castle 9.9 8.8 Seaham 9.9 10.5 Ferryhill 9.9 15.7 Chester-le-Street 9.6 11.9 Shildon 9.5 14.4 Arnison Centre 9.1 6.1 Dragonville 5.9 11.8 Dalton Park (Murton) 9.0 11.5 Tindale (St Helen Auckland) 0.3 5.3 Hermiston (Consett) 0 0 *above the national average

Overall across the county in 2018/19 the vacancy rate within our defined centres10 was 13.42%. The average national vacancy rate is 11.5%. Peterlee, Bishop Auckland, Stanley, Newton Aycliffe, Spennymoor and Durham City are all above this figure, albeit Durham City only marginally above.

Peterlee has the highest vacancy rate in terms of empty units within the County. The lowest vacancy rates are found within the two defined district centres within Durham City. Shildon, a more traditional town centre also has low vacancy rate. Past data shows that Dragonville and Ferryhill displayed the largest improvements in vacancy rates, with number of vacant units reducing by 5.9% and 5.8%. Whilst Peterlee displayed the largest increase in vacant units, increasing by 8.9%.

Vacant floorspace

The Town Centre surveys also allow us to monitor the levels of vacant floorspace within in our defined centres.

Centre Vacancy Rates (%) (floorspace) Vacancy rate (%) previous year Bishop Auckland 25.5 24.0 Peterlee 17.9 9.1 Stanley 15.2 17.3 Dragonville 14.4 17.6 Spennymoor 12.8 12.5 Seaham 9.6 8.3 Consett 8.7 10.0 Newton Aycliffe 8.6 10.2 Barnard Castle 8.5 7.8 Durham City 7.7 7.0 Chester-le-Street 7.5 8.8 Ferryhill 6.2 10.4 Shildon 5.7 10.2 Crook 5.2 3.7 Arnison Centre 2.8 1.3 Dalton Park (Murton) 31.2 32.4

10 This does not include Local Centres Tindale (St Helen Auckland) 2.6 0.9 Hermiston (Consett) 0 0

Unsurprisingly Bishop Auckland and Peterlee also displayed high levels of vacant floorspace. Whilst Dalton Park is not a defined centre, it is interesting to note the particularly high levels of vacant floorspace and this can be attributed to an unoccupied supermarket unit which has remained vacant since its construction.

EG5 - Percentage of Units within Town Centres in A5 use (Hot-Food Takeaways)

Reducing levels of obesity is a key objective of the Council. One way this can be achieved is to encourage healthy eating. Large concentrations of hot-food takeaways within our town centres can have the opposite effect by encouraging unhealthy eating habits. An over concentration of hot food takeaways (Class A5) can also have a detrimental impact on vitality and viability.

An A5 use is defined as a unit which sells hot food solely for consumption off the premises. The following provides details of hot food takeaways within our defined centres

Centre % of A5 uses (figures in red % of A5 uses previous year are above the threshold in the emerging CDP policy) Ferryhill 8.8 * 9 * Shildon 8.4 * 9.3* Crook 7.1 * 7.1* Spennymoor 6.9 * 6.9* Consett 6.8 * 6.8* Seaham 5.9 * 5.9* Newton Aycliffe 5.8 * 5.9* Bishop Auckland 4.5 4.2 Chester-le-Street 4.3 4.3 Stanley 3.4 4.3 Barnard Castle 3.3 3.3 Dragonville 2.9 2.9 Durham City 2.6 2.6 Peterlee 0.8 1.6 Arnison Centre 0 0 *above the threshold in the emerging CDP policy.

The emerging policy within the CDP will seek to restrict A5 uses within town centres where the figure is greater than 5%. Ferryhill has the greatest percentage of A5 uses with Shildon, Crook, Spennymoor, Consett, Newton Aycliffe and Seaham also show high number of such uses.

For more information on County Durham’s Town Centres please visits our Story Map for 2019 https://durhamcounty.maps.arcgis.com/apps/Cascade/index.html?appid=831d12dea53045c3a0ef8 d671185dd37

Environmental Quality

Indicator EQ1 – Per Capita Co2 Emissions (t) EQ2 – Changes and condition of Areas of Biodiversity Importance EQ3 – Renewable Energy Capacity EQ4 – Changes and condition of heritage assets

EQ1 – Per Capita Co2 Emissions

Carbon dioxide emissions are those stemming from the burning of fossil fuels and the manufacture of cement. Carbon dioxide (Co2) is the main greenhouse gas accounting for about 81% of the UK green house gas emissions in 2016. Per capita emissions measure the average Co2 tonnes produced per person.

In recent years, increasing emphasis has been placed on the role of regional bodies and local government in contributing to energy efficiency improvements, and hence reductions in carbon dioxide emissions.

Matching national trends, Carbon dioxide emissions in County Durham have been on the decline for the last 10 years with a current rate of 4.3kt per capita (2017) which is also below both regional and national figures.

Cumulatively, County Durham has decreased its Co2 per capita by 2.5kt Co2 in the last 10 years. Durham County Council’s carbon emissions have reduced by 47%.

EQ2 – Changes and condition of Areas of Biodiversity Importance

Special Areas of Conservation

A Special Area of Conservation (SAC) is land designated under Directive 92/43/EEC on the Conservation of Natural Habitats and of Wild Fauna and Flora. There are currently six Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) in County Durham designated under the European Union Habitats Directive. The six SACs that are wholly or partly within the County are listed below.

SAC site name

• • Moor House – • North Pennine Moors • • North Pennine Dales Meadows •

There have been no changes to the extent of these designations during the monitoring period. They cover an area of 44,416.9ha in total.

Special Protection Areas

A Special Protection Area is a designation under the European Union Directive on the Conservation of Wild Birds. Under the Directive, Member States of the European Union (EU) have a duty to safeguard the habitats of migratory birds and certain particularly threatened birds.

Three Special Protection Areas (SPAs) are designated in County Durham are:

• Northumbria Coast • North Pennine Moors • Teesmouth and Cleveland Coast

There is also a proposed extension to the Teesmouth and Cleveland Coast SPA. In total they cover an area of 44,983 ha in total.

Ramsar sites

A Ramsar site is a wetland site designated to be of international importance under the Ramsar Convention. The Convention on Wetlands, known as the Ramsar Convention, is an intergovernmental environmental treaty established in 1971 by UNESCO, which came into force in 1975.

In County Durham, stretches of the Durham Coast are designated as part of two Ramsar Sites, the Northumbria Coast and the Teesmouth and Cleveland Coast Ramsar sites. There have been no changes to the extent of these designations during the monitoring period. They cover an area of 67 ha in total.

International Biosphere Reserves

A biosphere reserve is an area that has been recognised for its unique mix of plants and animals, valued environment and sustainable way of life of the people who live and work within the biosphere reserve. The biosphere reserves are chosen by UNESCO (the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) but rely on local cooperation to ensure the careful management of the resources within biosphere reserves that allow development without harming the area for future generations.

Moor House – Upper Teesdale National Nature Reserve was designated in 1976 and covers 7,386 ha. There have been no changes to the extent of this designation during the monitoring period Sites of Special Scientific Interest

A Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) is the land notified as an SSSI under the Wildlife and Countryside Act (1981), as amended. SSSI are the finest sites for wildlife and natural features in England, supporting many characteristic, rare and endangered species, habitats and natural features.

There are 85 SSSIs either wholly or partly within County Durham, covering approximately 48,053.41ha. There have been no changes to the extent of these designations during the monitoring period.

National Nature Reserves

Six SSSIs in County Durham are also designated as National Nature Reserves under section 19 of the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act. There have been no changes to the extent of these designations during the monitoring period. They cover an area of 5,142.95ha in total. This is unchanged from the previous year.

Local Nature Reserves

Local Nature Reserves (LNRs) are statutory designations made by local authorities under the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949. There are currently 36 LNRs within County Durham. This remains unchanged from the previous year

Local Sites

County Durham has 308 Local Wildlife Sites and 68 Local Geological Sites. The number of Local Wildlife Sites has not changed (no additions or deletions) during 2018/19.

Local Wildlife Sites in positive management in October 2016 stood at 80 of 378 sites; this is 21% of sites.

Condition of sites of Biodiversity Importance

In terms of the condition of SSSIs, whilst information is not available for the end of the monitoring period, the latest information from Natural England indicates that 98.99% of SSSIs in County Durham met the PSA target, 12.93% were reported as in favourable condition , 86.06% were unfavourable but recovering, 0.092% were reported as in unfavourable condition with no change.

EQ3 – Renewable Energy Capacity

Renewable energy generation capacity is measured as the maximum net generating capacity of power plants and other installations that use renewable energy sources to produce electricity.

In 2018 the installed energy capacity figure in County Durham was 231 MW, the actual energy generated was 505,699MWh. This is ability to generate enough energy to power up to 154,000 homes annually.

It is considered that capacity has plateaued, due in part to stricter planning controls on wind turbines and reduction in Government incentive schemes such as the ‘Feed in Tariff’, which has a reduction in Solar Pv installations.

EQ4 – Changes and condition of heritage assets

Within the County Durham there are: • 3,108 Listed Buildings (29 on the at risk register) • 93 Conservation Areas (42 with appraisals / management proposals) • 233 Scheduled Monuments • 1 Registered Battlefield (Neville’s Cross) • 1 World Heritage Site (Durham Cathedral and Castle)

There are over 15,000 records of archaeological sites and discoveries on the countywide Historic Environmental Record.

Minerals and Waste

Indicator MW1 – Crushed Rock land bank (years) and the extent the crushed rock reserves (tonnes) with planning permission MW2 – Crushed Rock Sales (tonnes) per annum MW3 – Sand and gravel land bank (years) and the extent of sand and gravel reserves (tonnes) with planning permission MW4 – Sand and gravel sales per annum (tonnes) MW5 – Extent of high-grade dolomite (land bank in years) at Thrislington Quarry west and east of the A1(M) MW6 – Number of years of approved reserves at Todhills and the union brickworks MW7 – Quantity of new permitted reserves of coal and fireclay MW8 – Quantity of new permitted reserves of natural building a roofing stone granted MW9 – Quantity of new permitted reserves granted on relic sites for natural building and roofing stone working MW10 – Quantity of waste received at waste management facilities in County Durham and the North East of England. MW11 – Amount of waste (tonnage) imported into/exported out of County Durham per annum and by stream MW12 – Waste Fate MW13 – New Capacity permitted by waste type and management type MW14 – Amount of municipal/household waste arising, and managed by management type MW15 - Remaining Landfill Capacity in County Durham and

MW1 – Crushed Rock land bank (years) and the extent the crushed rock reserves (tonnes) with planning permission

Landbanks of aggregate mineral reserves are used principally as an indicator of the security of aggregate minerals supply and to indicate the additional provision that needs to be made for new aggregate extraction and alternative supplies in Local Plans. The NPPF advises that the landbank indicator which must be maintained for crushed rock is at least 10 years. In accordance with the NPPF, saved Policy M1 of the County Durham Minerals Local Plan also advised that a crushed rock landbank of at least 10 years will be maintained throughout the plan period.

On 31 December 2018 the crushed rock land bank for County Durham stood at 40.2 years11. This landbank comprised 122,259,394 tonnes of crushed rock (comprising magnesian limestone, carboniferous limestone and dolerite). In total 58.4% of the permitted reserves of crushed rock in North East England (209.224 million tonnes in total) are found at quarries in County Durham.

The extent of the crushed rock landbank for County Durham has fallen by 6.5 years since 2017. This larger than expected reduction has been due to a combination of sales during 2018, a higher annual demand requirement being used to undertake the landbank calculation and also a downward reassessment of permitted reserves by mineral operators as a result of reallocation of reserves from aggregate to non-aggregate use i.e. Agricultural Lime.

11 The landbank figure for crushed rock for County Durham has been calculated using the most up-to-date annual demand requirement figure which is available. This is based on the last three-year sales information (2016-2018) as set out in the emerging Joint Local Aggregate Assessment for County Durham, Northumberland and Tyne and Wear (2020). Between 1 January 2018 and 31 December 2018, no planning application for the working of crushed rock which resulted in new permitted reserves were granted planning permission.

Four planning applications were pending determination at the end of 2018. These were, two planning applications for the reactivation of dormant planning permissions (3.75 million tonnes of carboniferous limestone at Harrow and Ashy Bank Quarry near Eastgate and 4 million tonnes of magnesian limestone ( near Seaham); an extension to an existing quarry as part of a large consolidating planning application (3.7 million tonnes of carboniferous limestone at Heights Quarry; and an application to extend and work a previously worked quarry (2.5 million tonnes of magnesian limestone at Tuthill Quarry, near Haswell)). Additional planning applications of note in 2018 were two planning applications to extend the time limit for extraction at two quarries in County Durham that would allow the remaining reserves at these sites to be extracted (Thrislington West Quarry was issued on 21 December 2018 and a planning application at Coxhoe (Raisby) Quarry remained pending on 31 December 2018). Both of these planning applications involved sites with existing permitted reserves that were already included in the crushed rock landbank by virtue of their current planning permissions and therefore have not been included as additional permitted reserves.

MW2 – Crushed Rock Sales (tonnes) per annum

Crushed rock sales are the quantity of crushed rock aggregate which was extracted and sold from all of County Durham’s hard rock quarries. It excludes all mineral used for non-aggregate purposes. Crushed rock sales in 2018 were 3.484 million tonnes. Sales in 2018 were significantly higher than sales in 2017 when 2.636 million tonnes sales were reported. Sales in 2018 were also at the highest level since 2008 when 3,036,000 tonnes were sold, but are still below the maximum level of sales which occurred prior to the recession of 2009-2013 when in 3,559,000 tonnes were sold in 2007

MW3 – Sand and gravel land bank (years) and the extent of sand and gravel reserves (tonnes) with planning permission

Landbanks of aggregate mineral reserves are used, principally as an indicator of the security of aggregate minerals supply and to indicate the additional provision that needs to be made for new aggregate extraction and alternative supplies in Local Plans. The NPPF specifies that the landbank indicator which must be maintained for sand and gravel is at least 7 years. In accordance with the NPPF, saved Policy M1 of the County Durham Minerals Local Plan also advised that a sand and gravel landbank of at least 7 years will be maintained throughout the plan period.

On 31 December 2018 County Durham’s sand and gravel land bank12 stood at 17.7 years. This comprised 6,474,000 tonnes of sand and gravel. In total 36.9% of all permitted reserves of sand and gravel in North East in2018 were found at quarries in County Durham.

The extent of the sand and gravel landbank for County Durham has fallen by 5.8 years since 2017. This larger than expected reduction has been due to a combination of sales during 2018, a higher annual demand requirement being used to undertake the landbank calculation and also a downward reassessment of permitted reserves by a mineral operator at one site.

Between 1 January 2018 and 31 December 2018, no planning applications for new sand and gravel working were granted planning permission. However, planning permission was granted for an

12 The landbank figure for sand and gravel has been calculated using the most up-to-date annual demand requirement which is based on the last three year sales information (2016-2018) as set out in the Council’s emerging Joint Local Aggregate Assessment for County Durham, Northumberland and Tyne and Wear (2020). extension of time at Thrislington West Quarry to allow the working of remaining permitted reserves. The application at this quarry extends the period of working to 15 January 2030. No planning applications for new sand and gravel working were awaiting determination at the end of 2018.

MW4 – Sand and gravel sales per annum (tonnes)

Sand and gravel sales in 2018 were 446,000 tonnes. Sales in 2018 were at the highest level they have been in over twenty years. Sales in 2018 were significantly higher than in 2017 when 330,000 tonnes of sand and gravel were sold. This material change in the scale of sales is understood to be due to a new sand and gravel quarry (Low Harperley Quarry near Wolsingham) coming into full production in 2018 and increased levels of sales occurring from other sand and gravel quarries in County Durham.

MW5 – Extent of high-grade dolomite (land bank in years) at Thrislington Quarry west and east of the A1(M)

Policy M1 of the County Durham Minerals Local Plan advised that as a whole that a landbank of burnt dolomite of at least 15 years will be maintained throughout the plan period. The extent of the high-grade dolomite land bank at Thrislington East Quarry is currently greater than 15 years. This landbank is contained within Thrislington East Quarry which lies to the east of West Cornforth and east of the A1(M). During 2018 no high-grade dolomite extraction occurred at Thrislington East Quarry. This was due to the closure of the Kilns at Thrislington Quarry following the contraction of the steel industry over the last five years. It is not anticipated that any further high-grade dolomite extraction will occur in either the short or medium term. A resumption of extraction will be dependent upon future demand for this mineral and its availability elsewhere in the .

MW6 – Number of years of approved reserves at Todhills and the union brickworks

Following the closure of Eldon Brickworks in 2012, only one brickworks remains operational in County Durham. This is located at Todhills, near Byers Green. The Todhills brickworks is supplied with coal measures mudstone by the adjacent Long Lane Quarry. County Durham also supplies glacial clay to the Union Brickworks in Gateshead, via the adjacent Birtley Quarry which is located in County Durham. Policy M1 of the County Durham Minerals Local Plan advised that as a whole that a landbank of brick making raw material of at least 15 years will be maintained throughout the plan period.

The number of years of approved reserves (data based on end dates of planning permission) currently stands at the following:

• Todhills Brickworks: Less than 15 years by virtue that planning permission expired in 2019; and

• Union Brickworks: 25 years

In January 2019 the operators of Todhills Brickworks submitted a planning application to continue mineral extraction at Long Lane Quarry until 2043 and the creation of a new quarry to the south of Todhills brickworks. This planning application is awaiting determination but if permitted will supply the long term needs of this brickworks.

MW7 – Quantity of new permitted reserves of coal and fireclay Planning permission has been previously granted for the wining and working of 1,064,000 tonnes of coal and 83,000 tonnes of fireclay at two surface mined coal sites in County Durham. The Coal reserves are made up of:

• The Bradley surface mined coal site, near Leadgate. Planning permission was granted on 3 June 2015 on appeal and the Field House surface mined coal site, near Pittington. Planning Permission was granted 5th January 2016 on appeal.

The Fireclay reserves are made up of:

• The fireclay within the Field House surface mined coal site, near Pittington (Permission granted 5th January 2016).MW8 – Quantity of new permitted reserves of natural building a roofing stone granted

No new permitted reserves of natural building and roofing stone were granted in the monitoring period.

MW8 – Quantity of new permitted reserves of natural building a roofing stone granted

No new permitted reserves of natural building and roofing stone were granted in the monitoring period.

MW9 – Quantity of new permitted reserves granted on relic sites for natural building and roofing stone working

No planning permissions were granted for the reworking of relic sites for natural building and roofing stone during the monitoring period.

MW10 – Amount of waste (tonnage) imported into/exported out of County Durham per annum and by stream

The table below provide information on waste received at waste management facilities in County Durham and the North East of England over the last three years from 2016 to 2018. Please note, waste received information does not represent waste arisings for a particular area but instead is indicative of which area or region managed the waste. In the absence of waste arisings information, waste received information can and is used as a proxy for waste arisings.

The tables below show that in 2018 a total of 1,827,640 tonnes of waste was (as reported by the Environment Agency) was received by waste management facilities in County Durham. This is a fall in the quantity of waste which was reported as being received in 2017 when 2,052,959 tonnes of waste was received. However, more waste was received in 2018 that in 2016 when a total of 1,529,720 tonnes of waste was received. The increase in waste received between 2016 and 2018 is as a result of both an increase in increase in waste from County Durham and an increase in imports from outside of County Durham.

The quantities of waste received in County Durham can be compared to the equivalent figures for the North East region as a whole. In particular, it can be seen that while in 2018 County Durham’s waste management facilities received 17.2% of all waste received within the North East, it received 29% of all inert construction and demolition waste received in the North East, 10.9% of all household, commercial and industrial waste received in the North East and 1.94% of all hazardous waste received in the North East.

Quantity of waste received – County Durham and the North East 2018, 2017 and 2016 (all figures in tonnes) 2018 2017 2016

County County North East - County County North East - County County North East - Durham Durham - (All waste Durham – Durham - (All waste Durham Durham - (All waste – (All waste received) (Durham (All waste received) – (All waste received) (Durham received) waste received) (Durham received) waste only) waste only) only)

Total Volume of 859,834 1,854,663 10,769,195 1,053,841 2,052,960 11,207,140 780,731 1,529,720 10,464,106 waste received

Total volume of 461,151 1,184,336 4,073,400 683,960 1,411,291 4,879,847 413,529 899,571 4,762,524 inert/construction and demolition waste

Total quantity of 394,338 657,328 6,028,434 366,300 618,879 5,731,518 365,302 621,630 5,274,485 household commercial and industrial waste

Total quantity of 4,345 12,998 667,362 3,581 22,790 595,775 1,900 8,519 427,097 hazardous waste

Source: Environment Agency Waste Data Interrogator (WDI) 2019, 2018 and 2017 MW11 – Amount of waste (tonnage) imported into/exported out of County Durham per annum and by stream

Waste management facilities in County Durham manage waste which arises within County Durham and also manage waste which arises from outside of County Durham. Similarly, waste which arises within County Durham is also managed at waste management facilities outside of County Durham. The movement of waste between different areas is a normal occurrence and is due to a variety of factors including contractual arrangements, operational networks of private waste management companies as well as geographical convenience. The North East of England has a highly integrated waste management market.

Waste Imported in 2018

Of the 994,829 tonnes imported in 2018, 723,185 tonnes was inert/ construction and demolition waste, 262,990 tonnes was household, commercial and industrial waste and 8,653 tonnes was hazardous waste. Comparable figures for 2017 were, 999,119 tonnes imported in total, of which 727,331 tonnes were inert/construction and demolition waste, 252,579 tonnes were household industrial and commercial waste and 19,209 tonnes were hazardous waste. As can be seen by this data, of the waste which has been reported as having an origin from outside of County Durham the majority of imports have been inert/construction and demolition waste. This reflects the concentration of recycling and inert and non-hazardous landfill facilities within County Durham.

Waste exported in 2018

In total 646,341 tonnes of waste was recorded as being exported from waste management facilities in County Durham in 2018. This is an increase of 266,298 tonnes over that which was exported from County Durham in 2017. Of the waste which was exported in 2018, 150,790 tonnes was inert construction and demolition waste, 488,670 tonnes was household, industrial and commercial wastes and 6,880 tonnes was hazardous waste.

Net flows in 2018 Net flows of waste in 2018 were -348,477 tonnes in total including +262,990 tonnes of household industrial and commercial waste, -572,395 tonnes of inert construction and demolition waste and - 12,329 tonnes of hazardous waste.

Waste imported in 2017

In total 999,119 tonnes of waste was imported into County Durham in 2017 including 727,331 tonnes of inert/construction and demolition waste, 252,579 tonnes of household industrial and commercial waste and 19,209 tonnes of hazardous waste. This is an increase in total imports of 250,129 tonnes over that which was imported into waste management facilities in 2016.

Waste exported in 2017

In total 380,043 tonnes of waste was recorded as being exported from waste management facilities in County Durham in 2017. This is a decrease of 17,748 tonnes over that which was exported from County Durham in 2016. Of the waste which was exported in 2017, 66,810 tonnes was inert construction and demolition waste, 308,685 tonnes was household, industrial and commercial wastes and 4,549 tonnes was hazardous waste.

Net Flows in 2017

Net flows of waste to County Durham in 2017 were -620,928 tonnes in total including +56,106 tonnes of household industrial and commercial waste, -660,522 tonnes of inert construction and demolition waste and -14,660 tonnes of hazardous waste.

MW12 – Waste Fate

Waste fate is the final destination of waste arisings, for example how the waste is finally managed, for example by deposit into voids (landfill), on land (landraise), by incineration with or without energy recovery or by recycling, recovery of treatment.

Understanding how waste is managed is important as it enables the County Council to understand how waste is being managed in accordance with the waste hierarchy. In terms of waste fate in 2018 the majority of waste received was either landfilled (56.5%) (1,031,186 tonnes), recovered (27%) (502,036 tonnes), transferred either for recovery or disposal (which includes incineration) (12.4%) (231,650 tonnes) with the remainder being subject to a combination of incineration with or without energy recovery, treatment or other fate (fate not known).

While a large proportion of waste was landfilled, it should be noted that a very large proportion of landfilled waste was inert waste which was used at both former and existing mineral sites as part of site restoration operations. A large proportion of waste was also subject to different forms of recovery in the County or transferred for recovery to waste management sites outside of the County.

Incineration Incineration Landfill Over Recovery Transfer Transfer Treatment Total with energy without fate (D) (R) recovery energy recovery All Wastes 44,814 329 1,031,186 972 502,036 119,181 112,469 43,677 1,854,663 Household/Ind/Com 8,181 202 98,998 333 282,499 117,231 110,779 39,106 57,328 Inert 36,633 127 929,927 84 211,680 1,355 569 4,089 1,184,336 Hazadous 0 0 2,261 555 7,857 596 1,121 482 12,999 Waste Fate in 2018 (all figures in tonnes) All data sourced from EA Waste Data Interrogator (WDI) 2019

MW13 – New Capacity permitted by waste type and management type

In the 2018-19 monitoring period, ten waste planning applications were received by the council of which six were approved by the council (including one which was approved after the monitoring period was ended). One application was withdrawn and three were pending consideration.

Three planning permissions provided new capacity. These were a material recycling facility to recycle and process 37,000 tonnes of plastic at the Foxcover Industrial Estate at Seaham; a composting facility to manage 25,000 tonnes of green waste at Joint Stocks Quarry/Landfill near Coxhoe and a metal recycling/end of life vehicle facility at Trimdon Grange Industrial Estate.

During 2018-19 monitoring period a further four waste planning applications were approved by the council. These planning applications were all submitted in previous monitoring periods. These were for a new waste transfer station to process up to 25,000 tonnes of construction, demolition and excavation waste at the Morisson Industrial Estate at Stanley, a retrospective application for the use of hard standing at West Shaw Farm near Winston for composting, an anaerobic digestion plant to process up to 43,435 tonnes of food waste, farmyard manures and silage at Mount Huley Farm at Croxdale. The final planning permission related to an amendment to a previous planning permission, relating to the relocation of a material recycling building at the Westline Industrial Estate at Chester- le-Street.

MW14 – Amount of municipal and household waste arising, and managed by management type

Municipal/household waste (also known as Local Authority Collected Waste (LACW)) generally consists of household waste collected by the council, together with any other wastes delivered to Household Waste Recycling Centres (HWRCs), waste collected from commercial or industrial premises and waste resulting from the clearance of fly-tipped materials and litter.

Total municipal waste arisings in the monitoring period 2018/19 was 250,230 tonnes. This represents a slight rise from that which arose in 2017/18 (244,111 tonnes). However, municipal waste arisings over the last five years have remained relatively constant at between 244,000 to 250,000 tonnes of waste which helps demonstrate that this waste stream is no longer growing due in line with new house building.

In 2018/19 municipal waste arisings was managed by a combination of recycling (95,493 tonnes), landfilling (11,584 tonnes), incineration by energy from waste (EfW) (118,959 tonnes) and aerobic digestion and composting (29,705 tonnes). The percentage of municipal waste re-used and recycled was 42.3%. The percentage which was landfilled was 4.7%. This information helps demonstrate how the management of municipal and household waste has been transformed in County Durham with the majority of waste being managed towards the top of the waste hierarchy rather than at the bottom e.g. by landfill.

The quantity of municipal waste which was landfill in 2018/19 (11,584 tonnes) is slightly higher than that which was landfilled in 2017/18 (7,921 tonnes). However, this small increase should be seen within the context of the long-term trend for the landfilling of municipal waste which has seen a significant fall in the quantity of municipal waste which is landfilled over the last twenty years.

The quantity of municipal waste which was incinerated by EFW in 2018/19 (118,959 tonnes) was slightly lower than that in 2017/18 (124,249 tonnes).

The above figures continue to show that wider council policy is driving more sustainable use of municipal and household waste throughout the county. MW15 - Remaining Landfill Capacity in County Durham and North East England

Monitoring this indicator is important because County Durham’s landfill sites provide regionally important void space and because national policy requires waste planning authorities to plan for residual waste disposal.

There are four operational landfill sites in County Durham. All four remaining landfill sites lie on the East Durham Limestone Plateau east, north east or south east of Durham City.

• , Old Quarrington and Cold Knuckles Quarry and Crime Rigg Quarry are all licensed to accept only inert construction and demolition waste (inert/c+d) and are also active quarry’s.

• A fourth sites Aycliffe Quarry Landfill is licensed to accept non-hazardous waste and is also licensed to accept hazardous waste at the quarry’s SNRHW13 cell.

• A fifth site known as Joint Stocks Quarry Landfill is licensed as a non-hazardous landfill but is now closed and is being restored using large volumes of inert/construction and demolition waste.

Table MW15 Remaining Landfill Void Space in County Durham and the North East in 2018 (all figures in cubic metres).

County Durham North East remaining landfill remaining landfill void void space in 2018 (cubic space in 2018 (cubic metres). metres). L01 - Hazardous Merchant Landfill 0 6,949,716 L02 - Non-Hazardous with SNRHW 1,883,401 3,547,017 Cell L04 – Non-Hazardous 1,594,094* 6,181,609 L05 Inert Landfill 7,623,473 9,772,775 11,100,968 26,401,117 Source: EA Remaining Landfill Void Space information for 2018. Notes * This site is closed and is now being restored using inert material.

13 SNRHW: Stable Non-Reactive Waste.