Issue - meetings

Cabinet Member: Environment

Forward Plan Ref: 2018/101

Contact: Peter Day, Minerals and Waste Policy Team Leader Tel: (01865) 815544

Report by Director for Planning & Place (CA9).

Government planning policy in the NPPF requires the County Council to prepare an annual Local Aggregate Assessment (LAA). The LAA establishes the amount of provision for mineral working that should be made in the Minerals and Waste Local Plan and it can also be a material consideration in the determination of planning applications for mineral working. The current LAA 2017 was approved by the Cabinet in December 2017. It set provision levels for sharp sand and gravel and crushed rock higher than the 10 year sale average. These figures are the same as in the previous LAA 2014, which provides the basis for the levels of provision for mineral supply in policy M2 of the Minerals and Waste Local Plan: Part 1 - Core Strategy which was adopted in September 2017.

Updated information on sales and reserves of aggregates in Oxfordshire, for 2017, is now available. A revised LAA 2018 should be produced, taking into account this more up to date information.

Sales of sharp sand and gravel increased in 2017. There was a further slight decrease in the 10 year sales average but the 3 year sales average increased and the generally upward trend in sales was continued. Sales of soft sand and crushed rock increased and were above the LAA 2017 provision levels. On the basis of the new information available, it is considered that the approach and methodology used in the LAA 2014 and LAA 2017 continues to be robust and defensible and that the resultant analysis and conclusions continue to hold; and that the provision levels in the LAA 2017 continue to be appropriate and should be carried forward in the revised LAA 2018. It is considered to be too early in the monitoring period for the Core Strategy to change the LAA provision levels. However, the situation should continue to be monitored and the possible need for review of the figures considered annually.

The Cabinet is RECOMMENDED, subject to consideration of any advice from the South East England Aggregate Working Party, to

(a)         approve the inclusion of the provision level figures in paragraph 11 of the above report in the Oxfordshire Local Aggregate Assessment 2018 for use as the basis for provision for mineral working in the Oxfordshire Minerals and Waste Local Plan and for calculating the Oxfordshire landbank;

(b)         authorise the Director for Planning and Place in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Environment to finalise the Oxfordshire Local Aggregate Assessment 2018 and to publish it on the Council website.

Recommendations agreed.

Government planning policy in the NPPF requires the County Council to prepare an annual Local Aggregate Assessment (LAA). The LAA establishes the amount of provision for mineral working that should be made in the Minerals and Waste Local Plan and it can also be a material consideration in the determination of planning applications for mineral working. The current LAA 2017 was approved by the Cabinet in December 2017. It set provision levels for sharp sand and gravel and crushed rock higher than the 10-year sale average. These figures are the same as in the previous LAA 2014, which provides the basis for the levels of provision for mineral supply in policy M2 of the Minerals and Waste Local Plan: Part 1 - Core Strategy which was adopted in September 2017.

Cabinet had before them a report that set out updated information on sales and reserves of aggregates in Oxfordshire, for 2017 and making recommendations for a revised LAA 2018, considering this more up to date information.

Councillor John Sanders, Shadow Cabinet Member for Environment, expressed his complete agreement with the recommendations. He noted that this was a period of appreciable change and the county council needed to work on the long-term figures.

Councillor Constance, Cabinet Member for Environment, introduced the report and moved the recommendations.

RESOLVED:             subject to consideration of any advice from the South East England Aggregate Working Party, to

(a)         approve the inclusion of the provision level figures in paragraph 11 of the above report in the Oxfordshire Local Aggregate Assessment 2018 for use as the basis for provision for mineral working in the Oxfordshire Minerals and Waste Local Plan and for calculating the Oxfordshire landbank;

(b)         authorise the Director for Planning and Place in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Environment to finalise the Oxfordshire Local Aggregate Assessment 2018 and to publish it on the Council website.