Leicestershire Minerals Development Framework
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Leicestershire Minerals Development Framework Site Allocations Preferred Options (up to 2021) July 2006 i Leicestershire Minerals Development Framework Site Allocations Preferred Options ii Leicestershire Minerals Development Framework Site Allocations Preferred Options Contents 1. Introduction 1 The Minerals Development Framework 1 Public Consultation 3 2. Site Selection Process 5 3. Sand and Gravel Provision 9 Brooksby 12 Cadeby 14 Husbands Bosworth 16 Lockington 18 Shawell 20 4. Alternative Sand and Gravel Sites 23 Flash Farm, Huncote 23 Thurlaston/Huncote 24 Slip Inn Quarry, Ashby Parva 27 North Kilworth 28 5. Fireclay 31 Location of Preferred Mineral Sites 35 Inset Map 1: Brooksby 36 Inset Map 2: Cadeby 37 Inset Map 3: Husbands Bosworth 38 Inset Map 4: Lockington 39 Inset Map 5: Shawell 40 Inset Map 6: Donington Island 41 Appendices 1 Feedback Form 42 0 Leicestershire Minerals Development Framework Site Allocations Preferred Options 1. Introduction The Minerals Development Framework 1.1 A Minerals Development Framework (MDF) is being prepared for the administrative area of Leicestershire (outside the City of Leicester) under the provisions of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004. The Leicestershire Minerals Development Framework (LMDF) will replace the existing Leicestershire Minerals Local Plan Review 1995 in setting out the policies and proposals for the development and use of land for minerals within the framework area. 1.2 Development Frameworks are to be produced by all local planning authorities to guide decisions about planning applications and to provide a ‘spatial plan’ or 'geographic blueprint’ to help shape the future of their areas. The Development Framework is a portfolio of development plan documents and other local development documents. An advantage of the new system is that individual documents can be reviewed separately, as necessary, and can be more easily adjusted to respond to changing circumstances than was the case before, when the whole plan had to be reviewed. 1.3 The new system also involves the phasing out of the Structure Plan. Regional Spatial Strategies (RSS) are to be introduced (to replace Regional Planning Guidance) and together with the development plan documents will in future form the Development Plan. 1.4 The minerals development plan documents are to include: • A Core Strategy, including Development Control Policies, which will set out the key principles to guide the future winning and working of minerals in the County, and the criteria against which planning applications for minerals development will be considered. It will include a spatial vision, spatial strategy, strategic objectives, core policies, and a monitoring framework. • A Site Allocations document which will include specific proposals and policies for the provision of future minerals supply within the County. 1 Leicestershire Minerals Development Framework Site Allocations Preferred Options 1.5 A Proposals Map will accompany these development plan documents to illustrate the policies and proposals within their geographic context and to identify areas of protection. 1.6 Supplementary planning documents to expand policies or provide additional detail can also be produced, though a particular need for these has not been identified at this stage. 1.7 Other local development documents within the Framework are to include: • A Statement of Community Involvement (SCI), which sets out the standards to be achieved by the County Council in involving the community in the preparation, alteration and continuing review of all development documents and planning applications. • Leicestershire County Council’s Minerals and Waste Development Scheme (LMWDS), which sets out the programme for preparing the LMDF. • An Annual Monitoring Report, which will be required, to review actual plan progress compared with the programme set out in the Development Scheme, to assess the effectiveness of policies in meeting targets, to consider whether policies need adjusting or replacing and if so to determine what action should be taken. 1.8 To ensure that development plan documents are prepared with a view to contributing towards sustainable development, they must be subject to appraisal. In addition, the provisions of European Directive 2001/42/EC must be complied with, which requires formal strategic environmental assessment of certain plans and programmes. Therefore, accompanying the Framework are: • A Sustainability Appraisal (SA), which evaluates the social, environmental and economic effects of the strategies and policies of the development plan documents from the outset of the preparation process; and, • A Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA), which assesses the development plan documents for any likely significant effects on the environment that may occur. The SEA is incorporated within the SA. 1.9 In combination, these documents will seek to address the need to provide protection to the environment and the amenity of local residents, whilst 2 Leicestershire Minerals Development Framework Site Allocations Preferred Options ensuring a steady supply of minerals in accordance with Government guidelines and society’s needs. They also provide controls relating to the beneficial reinstatement of land following mineral working, and aim to maximise the use of alternative materials in order to reduce the reliance on primary-won minerals, having regard to sustainability objectives. Public Consultation 1.10 Initial work in developing the LMDF involved a monitoring report relating to the existing Minerals Local Plan. This examined the performance of the current policies and the continuing relevance of the plan’s proposals, in the light of changing circumstances, including those occurring at national and regional levels. 1.11 The monitoring report identified key issues, which formed the basis for an extensive consultation exercise during May and June 2003. Further discussion with the minerals industry and other interested parties continued into 2004, in respect of potential mineral proposals likely to come forward during the period up to the end of 2016. Potential sites were subject to consultation with statutory and local consultees on a confidential basis. 1.12 The above exercise established a valuable evidence base, which informed the development of an Issues and Options report that was published for consultation in June 2005. The Minerals Issues and Options report represented the first stage in reviewing minerals planning policy in Leicestershire and in developing the new LMDF. The report can be found on the County Council’s website at www.leics.gov.uk. 1.13 Responses to the Minerals Issues and Options consultation were considered during August 2005, and this process has informed the development of the County Council’s Preferred Options for the Minerals Development Documents. Sites put forward for sand and gravel extraction have also been subject to consultation with various bodies. A summary of the responses received to the Minerals Issues and Options consultation and on the specific sites is available on the Councils’ websites (addresses as above), or available on request from Leicestershire County Council’s Planning Group. 3 Leicestershire Minerals Development Framework Site Allocations Preferred Options 1.14 Comments are now invited on this Minerals Site Allocations Preferred Options document, which includes specific proposals and policies for the provision of future minerals supply within the County. It may assist you in making comments to also consider the Minerals Core Strategy and Development Control Preferred Options document, which sets out the strategic objectives and policies for planning for minerals in Leicestershire upon which comments are being invited at the same time. 1.15 This formal consultation process and your comments will assist in refining policies and proposals for future mineral development in the framework area. It is important that any views are put forward at this stage so that they can be properly considered in defining the content of the final Development Plan documents which will be submitted to the Secretary of State for independent examination. There will be another opportunity at submission stage to make representations on both the Minerals Core Strategy and Development Control Policies and the Site Allocations. These will then be considered by an inspector appointed by the Secretary of State in examining the document. 1.16 As the LMDF documents have arisen out of an initial review of Leicestershire’s Minerals Local Plan, readers may wish to refer back to this plan, which can be seen and downloaded on the County Council’s website at www.leics.gov.uk, and at libraries in Leicestershire. 1.17 Sustainability Appraisal and Strategic Environmental Assessment of this document have been carried out and the formal SA/SEA report should also be read when considering the Preferred Options. It can be found on the County Council’s website at www.leics.gov.uk. 1.18 Responses are requested by 6th October 2006. To assist a form with contact addresses is provided in Appendix 1. Alternatively you may wish to make your representations electronically at: www.leics.gov.uk or by sending an email to: [email protected]. 4 Leicestershire Minerals Development Framework Site Allocations Preferred Options 2 Site Selection Process 2.1 MPG1 requires that mineral development plans should indicate areas of land for possible future mineral working. These may take the form of Specific Sites, Preferred Areas or Areas of Search