Issue - meetings

Cabinet Member: Growth & Infrastructure

Forward Plan Ref: 2011/035

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

Report by Deputy Director of Environment & Economy – Growth & Infrastructure (CA10).

The Minerals and Waste Core Strategy will set out the vision, objectives, spatial strategy, core policies and implementation framework for the supply of minerals and management of waste in Oxfordshire to 2030.  The County Council must carry out consultation on a preferred strategy before the Core Strategy is submitted to the Secretary of State for independent examination.  This consultation is to be undertaken in June/July 2011, in accordance with the timetable previously agreed by Cabinet.  Draft preferred strategies for minerals and waste were considered by the Minerals and Waste Working Group on 9 May 2011.  The Working Group has recommended to Cabinet that these should form the basis of a preferred minerals and waste core strategy for consultation.

The report summarises comments that have been received on the report by Atkins on Local Assessment of Aggregates Supply Requirements for Oxfordshire and sets out actions to address the key points raised.  A preferred strategy for minerals is put forward, including a vision and obectives for minerals and core minerals polices, which incorporate the aggregates supply figures and the strategy for the location of mineral workings agreed by Cabinet on 16 February 2011.

The strategy must also make planning provision for the management of all wastes in Oxfordshire, including municipal waste; commercial and industrial waste; construction and demolition waste; hazardous waste; and radioactive waste.  Management of waste in Oxfordshire is moving away for landfill towards increased recycling and resource recovery treatment.  The strategy needs to make provision for the additional facilities that will be needed to enable this to continue.  These facilities will mainly be needed at or near to the main urban areas.  A draft preferred strategy is put forward which includes a vision and objectives for waste; the need for additional waste facilities; options for meeting these requirements; a draft preferred planning strategy for the location of new waste management facilities; and draft polices for waste.

The Cabinet is RECOMMENDED to:

(a)               Agree that the County Council’s draft Preferred Minerals and Waste Core Strategy be based on the proposed strategies and policies in Annexes 2, 3 and 4.

(b)              Agree that public consultation be carried out on the preferred strategy and policies for minerals and on the strategy options and draft preferred strategy and polices for waste.

Delegate authority to finalise the consultation document to the Deputy Director (Growth and Infrastructure) in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Growth and Infrastructure.

Councillor Charles Mathew praised the hard work over several years that had gone into the report and stated that he did not intend to detail the impact on local people nor the shortcomings he felt were in the Atkins report. He highlighted what he saw as an unacceptable concentration of gravel extraction in West Oxfordshire, explained that he felt the figures for extraction were too high and that he awaited the updated figures. More focus was needed on secondary production and recycling.

The Cabinet Member for Growth & Infrastructure noted that she had heard the comments from members and she too awaited the new figures referred to by Councillor Mathew. This was a full and important report and progress was needed. However she had only recently taken over the portfolio and felt that further consideration was needed on the waste element. She would like more time to discuss the matter further with officers and she asked that consideration be deferred to a future meeting. Following assurances that the delay would not compromise the position of the Cabinet and Council it was:

RESOLVED:             to defer consideration to a future meeting.