AUGEAN EAST NORTHANTS RESOURCE MANAGEMENT FACILITY APPENDIX CRAL REPRESENTATIONS TO THE MINERALS AND WASTE DEVELOPMENT FRAMEWORK March 2012 Minerals and Waste Development Framework Issues and Options Paper Growth Management Northamptonshire County Council PO Box 163, County Hall Northampton NN1 1AX Dear Sirs Minerals and Waste Development Framework Kings Cliffe Western Extension We are pleased to enclose our response to the Issues and Options Paper together with submissions for the allocation of the extension of the hazardous waste landfill at Kings Cliffe in the MWDF. In support of the inclusion of Kings Cliffe Western Extension we provide an appraisal of the extension area undertaken following the County Site Assessment Methodology together with a landscape report and a hydrogeology report. We have commissioned an Agricultural Land Classification survey, a Phase 1 habitat survey and a historic environment desk study which should be available by the end of May 2007. We should be pleased to provide you with copies of these documents. We trust this information is suitable for your purposes. We should be pleased to meet to discuss the proposals is this would be of assistance. Please do not hesitate to contact us should you have any queries or need further information. Yours faithfully Gene Wilson Group Technical Director WS010001/ENRMF/CONSAPPCRAL 1 Minerals and Waste Development Framework Issues and Options Paper Growth Management Northamptonshire County Council PO Box 163, County Hall Northampton NN1 1AX 20 June 2007 Dear Sirs Minerals and Waste Development Framework Kings Cliffe Western Extension Further to our submission of 12 April 2007, we are pleased to provide three reports to supplement the submissions made: Cultural Heritage Baseline Report – May 2007 Soils and Agricultural Land Classification – May 2007 Kings Cliffe Potential Extension Phase 1 Habitat Survey – 11 June 2007 Based on the conclusions of the reports, we consider that no archaeological, ecological or agricultural issues have been identified that would preclude development of the site in accordance with our proposals. It is recognised that further surveys will be needed in respect of ecology and perhaps archaeology to support the application for planning permission. We should intend to agree the scope of such surveys as part of the Environmental Impact Assessment that will be necessary for the development. Any mitigation necessary will be determined during the process and incorporated in the design proposals for the site. We trust that this information is of assistance to you. Please do not hesitate to contact us should you have any queries. Yours faithfully Gene Wilson Group Technical Director cc Phil Watson Enc WS010001/ENRMF/CONSAPPCRAL 2 Agenda Item No: D2 NORTHAMPTONSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL CABINET 10 September 2007 Report by Director for Community Leadership Cabinet Member for the Environment: Councillor Ben Smith Subject: Minerals and Waste Development Framework: Core Strategy and Locations for Minerals and Waste Development Preferred Options Advice: Cabinet is asked to agree that consultation on the Preferred Options can be initiated. 1. Intended Outcome 1.1 Approval of the preferred options for consultation, leading to the ultimate adoption of the core strategy and locations documents as fundamental parts of the new Minerals and Waste Development Framework (MWDF). The MWDF will drive investment in minerals and waste development in Northamptonshire to 2026. 2. Relevant Council Strategic Goal and Priority 2.1 The Medium Term Plan vision is ‘one council focussed on customers and community leadership priorities’. The adoption of key parts of the MWDF helps achieve the following strategic goals and priorities: Medium Term Plan and Strategic Goals Council Priority Communities A cleaner and greener The built, natural and public county environment is better developed and maintained. 3. Background 3.1 The Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act (September 2004) brought in a totally changed development planning system. This sees the replacement of local plans by development frameworks. 3.2 In the case of minerals and waste planning authorities such as Northamptonshire County Council, our Waste and Minerals Local Plans (adopted March and May 2006 respectively) will be replaced by a Minerals and Waste Development Framework (MWDF). Unlike a local plan, which is a comprehensive document covering the whole of its area, the MWDF is actually the name given to a portfolio of what are known as ‘Development Plan Documents’; these are effectively a series of local plans covering specific issues and topics. These Development Plan Documents (DPDs) will cover that WS010001/ENRMF/CONSAPPCRAL 3 which is necessary to set out the future land use planning context for Northamptonshire for minerals and waste development. 3.3 The MWDF for Northamptonshire is to comprise the following DPDs: The Core Strategy for minerals and waste development- this is the main component of the MWDF and sets out the development strategy for minerals and waste by outlining the broad provision that needs to be made for such development to 2026, and the strategic spatial considerations that will apply to enable this provision to be accommodated within Northamptonshire. The Locations for Minerals Development- this identifies locations for minerals development in Northamptonshire and the particular considerations that will apply, especially in relation to the specific sites allocated in the DPD. The Locations for Waste Development- which will identify locations for waste development in Northamptonshire and the particular considerations that will apply, especially in relation to the specific sites allocated in the DPD. Control and Management of Development- this sets out policies on which individual proposals for minerals and waste development will be determined and then implemented- this will include proposals for both allocated and non-allocated locations and uses. The MWDF will also comprise a non-statutory supplementary planning document (SPD) on Development and Implementation Principles- this provides more detailed guidance on the standards and requirements for developing, implementing and restoring sites identified for minerals and waste development and also covers general matters of minimising waste in new development. This SPD was adopted by the County Council in March 2007. 3.4 The Core Strategy and the two ‘location’ DPDs are those that are currently being taken forward. Work will not commence on the Control and Management of Development LDD until next year. 3.5 The process of moving to adoption is substantially different for DPDs compared to the old local plans. There are two formal stages of consultation- preferred options and submission. Preferred options set out the planning authority’s emerging view of the way forward and the likely policies and locations that should be pursued- there is a six weeks formal consultation on preferred options. The submission stage is when the final DPDs we would wish to adopt are submitted to the Secretary of State for a subsequent public examination (and at submission also consulted on formally for six weeks). 3.6 Following submission a public examination into each DPD is held- this may be nine months to a year after the submission. A public examination is not the same as the old local plan public inquiry, as its purpose is not to deal with all objections to the DPDs but rather to examine through roundtable sessions whether the plan is sound. There are a number of tests of soundness that have to be met, and if they cannot be met, or small changes made to the DPD to enable it to be met, then the DPD cannot be adopted. The independent inspector who chairs the public examination will make this judgement and this is binding on the county council. Appendix 2 shows the soundness tests that will need to be met by the county council in its DPDs. 4. Consultation 4.1 Over the past sixteen months work has been ongoing on getting to the stage where it is considered we have preferred options that are sound. There has been consultation and engagement as part of this process. WS010001/ENRMF/CONSAPPCRAL 4 4.2 In May 2006 there was a request for those who wanted to put sites forward for possible inclusion in the MWDF to do so. There was a full consultation on the issues that had been identified and options for the way forward held from February to April this year; this consultation included opportunities to comment on the acceptability of the sites that had been put forward for possible inclusion in the relevant DPDs. We have also met with GO- EM and with statutory bodies including Natural England during the preparation of the preferred options to discuss issues arising and how to address them. We also separately consulted with neighbouring minerals and waste planning authorities in drawing up our proposed spatial strategy. 4.3 The issues and options consultation held in the spring led to responses being made by 320 individuals and organisations. A number of respondents gave a response for each issue and option, but the largest number were representations solely objecting to the possible inclusion of one or more sites in the location DPDs. The majority of site specific objections (and half of all representations) related to the possibility of mineral extraction at Welford Lodge Farm; this illustrated not so much unacceptability of development here, but rather the existence of a strong action group in the vicinity. 5. Proposal 5.1 As is the case with any planning documents their content is not solely shaped by the consequences of consultation, but also by general planning principles, by central government guidance and by the situation on the ground. One of the major considerations we have to have regard to in developing preferred options is to the test of soundness, and particularly in this respect for the DPDs we have prepared to have a coherence within and between them and for this to be underpinned by a clear spatial strategy. County councils elsewhere who have reached preferred options stage have generally up to now been found wanting in these respects, and we therefore need to have an emerging strategy and policies that can clearly be demonstrated to be sound.