REGIONAL TECHNICAL STATEMENT for the area covered by the South Wales Regional Aggregates Working Party October 2008 SWRAWP Regional Technical Statement 2008 1 2 SWRAWP Regional Technical Statement 2008 SWRAWP Regional Technical Statement CONTENTS Page Foreword 5 Executive Summary 7 1. Introduction 13 2. Vision Aims and Overarching Principles 15 3. Key Background and Issues a. Introduction 19 b. Secondary & Recycled Aggregates 23 c. Marine Aggregates 30 d. Primary Aggregates 34 e. Production (i.e. Sales) 36 f. Distribution 42 g. Domestic Consumption (i.e. demand from within the Region) 45 h. Interregional Dependency 47 i. Future Demand 50 j. Special aggregates 53 k. Industrial (non-aggregate) Uses 56 l. Resources, Reserves, Landbanks and Dormant Sites 58 m. Environmental Capacity 66 n. Transport 67 4. Apportionment and Guidance to MPAs Apportionment Process 71 Guidance to MPAs on Apportionment 79 5. Public Consultation 101 Appendices (see overleaf) SWRAWP Regional Technical Statement 2008 3 List of Appendices 1 References 103 2 Lists of Members 105 3 South Wales Region: Its Character and Economy 107 4 Wales Spatial Plan Objectives 109 5 Secondary and Recycled Aggregates 111 6 Marine Aggregates 119 7 Primary Aggregates 125 8 Consumption and Inter-regional flows 127 9 Assessment of Future Demands 131 10 Fiscal and Other Influences 137 11 Special Aggregates 141 12 Industrial and Other Uses 145 13 Aggregates Resources 147 14 IMAECA Executive Summary 149 15 Confidentiality Groupings 151 16 Review of Dormant Sites: South Wales Region 153 17 IMAECA Applied to Aggregate Resources 157 18 Transport 159 19 Cement 163 20 Apportionment Process (Method and Calculations) 165 21 Policy Setting for Aggregates Provision in National Parks & AONBs 177 4 SWRAWP Regional Technical Statement 2008 FOREWORD I am extremely pleased to have participated in this innovative document which sets out a new approach for the supply of aggregates in accordance with the principles of sustainable development. For all those who participated in the process I thank them wholeheartedly for their time and patience in what has been at times a demanding but also rewarding project. Preparation of the RTS commenced in 2005 and in order to facilitate satisfactory progress the SWRAWP agreed to set up a new RTS Sub Group. This was duly formed of selected MPA Officers, representatives from industry, EA, CCW and the Chair/Secretary of SWRAWP. Several Member Forum meetings were then held at key stages to ensure elected Councillors of the 18 constituent authorities were kept involved in the process. A series of documents were issued to inform the process as it developed. These consisted of draft and final issues; draft and final options; critical path analysis of reserves; analysis of the IMAECA environmental capacity GIS system; and MPA apportionment. All of these documents were made available on the SWRAWP website for public inspection as they were produced. The draft RTS was the subject of a public consultation exercise commencing in November, 2007. A report of consultation responses was then produced and considered (reference to this exercise is found on page 101) by the SWRAWP in February 2008. Thereafter, the Member Forum in March, 2008, agreed to endorse the RTS subject to one of the eighteen MPA’s abstaining (Torfaen). The RTS seeks to achieve a more sustainable approach to the provision of aggregates. Instead of the traditional ‘predict and provide’ process of determining how much aggregate is being sold and then providing sufficient reserves to meet the demand; a more sustainable approach has been adopted. In essence, this new process determines what is happening now and whether or not based on (a) the population of the area (b) the reserves of the area (c) the environmental capacity of the area (d) the natural resources of the area, and (e) the proximity principle, existing patterns of supply need to change. It is freely acknowledged of course that any new pattern will not be achieved quickly due to the considerable legacy of permitted reserves that exist in the region. As set out in MTAN1, it is anticipated the annual production of aggregates in Wales should not exceed 23-27 mtpa at present. In order to prevent finite natural resources being sterilised by development, these have been identified for safeguarding for potential use in the future. As to the status of the RTS, it is intended to be a strategic document produced by the RAWP’s in Wales as required by MTAN1 (Annex A). Its primary aim is to provide a strategy for the provision of aggregates in the region, with allocations of future primary aggregate provision for each constituent Mineral Planning Authority area, so providing a clear steer for the emerging Local Development Plans. It will therefore have the status of a material consideration when the merits of any aggregate-related development proposals are considered in the development control process. Some authorities may, however, need to agree the level of apportionment between themselves as some may find if difficult to meet their specific apportionment requirements due to environmental constraints. In the event SWRAWP Regional Technical Statement 2008 5 some authorities choose not to implement the recommendations of the RTS in their area, powers of direction are available to the WAG to ensure a consistent sustainable approach is achieved in line with national policy. Finally, I am optimistic the RTS will be used in a positive manner to drive a much needed sustainable approach to aggregate supply for the benefit of both the economy and the environment. I look forward to the co-operation of all stakeholders in meeting this challenge both now and in the future. Martin Hooker Chairman SWRAWP 6 SWRAWP Regional Technical Statement 2008 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 the Interim Marine Aggregates Dredging Policy (IMADP). (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 South Wales Regional Aggregates Working Party (SWRAWP), with the assistance of the mineral planning authorities (MPAs), the quarry industry, various other bodies/agencies and the National Stone Centre. The main purpose of the statement is to set out the strategy for the provision of the aggregates in the South Wales region for the period until 2021. As appropriate, MPAs in South Wales will then include allocations for future aggregates provision in their area, as part of the LDP process (NB. The National Park Authorities are not required to maintain such landbanks). The RTS will be endorsed by the South 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 assessment based on the IMAECA system1. 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. SWRAWP Regional Technical Statement 2008 7 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 this respect it is also important to record that the IMAECA (environmental capacity) system has been used, subject to its limitations, to inform the strategic considerations. The IMAECA system is not intended to be used for, nor is it suitable for, the detailed identification of potential resource allocations in UDPs/LDPs or in the determination of planning applications. In order to keep the RTS up-to-date, it will be reviewed every 5 years and monitored annually by the SWRAWP. Key Findings and Recommendations Secondary Aggregates Secondary and recycled aggregate usage in South Wales has already (2005) achieved the 25% target proportion of all aggregates produced, set by MTAN1 for 2009. However, this is an all-Wales target and is therefore also dependent upon the performance in N Wales.