Essex Minerals Local Plan Adopted July 2014 Essex Minerals Local Plan - Foreword
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Essex Minerals Local Plan Adopted July 2014 Essex Minerals Local Plan - Foreword Foreword According to the British Geological Society, on average each person in the UK uses more than ten tonnes of minerals and metals in one year (the same weight as seven cars). This figure includes minerals products you use at home and a share of minerals, metals and fuels used in leisure, retail, transport, work and public facilities. Because minerals are so important to our economy and quality of life, the Government requires us to ensure there are enough reserves to meet the needs of construction and other industries. In Essex the main minerals we produce are sand and gravel (aggregates). However, the extraction of minerals can have impacts on the landscape, environment and the quality of life of local residents. Such impacts are to be minimised through the use of planning policies, contained in this document, for the supply of minerals. The MLP provides up-to-date planning policy for minerals development in Essex until 2029. In particular, it gives certainty as to the location of future minerals development i.e., through site allocations. Landowners and mineral companies with preferred or reserve sites in this Plan will need to come forward with applications for planning permission setting out how impacts will be 1 addressed, e.g., through Environmental Impact Assessments. The Plan includes details of how mineral sites should be restored and reused allowing us to keep the balance between the demand for minerals against the need to protect the environment and quality of life. We’re challenging site promoters, in particular, to promote habitat creation as an after-use. Throughout its preparation the MLP has been shaped by comments from stakeholders and the public of Essex through a series of public consultations, alongside evidence of how Essex is changing and how growth can be supported. The adoption of this Plan represents a milestone in providing Essex with the framework it needs to ensure a steady supply of aggregate, supporting alternative sources of supply and managing mineral development within acceptable social and environmental limits. Councillor John Jowers Cabinet Member for Libraries, Communities & Planning Essex County Council July 2014 Essex Minerals Local Plan - Contents Contents 1.0 Introduction 5 2.0 Spatial portrait and key minerals planning issues 13 3.0 The strategy 27 Spatial Vision 28 Aims and Strategic Objectives 30 Spatial Priorities for Minerals Development 34 Policy S1 Presumption in favour of sustainable development 36 Policy S2 Strategic priorities for minerals development 38 Policy S3 Climate change 42 Policy S4 Reducing the use of mineral resources 46 Policy S5 Creating a network of aggregate recycling facilities 53 Policy S6 Provision for sand and gravel extraction 62 Policy S7 Provision for industrial minerals 64 Policy S8 Safeguarding mineral resources and mineral reserves 69 Policy S9 Safeguarding mineral transhipment sites and secondary 75 processing facilities 2 Policy S10 Protecting and enhancing the environment and local 78 amenity Policy S11 Access and Transportation 80 Policy S12 Mineral Site Restoration and After-Use 87 4.0 Preferred and reserve mineral sites for primary mineral 89 extraction Policy P1 Preferred Sites for Sand and Gravel Extraction 91 Policy P2 Preferred Sites for Silica Sand Extraction 94 5.0 Development management policies 97 Policy DM1 Development Management Criteria 109 Policy DM2 Planning Conditions and Legal Agreements 110 Policy DM3 Primary Processing Plant 111 Policy DM4 Secondary Processing Plant 112 6.0 Implementation, monitoring and review 113 Policy IMR1 Monitoring and Review 124 7.0 Reference material 125 Appendices 143 Essex County Council July 2014 Essex Minerals Local Plan - Contents Appendix One. Site Profiles for Preferred and Reserve Sites 144 Bradwell Quarry, Rivenhall Airfield 146 Broadfield Farm, Rayne 152 Colchester Quarry, Fiveways 154 Sunnymead, Alresford 156 Little Bullocks Farm, Great & Little Canfield 158 Maldon Road, Birch 162 Blackley Quarry, Great Leighs 164 Land at Shellow Cross Farm 168 Land at Colemans Farm 170 Slough Farm 172 Appendix Two. Profiles for Existing and Proposed Transhipment Sites 174 Ballast Quay, Fingringhoe 174 Harlow Mill Station 176 Chelmsford Rail Sidings 178 Marks Tey Rail Siding 180 Port of Harwich 182 Appendix Three. Profiles for Strategic Aggregate Recycling Sites 184 Purdeys Industrial Estate 184 3 Bulls Lodge 186 Stanway 188 Appendix Four. Profiles of Safeguarded Coated Stone Plants (Asphalt) 190 Sutton Wharf 190 Stanway 192 Wivenhoe 194 Bulls Lodge 196 Essex Regiment Way 198 Harlow Rail 200 Appendix Five. Consultation Procedure for Mineral Safeguarding Areas 202 Essex County Council July 2014 Essex Minerals Local Plan - Contents 4 Essex County Council July 2014 1.0 Introduction Essex Minerals Local Plan - Introduction 1.0 Introduction Background 1.1 Essex County Council is the minerals and waste planning authority for the County of Essex, as defined in Map 1. Map 1 Essex Administrative Area and Mineral Planning Authorities in the East of England Cambridge Cambridgeshire Suffolk Ipswich Uttlesford Braintree Felixstw Harwich Colchester Braintree Bishops Tendring Hertfordshire Stortford Clacton-on-Sea Harlow 6 Chelmsford Epping Maldon Enfield Epping Brentwood Rochford Basildon London London Canvey Southend-on-Sea City Thurrock Island London Airport (Unitary) (Unitary) Castle Grays Point Dartford Gravesend Ebbs fleet Kent Sheerness Map supplied by INVEST Essex London Thamesport 1.2 The County Council has a statutory responsibility to plan for future minerals supply and waste management, and to determine mineral and waste planning applications. It Ramsgate is fulfilling this responsMib2i6lity by preparing separSaittti negbMourinne erals and Waste Local Plans to support the achievement of sustainable development within the County. 1.3 This document is the Essex Minerals Local Plan 2014, which has been found sound through an examination process subject to modifications (included). For the sake of brevity, the Essex Minerals Local Plan will be referred to as “the Plan” throughout the rest of the document. Essex Minerals Local Plan - Introduction The Economic Importance of Minerals 1.4 Minerals underpin our entire way of life. They provide the construction materials upon which we all rely for the homes we live in, our places of work, our transport infrastructure and essential services such as health, education and recreational facilities. 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 a 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, brick clay 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. 7 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 as to where future minerals development might take place. A Spatial Plan - A New Form Of Local Plan 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) United Kingdom Yearbook 2011, British Geological Survey Essex Minerals Local Plan - Introduction 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 minerals 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