Consultation Paper
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Central and Eastern Berkshire Joint Minerals and Waste Plan Draft Plan Consultation Paper March 2018 Central & Eastern Berkshire: Joint Minerals & Waste Plan 1 Draft Plan – Consultation Document Central & Eastern Berkshire: Joint Minerals & Waste Plan 2 Draft Plan – Consultation Document About this document and the Draft Plan consultation Central & Eastern Berkshire – Joint Minerals & Waste Plan Local Planning Authorities have a statutory responsibility to prepare and maintain an up-to-date local plan. Bracknell Forest Council, Reading Borough Council, the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead and Wokingham Borough Council (collectively referred to as ‘Central & Eastern Berkshire Authorities’) are working in partnership to produce a Joint Minerals & Waste Plan which will guide minerals and waste decision-making in the Plan area for the period up to 2036. The Joint Minerals & Waste Plan will build upon the formerly adopted minerals and waste plans for the Berkshire area, and improve, update and strengthen the policies and provide details of strategic sites that are proposed to deliver the vision. The currently adopted minerals and waste plans for the Berkshire area1, including the Central & Eastern Berkshire Authorities, are the Replacement Minerals Local Plan for Berkshire, adopted in 1995 and subsequently adopted alterations in 1997 and 20012 (including Appendices3 and saved policies4) and the Waste Local Plan for Berkshire adopted in 19985 (including saved policies). The Minerals Local Plan and Waste Local Plan cover the administrative areas covered by the Central & Eastern Berkshire Authorities, as well as Slough Borough Council and West Berkshire Council. While these plans cover the period until 2006, the Secretary of State has directed that a number of policies in them should be saved indefinitely until replaced by national, regional or local minerals and waste policies. For Central & Eastern Berkshire these saved policies will be replaced by the Joint Minerals & Waste Plan, when it is adopted. A review of the Replacement Minerals Local Plan for Berkshire and the Waste Local Plan for Berkshire was previously being undertaken on behalf of the six Berkshire Unitary Authorities by the Joint Strategic Planning Unit.. During the Examination of the Core Strategy concerns were raised and the Secretary of State subsequently formally requested the withdrawal of the Core Strategy in January 2010. After a review of minerals and waste planning, the Central & Eastern Berkshire Authorities decided to progress with a Joint Minerals & Waste Plan. While the Joint 1 Minerals and Waste. http://www.wokingham.gov.uk/planning-and-building-control/planning- policy/minerals-and-waste/ 2 Replacement Minerals Local Plan for Berkshire 2001 - http://www.bracknell-forest.gov.uk/replacement- minerals-local-plan-for-berkshire-2001.pdf 3 Replacement Minerals Local Plan for Berkshire 2001 Appendices. http://www.bracknell- forest.gov.uk/replacement-minerals-local-plan-for-berkshire-2001-appendices.pdf 4 Mineral Local Plan Saved Policies. http://www.bracknell-forest.gov.uk/mineral-local-plan-saved-policies- schedule.pdf 5 Waste Local Plan for Berkshire. 1998. http://www.bracknell-forest.gov.uk/waste-local-plan-for-berkshire.pdf Central & Eastern Berkshire: Joint Minerals & Waste Plan 3 Draft Plan – Consultation Document Minerals & Waste Plan does not cover Slough Borough Council6 or West Berkshire Council7, close coordination of the work between the various Berkshire authorities will continue in order to plan for minerals and waste strategically and address any cross-border issues that may arise. Preparing the Plan has involved engagement and collaboration with communities, local organisations and businesses. Public consultation was held for each stage of the plan-making process. This Draft Plan consultation document follows an ‘Issues and Options’ Consultation carried out in the summer of 2017. The feedback and responses from that consultation have informed the direction of the Plan. It has also been prepared in cooperation with neighbouring authorities and other minerals and waste planning authorities that may be affected by the strategies and policies in the Plan. This has ensured that effective cooperation has been undertaken where there are cross-boundary impacts. The Central & Eastern Berkshire – Joint Minerals and Waste Plan (JMWP) covers the period to 2036. This aligns the Plan with other Local Plans being developed by the authorities and meets the National Planning Policy Framework requirements. The JMWP sets out the overarching strategy and planning policies for mineral extraction, importation and recycling, and the waste management of all waste streams that are generated or managed in Central and Eastern Berkshire. The Draft Plan consultation stage This stage includes the initial Draft Plan (previously referred to as ‘Preferred Options’) and is a key part in the preparation process for the new Joint Minerals and Waste Plan. The Draft Plan identifies and sets out the following subjects for the period up to, and including, the year 2036: The long term Spatial Vision and Strategic Objectives for minerals and waste in Central and Eastern Berkshire; The delivery strategy for minerals and waste planning that identifies how the objectives will be achieved through development policies in the plan period; The Development Management (DM) policies that will be used when the Local Planning Authorities make decisions on planning applications; and How each policy will be implemented and monitored by the Central & Eastern Berkshire Authorities to ensure their effectiveness. The ‘Issues and Options’ Consultation was the first formal stage of engagement in the process to move to a fully up to date local plan. As a result of the responses received and consideration of local circumstances, the options have been narrowed 6 Slough Borough Council minerals and waste policy - http://www.slough.gov.uk/council/strategies-plans-and- policies/minerals-and-waste.aspx 7 Emerging West Berkshire Minerals and Waste Local Plan - http://info.westberks.gov.uk/index.aspx?articleid=29081 Central & Eastern Berkshire: Joint Minerals & Waste Plan 4 Draft Plan – Consultation Document down to identify the draft policies and proposed allocations. A summary report of the representations made at the Issues and Options stage is available on the Joint Minerals & Waste consultation website: www.hants.gov.uk/berksconsult. Responding to the Draft Plan consultation We would like to hear from you in respect of your views on the consultation document and its accompanying material. (Appendix B lists the accompanying material). Consultation on the Draft Plan commenced on [to be confirmed] This document, along with the Sustainability Appraisal (incorporating Strategic Environmental Assessment) (SA/SEA) Report, Habitats Regulation Screening Assessment and other supporting documentation, along with a consultation response form and a survey questionnaire, are all available to view and download from the Joint Minerals & Waste consultation website: www.hants.gov.uk/berksconsult. The stages to come Representations made in response to the Draft Plan consultation document, SA/SEA report and other relevant documentation will be given due consideration in the preparation of the next stage document, ‘Proposed Submission’. Central & Eastern Berkshire: Joint Minerals & Waste Plan 5 Draft Plan – Consultation Document Contents Contents 1 Introduction .......................................................................................................... 9 Status of the Plan ................................................................................................... 9 Links with Legislation, Other Policies and Strategies............................................ 10 Regional Planning Policy .................................................................................. 11 Assessment of the Local Plan .............................................................................. 12 2 Background and Context ................................................................................... 13 The Central and Eastern Berkshire Context ......................................................... 13 The role of minerals in supporting economic growth............................................. 13 The importance of planning for aggregates .......................................................... 14 The importance of planning for Waste .................................................................. 14 3. Spatial Vision for Minerals and Waste ............................................................... 16 Vision .................................................................................................................... 16 Strategic Plan Objectives ...................................................................................... 17 Spatial Strategy .................................................................................................... 18 4 Key Diagram ..................................................................................................... 22 5 Delivery Strategy for Minerals ........................................................................... 23 Minerals in Central and Eastern Berkshire ........................................................... 23 Managing the supply of aggregate........................................................................ 33 Locations for sand and gravel extraction .............................................................