REGIONAL TECHNICAL STATEMENT Version for Public Consultation
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REGIONAL TECHNICAL STATEMENT Version for Public Consultation North Wales Regional Aggregates Working Party B\north Wales RAWP\NWRawp RTS\N Wales RAWP version December 1 DRAFT N WALES RTS – CONTENTS Page Executive Summary 4 1. Introduction 9 2. Vision Aims and Over arching Principles 11 3. Key Background and issues a. Introduction 14 b. Secondary/recycled aggregates 19 c. Marine aggregates 27 d. Primary Aggregates 29 e. Production (sales) 31 f. Distribution 36 g. Domestic Consumption 38 h. Interregional dependency 41 i. Future Demand 43 j. Industrial (non-aggregate) uses 46 k. Resources, Reserves, Landbanks, Dormant Sites 48 l. Environmental Capacity 56 m. Transport 57 4. Apportionment and Guidance to MPAs 61 Apportionment Process 61 Guidance to MPAs on Apportionment 68 Append ices (see over) 79 B\north Wales RAWP\NWRawp RTS\N Wales RAWP version December 2 Appendices 1 Membership Lists 79 2 North Wales – Character and Economy 81 3 Wales Spatial Plan Objectives 83 4 Secondary/recycled aggregates 85 5 Marine aggregates 92 6 Primary Aggregates 94 7 Consumption and Interregional Flows 96 8 Assessment of Future Demand 98 9 Fiscal and Other Influences 102 10 North West Region 105 11 Industrial and other uses 107 12 Aggregate Resources 108 13 IMAECA (Environmental Capacity) Executive Summary 110 14 Confidentiality Grouping 112 15 Review of Dormant Sites 113 16 IMAECA Applied to Aggregate Resources 115 17 Transport 120 18 Slate 123 19 Apportionment Process (Methods and Calculations) 128 20 Policy Setting for National Parks and ANOBs 143 B\north Wales RAWP\NWRawp RTS\N Wales RAWP version December 3 Executive Summary The Regional Technical Statement (RTS) is a requirement of the Minerals Aggregates Technical Advice Note (MTAN1) which was issued by the Welsh Assembly Government in March 2004. MTAN1 sets an overarching objective which seeks to ensure a sustainably managed supply of aggregates (which are essential for construction), striking the best between environmental, economic and social costs. The RTS will provide a strategic basis for LDPs in the region in line with the objectives set out below. In accordance with this objective, the RTS will therefore seek to: • Maximise the use of secondary and recycled materials and mineral wastes. • Safeguard land-based minerals which may be needed in the long term. • Acknowledge that where the principles of sustainable development can be achieved, the extension of existing aggregate quarries is likely to be appropriate. • Where there is a need for new areas of aggregates supply, these should come from locations of low environmental constraint and take into account transport implications. • Maintain supply of marine aggregate consistent with the requirements of good environmental practice. (The terms used above are defined in the main report – see Section 3) Consultation with stakeholders, including the public has been undertaken at a level commensurate with the status of the documents. It has been produced by the North Wales Aggregates Working Party (NWaRAWP), with the assistance of the mineral planning authorities (MPAs), the quarry industry, various other bodies / agencies , and coordinated by the National Stone Centre. The main purpose of the statement is to set out the strategy for the provision of the aggregates in the North Wales region for the period until 2021. As appropriate, MPAs in North Wales will then include allocations for future aggregates provision in their area, as part of the LDP process. (NB. The National Park Authority is not required to maintain such landbanks). The RTS will be endorsed by the North Wales RAWP and each constituent MPA to inform the preparation of LDPs so that there is consistency and a sound regional strategy for sustainable mineral planning (MTAN1 paras 30 and 50). The strategic nature of the RTS means that it is not the intention to put forward specific sites. This is a matter for the MPAs via their respective LDPs, but within this regional framework. However in order to achieve transparency and robust scrutiny, where the RTS points to a general provision to meet an anticipated shortfall, this process has been the subject of strategic analysis by way of an environmental capacity B\north Wales RAWP\NWRawp RTS\N Wales RAWP version December 4 assessment based on the IMAECA system 1. At this broad level and given the detailed MPA analysis to follow, it was not considered appropriate or required that Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) and Health Impact Assessment (HIA) should be conducted. It is important to note that the essentially strategic nature of this analysis means that more detailed matters which may be material as to whether Local Development Plans need to make resource allocations, should be considered during LDP preparation. Such matters may include:- • The technical capability of one type of material to interchange for another. • The relative environmental cost of substitution of one type of material by another • The relative environmental effects of changing patterns of supply • Whether adequate production capacity can be maintained to meet the required supply In order to keep the RTS up-to-date, it will be reviewed every 5 years and monitored annually by the NWaRAWP. Secondary Aggregates Secondary and recycled aggregates usage in North Wales in 2005 was estimated to be 1.8 Mt or 16.8% of total aggregates production in the region. The MTAN1 target for Wales is 25% by 2009; South Wales has already achieved this level. There is a reasonable prospect of N Wales also reaching this proportion by 2009 if waste slate utilisation continues to increase as planned. It is calculated that Construction Demolition & Excavation Wastes (CD&EW) amounted to 1 Mt in 2005, a figure which should be treated with caution. Increasing amounts of slate waste account for almost all the remainder of this sector and, if logistics and capital investment in facilities can be resolved, could increase considerably to double the present level within the short to medium term. Waste slate in the region represents one of the largest resources in the UK of secondary aggregate. There also are some issues relating to the suitability of slate waste for all types of aggregates and the quarrying of virgin slate for aggregates. There is little prospect of increasing other types of secondary materials, but a slightly higher production of CD&EW may be possible with the shift to smaller scale, but viable processing plants. It is likely that the degree of usage of CD&EW in North West England (and particularly Merseyside) will have a more profound effect on N Wales, than improved levels of use of CD&EW in N Wales itself. The improvement of data collection particularly for CD&EW and road planings is a key issue. Marine In contrast to South Wales and North West England, the direct dependence of this region upon marine dredged aggregates is extremely low (c 45,000 tpa). However it is probable that 1 Implementing the Methodology for Assessing the Environmental Capacity for Primary Aggregates. (Welsh Assembly Government) February 2005. B\north Wales RAWP\NWRawp RTS\N Wales RAWP version December 5 substantial amounts landed in Merseyside are in fact won from the N Wales coastal waters, which in turn, offsets the pressure on landwon resources in N Wales. Apart from conservation, fisheries and coastal protection, there are some important issues concerning safeguarding of landing wharves and key resources from prejudicial development such as wind farms. Primary Aggregates North Wales is endowed with extensive deposits of a variety of materials suitable for aggregates, particularly igneous rock and limestone. They are to be found in most areas of the region. Deposits of sand and gravel are more limited and are mainly concentrated in parts of Gwynedd, Flintshire and in particular, Wrexham. The location of operations and permitted reserves has been largely defined by historical circumstance and communications, particularly along the N Wales coast routes. Production has been relatively stable for a number of years and, with South Wales falls, within the MTAN1 anticipated range. Inter-regional Dependency Exports at 40-50% - largely to N West England, accounted for a higher proportion (though not tonnage) of output than that for any other region. This included 71% of the Flintshire limestone production. However most of this would have been delivered within a 50km radius, i.e. effectively a normal “local” market. The western part of the region is also largely self sufficient but with little outflow to other areas. Imports into the region are relatively low. In respect of exports, MTAN1 does not attempt to place a bar, but seeks a “level playing field” vis a vis the environmental capacity of the supply sources. The other areas contributing aggregates to the North West (in some instances, in greater volumes than North Wales) in the main, source from or through areas (or adjacent to areas) having equal or greater environmental statutory designations (although no environmental capacity studies have been undertaken in those areas). Resources, Reserves and Environmental Capacity In terms of environmental capacity as measured in the IMAECA study, the main limestone areas in the east are generally heavily constrained. The situation is similar in Anglesey but much more variable in the remainder of the region, including the National Park. There is a need to safeguard resources to protect them against prejudicial development, particularly in the case of sand/gravel, limestone and selective igneous rock outcrops. There is also a need for special treatment of resources of limestone suitable for industrial/non-aggregates purposes. B\north Wales RAWP\NWRawp RTS\N Wales RAWP version December 6 Production and reserves in the Snowdonia National Park have ceased, as they have largely in the AONBs in the west. The most intensive working is in Flintshire/Denbighshire, part of which lies within the Clwydian Hills AONB.