TARMAC GIRTON QUARRY PLANNING APPLICATION TO VARY CONDITIONS 8 AND 9 OF PLANNING CONSENT 3/98/0800 AND CONDITIONS 7 AND 8 OF PLANNING CONSENT 3/04/00394/CMM TO FACILITATE AN EXTENSION OF TIME AT GIRTON QUARRY SUPPORTING PLANNING STATEMENT PREPARED BY: DAVID L WALKER LIMITED JULY 2016 Tarmac Girton Quarry Planning Application to Vary Conditions to Facilitate an Extension of Time Supporting Planning Statement CONTENTS Preface Section 1 Site Location and Context Section 2 Summary of Proposals Section 3 Planning Statement 3.1 General 3.2 Newark and Sherwood District Council 3.3 Nottinghamshire County Council 3.4 Emerging Policy ad Supplementary Planning Guidance 3.5 National Planning Policy Section 4 Need Section 5 Statement of Community Involvement Section 6 Summary <<<<<<<>>>>>>> LIST OF APPENDICES Appendix 1 Planning Application Forms Prepared by David L Walker Limited 2 July 2016 Tarmac Girton Quarry Planning Application to Vary Conditions to Facilitate an Extension of Time Supporting Planning Statement PREFACE (i) Tarmac ("the applicant") benefits from two planning consents under references 3/98/0800 (“the 1999 consent”) and 3/04/0394/CMM (“the 2004 consent”) for the extraction of sand and gravel at Girton Quarry (“the site”) with restoration to a combination of after uses, including agriculture, nature conservation and amenity. (ii) Under Conditions 8 and 9 of the 1999 consent and Conditions 7 and 8 of the 2004 consent, mineral extraction at the application site is required to cease by 31 August 2016, with restoration to be completed within one year following the cessation of mineral extraction or, in the case of the 2004 consent, by 31 August 2017, whichever is the sooner. (iii) The site has been mothballed since January 2009 as a direct result of the severe and widespread economic recession that started in 2007 and approximately 3.44 million tonnes of sand and gravel reserves remain to be extracted, with a further 120,000 tonnes (approximate) of processed sand and gravel stored at the plant site available for sale and distribution. (iv) Tarmac intends to recommence operations at the site during the period of the emerging Nottinghamshire Mineral Local Plan (up to 2030) and in order to prevent sterilisation of the mineral reserves, an extension of time will be required. (v) The quarry has historically operated in excess of 300,000 tonnes per annum, but the projected future average output is anticipated to be approximately 200,000 tonnes per annum, which when operations at other quarries in the Trent Valley are factored in, is the anticipated market demand for sand and gravel from the site. (vi) Existing vehicle routing requirements also have an influence upon the market area which the site can realistically serve and this has influenced the projected output set out above. (vii) Refurbishment of the processing plant is required prior to the full reopening of the quarry, which is expected in 2018 or 2019 to coincide with the expected closure of Finningley Quarry. (viii) In order to ensure that these permitted sand and gravel reserves form part of the landbank, an extension of time to 31 December 2035 in respect of completion of mineral extraction is therefore proposed with restoration to be completed within one year thereafter. (ix) In this regard it is proposed to vary Condition 8 of the 1999 consent and Condition 7 of the 2004 consent as follows: Prepared by David L Walker Limited 3 July 2016 Tarmac Girton Quarry Planning Application to Vary Conditions to Facilitate an Extension of Time Supporting Planning Statement “All mineral extraction shall cease on or before 31 December 2035 unless otherwise agreed in writing by the Mineral Planning Authority (MPA)”. (x) It is also proposed to vary Condition 9 of the 1999 consent and Condition 8 of the 2004 consent as follows: “All restoration operations shall be completed on or before 31 December 2036 or within twelve months of the permanent cessation of mineral extraction, whichever is the sooner.” (xi) There are no proposals to alter any other element of the permitted development, but at the request of the Mineral Planning Authority (“MPA”) an interim restoration scheme has been prepared in support of the proposals in respect of areas of the site where restoration was in the process of completion prior to mothballing. (xii) Owing to the nature of the proposals, and size of the application area, the proposals constitute EIA development as defined under the Town and Country Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment) Regulations 2011 (“the EIA Regulations), and this Environmental Statement sets out findings of the EIA process. (xiii) Environmental Impact Assessment was first introduced into English Law in 1988, although the original procedure was referred to as “Environmental Assessment”. The EIA Regulations came into force in August 2011 and consolidated and replaced provisions of the Town and Country Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment) (England and Wales) Regulations 1999 and any amending legislation. (xiv) This Supporting Planning Statement (SPS) is provided in support of the planning application and sets out a full review of Development Plan policies (both adopted and emerging) and a justified need argument for the proposed extension of time. (xv) A copy of the planning application forms is reproduced at Appendix 1. There are two sets of forms, one in relation to variation of the 1999 consent and one in relation to variation of the 2004 consent. Prepared by David L Walker Limited 4 July 2016 Tarmac Girton Quarry Planning Application to Vary Conditions to Facilitate an Extension of Time Supporting Planning Statement SECTION 1 SITE LOCATION AND CONTEXT 1.1 Girton Quarry lies approximately 2 km north of the village of Girton and 14 km north of Newark-on-Trent. The location of the application site is shown on Plan G011/00158 reproduced within the accompanying Environmental Statement (“ES”). 1.2 The application site is located in a primarily rural setting with open fields to the north, south and west, and with the A1133 to the east. The River Trent, which flows in a north/south direction, is located approximately 0.8 km to the west. 1.3 Prior to mothballing in 2009, operations at the application site were well-established. Land uses on site comprise the following elements: areas within which sand and gravel remains to be extracted; areas in the process of final restoration; restored mineral workings; site access and haul road; and ancillary and administrative facilities (ie site offices, parking area and stocking area). The location of these land uses across the existing site is illustrated on Plan G011/00158. 1.4 Access to the application site is derived via a purpose-built access road located off the A1133 to the east, which in turn links in with the A57 and primary road network to the north. 1.5 Under the terms of the Section 106 Agreement dated 26 August 1999, Heavy Goods Vehicles (“HGVs”) with a gross laden weight of more than 7.5 tonnes are only permitted to journey to/from the application site via the A1133 to the north, and these obligations will continue to remain in place over the course of ongoing operations. 1.6 The area of consented mineral reserve remaining to be extracted is contained within Phases 6-14 of the approved working scheme, which includes the plant site and stocking area. Approximately 840,000 tonnes of the permitted reserves has been extracted to date. 1.7 In respect of restoration, Phases 1-3 (refer Appendix 3 of the accompanying ES) have been restored. Mineral extraction in Phases 4 and 5 has been completed, but these phases have not yet been fully restored. Prepared by David L Walker Limited 5 July 2016 Tarmac Girton Quarry Planning Application to Vary Conditions to Facilitate an Extension of Time Supporting Planning Statement SECTION 2 SUMMARY OF PROPOSALS 2.1 The proposals are for an extension of time to 31 December 2035 to allow extraction of the remaining mineral reserves, estimated at 3.44 million tonnes with restoration proposed to be completed within one year thereafter. 2.2 In order to facilitate this extension of time it is proposed to vary both the 1999 consent and the 2004 consent. Copy of both planning consents is reproduced at Appendix 8 of the accompanying Environmental Statement. 2.3 In this regard it is proposed to vary Condition 8 of the 1999 consent and Condition 7 of the 2004 consent as follows: “All mineral extraction shall cease on or before 31 December 2035 unless otherwise agreed in writing by the Mineral Planning Authority (MPA)”. 2.4 It is also proposed to vary Condition 9 of the 1999 consent and Condition 8 of the 2004 consent as follows: “All restoration operations shall be completed on or before 31 December 2036 or within twelve months of the permanent cessation of mineral extraction, whichever is the sooner.” 2.5 There are no proposals to alter any other element of the permitted development, but at the request of the Mineral Planning Authority (“MPA”) an interim restoration scheme has been prepared in support of the proposals in respect of areas of the site where restoration was in the process of completion prior to mothballing. Details in this regard are set out in Section 4 and Appendix 10 of the ES. Prepared by David L Walker Limited 6 July 2016 Tarmac Girton Quarry Planning Application to Vary Conditions to Facilitate an Extension of Time Supporting Planning Statement SECTION 3 PLANNING STATEMENT 3.1 General 3.1.1 Section 38 of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 replicates the provisions of Section 54A of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 (as amended) and requires that where in making any determination regard is to be had to the Development Plan, and that determination shall be made in accordance with the Plan unless material considerations indicate otherwise.