Minerals Core Strategy

The Minerals Core Strategy will set out the vision, objectives and spatial strategy for future mineral related development within Staffordshire. Notably, the Core Strategy will indicate the strategic sites for future mineral working over the next 15 years. Consultation on Issues & Options 2 is now underway You can now respond to questions set out in our Issues & Options consultation document until 24 November 2008. This consultation provides an opportunity for stakeholders including local communities to consider what needs to be addressed in a local strategy for minerals but in contrast to a previous consultation in 2005 (see below), there is also be an opportunity to comment on options for strategic sites proposed by the minerals industry and landowners. We urge you to comment using our new consultation portal available here Before commenting you may wish to refer to the strategic site options supporting documents also available on our consultation portal. The feedback from the consultation will be used to help us refine the objectives and assess the options to deliver the Strategy, including strategic sites. Then we will be able to select options to develop the Strategy which will be subject to further consultation next year. How to stay up to date If you wish to be kept informed about progress of our Minerals Core Strategy please register with us via our new consultation portal available here.  Profiles for Site Options to Minerals Core Strategy For a summary profile and location map of the strategic site options submitted by the minerals industry click here. The Sustainability Appraisal, Strategic Flood Risk Asssessment and Habitats Regulations Assessment of the Minerals Core Strategy To ensure that the policies in the Minerals Core Strategy contribute to the achievement of sustainable development there is a legal requirement to carry out a Sustainability Appraisal (SA) incorporating a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA). The purpose of the SA process is to ensure that the principles of sustainable development are fully integrated into the emerging policies and proposals. To find out visit our SA page. All site proposals will be subject to scoping for compliance with the Strategic Flood Risk Assessment (SFRA) - for more details visit our SFRA page. Alll sites will also need to be subject to an assessment in accordance with the EU Habitats Directive to determine whether or not there are any impacts on ecological sites of international importance - for more details visit our HRA page. Developers submitting strategic site proposals should consider the advice available on our SA, SFRA and HRA pages.   Contact details To discuss the Minerals Core Strategy contact: Matt Griffin, Minerals Planning Policy Team Leader Tel. 01785 277275 Email mat.griffin@staffordshire.gov.uk

 

Background to the Minerals Core Strategy

Issues and Options

Our "Minerals Core Strategy - Issues and Options" was reported to Planning Committee in October 2005 and released for public consultation between 11 November and 23 December 2005.  During this 6-week consultation period comments and views on this document were invited and these will contribute to the development of our 'Preferred Options'.

 Issues and Options - report (13 October 2005)

 Issues & Options document

Issues & Options leaflet

 

 

In April 2006 we published a report and schedule containing all the comments, including some proposals for future sites, received in response to the issues and options consultation document.  To see the summary report and schedule of comments click here.

In May 2007, Members of the Planning Committee approved a document to use for the purposes of public consultation on the selection of preferred options for a Minerals Core Strategy.

 Preferred Options - Report to Planning Committee May 2007

 Appendix A - The Preferred Options document

 Appendix B - The Sustainability Appraisal - non-technical summary

However in July 2007, in response to advice received from the Government Office for the West Midlands (GOWM) and the Planning Inspectorate, a report to Planning Committee recommended that consultations on preferred options be deferred because the preferred options are not currently considered to be sufficiently spatial to provide a clear strategy which identifies "strategic sites" for future mineral production.  The report also set out a revised programme to take the Minerals Core Strategy forward.

 Update report to Planning Committee - July 2007

We circulated a draft background paper relating to the submission of strategic sites for comments to the minerals industry, landowners and other stakeholders ('developers') in August 2007. 

  Draft Background Paper - "Preparing to Invite Proposals to Identify Potential Strategic Sites for the Minerals Core Strategy" (July 2007)

We sent out invitations to the minerals industry, landowners and other stakeholders ('developers') in September 2007.

As a guide to assist developers in submitting proposals a background paper was produced which explained the strategic production issues that needed to be addressed and the broad objectives that we are aiming to achieve through the Minerals Core Strategy.  In addition, the paper provided a list of requirements for developers to consider when preparing proposals to be submitted for our assessment.  The paper also explained that early identification of sites is essential if proposals are to be included in the Minerals Core Strategy because they will need to be thoroughly assessed through the process of sustainability appraisal and to provide the opportunity for stakeholders, including statutory consultees, the local communities and other interested parties to comment.

 Guide to the submission of strategic site proposals

We requested proposals for strategic sites to be submitted before 21 December 2007.

In response to Government advice, the County Council in 2007 reviewed its approach to preparing the Minerals Core Strategy and in particular, set out to identify broad areas and strategic sites for future mineral working. To assist in identifying potential strategic sites, developers in the minerals industry and landowners were invited to submit details of potential sites. A report to the County Council's February 2008 Planning Committee presented a list of the proposed site options.

By July 2008 we had received details of 38 proposed sites, 24 are for sand and gravel, of which 14 are extensions to existing sites. There were 11 proposals for clay extraction, six of which are extensions. The other proposed sites included proposals for the extraction of coal by opencast methods (2), silica sandstone (2) and gypsum/anhydrite (1).

The Planning Committee report also explained that these site options would be used as a basis for re-consulting on issues and options for future mineral development.

 Update report to Planning Commmittee - February 2008

 Appendix 1 to Planning Committee report - updated May 2008

 Submitted Site Proposals Plan - updated May 2008

On 3 July 2008 the County Council's Planning Committee approved a document to be used for a second round of consultation on issues and options for the Minerals Core Strategy. This second round provided an opportunity for stakeholders including local communities to consider what needed to be addressed in a local strategy for minerals but in contrast to a previous consultation in 2005 (see above), there was also an opportunity to comment on options for strategic sites as proposed by the minerals industry and landowners. The feedback from the consultation will be used in refining the vision and assessing the options to deliver the Strategy including strategic sites. Then we will be able to select options to develop the Strategy which will be subject to further consultation in 2009.

For prospective developers, there was an opportunity for alternative strategic site options to be put forward for consideration in response to the consultation on "Issues and Options 2".  More details about the information that was required to be submitted was set out in the following guide.

 Guide to the submission of strategic site proposals

The guide explained that early identification of sites was essential if proposals were to be included in the Minerals Core Strategy because they needed to be thoroughly assessed through the process of sustainability appraisal and to provide the opportunity for stakeholders, including statutory consultees, the local communities and other interested parties to comment.

The committee report, draft consultation document and associated plans are available below:

 Minerals Core Strategy Issues and Options 2 - Report to Planning Committee - July 2008 

 Minerals Core Strategy Issues and Options 2 - Committee Draft version July 2008

 Figure 2 Sand and Gravel quarries in Staffordshire 2008

 Figure 3 Limestone and Clay quarries in Staffordshire 2008

 Figure 4 Coalfields and Petroleum Exploration Licence areas in Staffordshire 2008

 Figure 5 Distribution of Plants and Factories in Staffordshire in 2008

 Figure 7 Site Options - May 2008

 Figure 8 Staffordshire Minerals Core Strategy Key Diagram

Last Modified: 11/11/2008 09:35:11
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