Minerals Local Plan Submission Document 1 INTRODUCTION 6 Background 6 The Economic Importance of Minerals 7 A Spatial Plan- a new form of local plan 7 The Minerals Supply Hierachy 8 Main Plan Components 9 The Plan Area 10 The Plan Period 10 The Plan's Legal Status 10 The Documents and Policies this Plan will replace 11 Marine Aggregate Provision 11 Minerals Development Covered by Plan 11 Background Context to Plan Preparation 12 Other Useful Information 12 2 SPATIAL PORTRAIT AND KEY MINERALS PLANNING ISSUES 14 Essex at a Glance 14 Spatial Portrait 17 Future Growth 19 Planned Major Infrastructure Schemes 21 County Mineral Resources 22 Mineral Links with other areas 24 How are our minerals transported? 25 Key Mineral Issues to be addressed by this plan 25 3 THE STRATEGY 28 Spatial Vision 28 Aims and Strategic Objectives 30 Spatial Priorities for Minerals Development 32 Presumption in favour of sustainable development 34 Policy S1- Presumption in favour of sustainable development 35 The Strategy 35 Policy S2- Strategic priorities for minerals development 36 Essex County Council Minerals Local Plan Submission Document Adapting to climate change 38 Policy S3- Climate change 41 Reducing the use of mineral resources 41 Policy S4- Reducing the use of mineral resources 45 Creating a network of aggregate recycling facilities 45 Policy S5 Creating a network of aggregate recycling facilities 52 Provision of primary minerals 53 Policy S6 - Provision for sand and gravel extraction 60 Policy S7 - Provision for industrial minerals 63 Safeguarding mineral resources and mineral reserves and avoiding their sterilisation 65 Policy S8 - Safeguarding mineral resources and mineral reserves 69 Mineral transhipment sites and secondary processing facilities 71 Policy S9 - Safeguarding mineral transhipment sites and secondary processing facilities 76 Protecting and enhancing our amenity and the environment 78 Policy S10- Protecting and enhancing the environment and local amenity 79 Access and Transportation 79 Policy S11 Access and Transportation 82 Restoration and after-use of mineral extraction sites 83 Policy S12- Mineral Site Restoration and After-Use 89 4 PREFERRED MINERAL SITES FOR PRIMARY MINERAL EXTRACTION 92 Policy P1 - Preferred Sites for Sand and Gravel Extraction 94 Policy P2 - Preferred Sites for Industrial Minerals 96 Further Information about Preferred Areas 97 5 DEVELOPMENT MANAGEMENT POLICIES 98 Policy DM1 Development Management Criteria 107 Policy DM2 Planning Conditions and Legal Agreements 108 Primary Processing Plant 108 Policy DM3 Primary Processing Plant 109 Secondary Processing Plant 110 Policy DM4 Secondary Processing Plant 110 Essex County Council Minerals Local Plan Submission Document 6 IMPLEMENTATION, MONITORING AND REVIEW 111 Policy IMR1 Monitoring and Review 118 7 REFERENCE MATERIAL 119 Appendices Appendix One List Of Policies Which Will Be Cancelled When the Essex Minerals Plan is Adopted 136 Appendix Two Background Context to Plan Preparation 139 Appendix Three Main Evidence Base Documents 148 Appendix Four Links with Sustainable Community Strategies and Other Vision Statements 153 Appendix Five Site Profiles for Preferred Sites 163 Site Profiles 164 A3 Bradwell Quarry, Rivenhall Airfield 164 A4 Bradwell Quarry, Rivenhall Airfield 166 A5 Bradwell Quarry, Rivenhall Airfield 168 A6 Bradwell Quarry, Rivenhall Airfield 170 A7 Bradwell Quarry, Rivenhall Airfield 172 A9 Broadfield Farm, Rayne 175 A13 Colchester Quarry, Fiveways 178 A20 Sunnymead, Alresford 181 A22 Little Bullocks Farm, Little Canfield 184 A23 Little Bullocks Farm, Little Canfield 186 A31 Maldon Road, Birch 189 A38 Blackleys Quarry, Great Leighs 192 A39 Blackleys Quarry, Great Leighs 193 A40 Land at Shellows Cross Farm 195 A46 Land at Colemans Farm 199 B1 Slough Farm 202 Appendix Six Profiles for Existing and Proposed Transhipment Sites 206 D2 Ballast Quarry, Fingringhoe 207 F1 Harlow Mill Station 209 Essex County Council Minerals Local Plan Submission Document F2 Chelmsford Rail Sidings 211 F3 Marks Tey Rail Siding 214 F4 Port of Harwich 216 Appendix Seven Profiles for Strategic Aggregate Recycling Sites 220 Purdeys Industrial Estate SARS 221 Bulls Lodge SARS 224 Stanway SARS 227 Appendix Eight Profiles of Safeguarded Coated Stone Plants (Asphalt) 230 Suttons Wharf Coated Stone Plant 231 Wivenhoe Quarry Coated Stone Plant 233 Bulls Lodge Quarry Coated Stone Plant 235 Essex Regiment Way Coated Stone Plant 237 Harlow Rail Coated Stone Plant 239 Appendix Nine Consultation Procedure for Mineral Safeguarding Areas 242 Appendix Ten Maps of Mineral Safeguarding Areas 246 Appendix Eleven Submissions policies 250 Essex County Council Minerals Local Plan Submission Document 1 INTRODUCTION Background 1.1 The County Council is the minerals and waste planning authority for the County of Essex as defined in Map 1 Map 1: Essex Administrative Area 1.2 The County Council has a statutory responsibility to Plan for the future minerals supply and waste management and to determine mineral planning applications. It is fulfilling this responsibility by preparing separate Minerals and Waste Local Plans to support the achievement of sustainable development within the County. 1.3 This document is the Publication Proposed Submission version of the ‘Essex Minerals Local Plan’ (formerly called the Minerals Development Document) which the Authority will take to the Plan Examination stage. The County Council considers this to be a ‘sound’ plan, based 6 Essex County Council Minerals Local Plan Submission Document on all the evidence and extensive feedback received during the plan preparation process. For the sake of brevity, this Essex Minerals Local Plan will be referred to as “the Plan” throughout the rest of this document. The Economic Importance of Minerals 1.4 Minerals underpin our entire way of life.They provide the construction materials for the homes we live in, our places of work, our transport infrastructure and the essential services, such as health, education and recreational facilities on which we all rely. They are essential to energy generation, agriculture, manufacturing and many other businesses. In short, we could not maintain our current way of life without them. 1.5 However, minerals are a finite natural resource and can only be worked - extracted from the ground - where they are found. It is vital we only extract what is needed and make best use of them to secure their long-term availability and conservation. 1.6 In monetary terms the value of all forms of on-shore minerals produced in the UK is about £3.5 billion a year, of which land-won sand and gravel represents about £630 million a year. This sector represents an extremely valuable economic resource (1) ,and the community of Essex is well placed to benefit from its mineral assets; in particular sand and gravel, silica sand, chalk, brickclay and brickearth, with sand and gravel being the largest contributor. 1.7 An adequate and steady supply of minerals is essential both for the national economy and to support the County’s economic growth, whether by enabling vital new development to take place, supporting key manufacturing processes, or ensuring the maintenance and improvement of our existing built and natural environment.This plan sets out how our future mineral needs will be met. 1.8 Once adopted, the Plan will comprise an important part of the ‘Development Plan’ in Essex, for it sets out how we will provide for our future mineral needs – through local planning policies and land allocations - and provides the basis on which future planning applications for minerals development will be considered and determined. This provides greater certainty for both local communities and the minerals industry to where future minerals development might take place. A Spatial Plan- a new form of local plan 1 United Kingdom Yearbook 2011, British Geological Survey Essex County Council 7 Minerals Local Plan Submission Document 1.9 This is a positive ‘spatial plan’ which aims to deliver sustainable development. The Plan has a central role in supporting economic growth in the County through the delivery of land, buildings and infrastructure to meet our future needs. At the same time it ensures positive steps are taken to protect and enhance the County’s unique natural, historic and environmental assets and resources. It also has a key role to play in supporting the strong, vibrant and healthy communities in Essex to make them sustainable for the future. 1.10 The Plan provides a clear policy framework for all parties involved in future minerals and minerals related development, as it provides a picture of how we see mineral development in the County taking place up to 2029, the steps needed to make this happen, and the measures necessary to assess our progress on the way. 1.11 The Plan is founded on an extensive evidence base and has been prepared following widespread and ongoing public consultation through the 'Issues and Options' and 'Preferred Approach' plan production stages. It has been produced in parallel with a Sustainability Appraisal which has informed each step of plan development, enabling alternatives to be considered and appropriately evaluated. ‘Strategic Flood Risk Assessment’ and ‘Assessment under the Habitats Regulations’ have informed both the Sustainability Appraisal and this Plan. 1.12 The Plan is consistent with the County Council’s vision statement and corporate strategy, and with the Sustainable Community Strategies still active across Essex's District, Borough and City Councils. It is commensurate with