Nottinghamshire Minerals Local Plan Nottinghamshire Minerals Local Plan Adopted December 2005 A dopted December 2005 Contacting us email [email protected] phone 0115 977 2109 fax 0115 977 2418 post Environment, Trent Bridge House, Fox Road, West Bridgford, Nottingham, NG2 6BJ internet www.nottinghamshire.gov.uk ENV/EP/03/06/00694/2006 published March 2006 Nottinghamshire County Council NOTTINGHAMSHIRE MINERALS LOCAL PLAN Adopted December 2005 Peter Webster Director of Environment Nottinghamshire County Council Trent Bridge House Fox Road West Bridgford Nottingham NG2 6BJ Foreword The Adopted Minerals Local Plan sets out the County Council's approach towards future mineral extraction in Nottinghamshire. It replaces the previous Minerals Local Plan adopted in 1997. The purpose of the plan is to balance society’s needs for minerals, which are essential to our economy and way of life, against the environmental harm and disruption that mineral extraction can cause. The plan aims to achieve this by meeting demand for minerals by both allocating suitable areas of land for mineral extraction and promoting the use of waste materials to reduce demand for natural resources. The plan also contains a comprehensive set of policies designed to minimise environmental impact, for example by protecting important wildlife areas, controlling traffic movements and ensuring sites are properly reclaimed. Indeed, reclamation schemes can result in environmental gains by creating valuable new habitats and recreational areas, and these are also promoted where possible through the plan. Achieving the right balance is critical to making minerals extraction compatible with the concept of sustainable development. Councillor Stella Smedley Cabinet Member for Environment and Sustainability Nottinghamshire Minerals Local Plan Adopted December 2005 i Preface Nottinghamshire County Council adopted this Minerals Local Plan on 5 December 2005 in accordance with the requirements of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 (as amended by the Planning and Compensation Act 1991) and the Town and Country Planning (Development Plan) (England) Regulations 1999. The plan sets out the comprehensive policy framework for minerals planning in Nottinghamshire and is produced within the strategic context of the Nottinghamshire Structure Plan Review 1996. Nottinghamshire Minerals Local Plan Adopted December 2005 iii Contents Page Glossary of Terms and Abbreviations xi PART 1 GENERAL Chapter 1 Introduction Need for the Plan 2 Plan’s Aims 2 Nottinghamshire – its Geology and Mineral Resources 7 The County Council’s Role in Minerals Planning 7 Recent Changes to the Planning System 7 Policy Context 8 Content, Format and Timescale of the Plan 9 Monitoring and Review 9 Chapter 2 Sustainable Development Introduction 12 Sustainability Appraisal 13 Protection of Mineral Resources 14 Mineral Consultation Areas 15 Aggregates Levy Sustainability Fund 15 Chapter 3 Environmental Protection Introduction 18 Information in Support of Planning Applications 18 Environmental Impact Assessment 20 Planning Conditions and Obligations 20 Visual Intrusion 21 Environmental Pollution 23 Associated Industrial Development 32 Transport 32 The Countryside 35 Nottinghamshire Minerals Local Plan Adopted December 2005 v Page Biodiversity 37 Designated Sites 39 The Countryside Appraisal – Landscape Character 43 The Historic Environment 45 Public Access 47 The Cumulative Effects of Workings 47 Chapter 4 Reclamation Introduction 50 Phasing 50 Soil Conservation and Use of Soil Making Materials 51 Landscape Treatment 52 Reclamation with Fill 52 Reclamation without Fill 54 Interim and Alternative Reclamation 55 Reclamation Proposals for Existing Sites 56 Aftercare 56 After-use 57 Minerals Review 61 Chapter 5 Mineral Exploration Introduction 66 Geophysical Surveys 66 Shallow Boreholes and Trial Pits 67 Deep Boreholes 67 PART 2 PRODUCTION OF MINERALS Chapter 6 Sand and Gravel Introduction 72 Geology 72 Method of Working and Environmental Impact 75 The Archaeological Resource at South Muskham 75 Reclamation and After-use 76 Supply and Demand 76 Future Provision 79 Nottinghamshire Minerals Local Plan Adopted December 2005 vi Page Site by Site Analysis 87 Attenborough 87 East Leake 88 Holme Pierrepont 89 Hoveringham 89 Gunthorpe 90 Cromwell 92 Langford Lowfields 93 Besthorpe 93 Girton 94 Rampton 94 Sturton le Steeple 95 Sutton and Lound 96 Scrooby 98 Misson 99 Misson Grey Sand 101 Chapter 7 Sherwood Sandstone Introduction 104 Geology 104 Method of Working and Environmental Impact 107 Reclamation and After-use 107 Supply and Demand 108 Future Provision 110 Site by Site Analysis 114 Burntstump 114 Bestwood 2 114 Ratcher Hill 114 Rufford Colliery Sand Quarry 115 Warsop (Oakfield Lane) Quarry 116 Scrooby Top Quarry 116 Carlton Forest and Carlton in Lindrick (Red Barn) Quarries 117 Serlby Quarry 118 Mattersey Quarry 118 Styrrup Quarry 118 Silica Sand 119 Nottinghamshire Minerals Local Plan Adopted December 2005 vii Page Chapter 8 Limestone Introduction 122 Geology 122 Method of Working and Environmental Impact 125 Reclamation and After-use 125 Supply and Demand 125 Aggregate Limestone – Future Provision 126 Non-aggregate Limestone – Future Provision 127 Chapter 9 Secondary and Recycled Aggregates Introduction 130 Secondary Aggregates 130 Recycled Aggregates 132 Chapter 10 Gypsum Introduction 136 Geology 136 Method of Working and Environmental Impact 136 Reclamation and After-use 140 Supply and Demand 140 Future Provision 142 Mill and Cement Grade Gypsum (Costock Safeguarding Area) 142 Special or First Grade Gypsum (Bantycock Allocation) 142 Chapter 11 Clay Introduction 146 Geology 146 Method of Working and Environmental Impact 146 Reclamation and After-use 149 Supply and Demand 149 Future Provision 150 Kirton 150 Dorket Head 151 New Brickworks and Clay Pits 152 Nottinghamshire Minerals Local Plan Adopted December 2005 viii Page Chapter 12 Coal Introduction 156 Geology 156 Future Requirements 156 Deep Mined Coal 159 Colliery Spoil Disposal 161 Reworking of Colliery Spoil Tips 164 Opencast Coal 165 New Opencast Coal Mining Techniques 168 Opencast Coal Incidental Extraction of Fireclays and other Minerals 168 Chapter 13 Oil, Coalbed Methane and Mine Gas Introduction 172 Future Requirements 172 Oil 175 Coalbed Methane 177 Mine Gas – Recovery 178 Impact of Boreholes upon other Mineral Resources 179 Reclamation and After-use 180 Chapter 14 Incidental Mineral Extraction Introduction 182 Development involving Incidental Mineral Extraction 182 Irrigation Lagoons 183 Borrow Pits 184 APPENDICES 1. Index of Policies 187 2. Index of relevant National and Regional Planning Guidance 191 PROPOSALS MAP County Map Proposals Map. Key to insets Insets 1 – 15 Nottinghamshire Minerals Local Plan Adopted December 2005 ix Glossary of Terms & Abbreviations Main Ref. in Plan Page Abbreviations (where defined further) BS British Standard dB Decibels Panel 3.1 25 DSG Desulphogypsum Panel 10.1 141 DTI Department of Trade and Industry Para 13.8 175 EIA Environmental Impact Assessment Para 3.6 20 EMWPA East Midlands Working Party on Aggregates Para 6.16 76 FBA Furnace Bottom Ash Para 9.10 131 FGD Flue Gas Desulphurisation Panel 10.1 141 IDO Interim Development Order Para 4.57 61 LAeqT The Equivalent Continuous Sound Level Panel 3.1 25 LBAP Local Biodiversity Action Plan Para 3.67 38 LNR Local Nature Reserve Para 3.76 41 LPA Local Planning Authority MLA Mature Landscape Area Para 3.86 43 MPA Minerals Planning Authority Para 1.10 7 MPG Minerals Planning Guidance Note Para 1.14 8 NNR National Nature Reserve Para 3.74 40 PEDL Petroleum Exploration and Development Para 13.9 175 Licence PPG Planning Policy Guidance Note Para 1.14 8 PFA Pulverised Fuel Ash Para 9.10 131 RIG Regionally Important Para 3.78 41 Geological/Geomorphological Site RPG Regional Planning Guidance Note Para 1.15 8 RSS Regional Spatial Strategy Para 1.16 8 Nottinghamshire Minerals Local Plan Adopted December 2005 xi Abbreviation Main Ref. In Plan Page (where further defined) SAC Special Area of Conservation Para 3.73 40 SAM Scheduled Ancient Monument Para 12.45 167 SINC Site of Importance for Nature Conservation Para 3.77 41 SSSI Site of Special Scientific Interest Para 3.75 41 Terms Ancient Woodland Para 3.64 37 Best and Most Versatile Land Panel 3.3 36 Biodiversity Para 3.65 37 Planning Obligation Para 3.13 21 Planning Condition Para 3.12 20 Weights and Measures Hectare - 1 hectare = 10,000 square metres or 2.471 acres Tonne - 1000 kg or 2204 lbs (0.984 tons) Nottinghamshire Minerals Local Plan Adopted December 2005 xii PART 1 - GENERAL Chapter 1 Introduction Minerals extracted in Nottinghamshire provide essential raw materials for both local and national industries. Starting from top left and moving clockwise. Ratcliffe on Soar Power Station fuelled by coal; Gypsum processing at Jericho Works; new housing development at Lowdham and duelling of the A46 between Newark and Lincoln. Nottinghamshire Minerals Local Plan Adopted December 2005 1 Need for the Plan 1.1 The exploitation of minerals is essential to the nation’s social and economic progress, providing materials for the construction and building industry, for fuels, for manufacturing and for other industries. Extraction can be beneficial to an area in bringing employment, clearing areas of dereliction, dealing with instability and allowing redevelopment to proceed. However mineral workings can have a severe environmental impact destroying landscapes and wildlife habitats, disrupting agriculture and causing disturbance