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ITEM CA11
CABINET
– 21 NOVEMBER 2006
OXFORDSHIRE
MINERALS AND WASTE DEVELOPMENT FRAMEWORK: CORE STRATEGY
Report by
Head of Sustainable Development
Introduction
- The Core Strategy
will be a key development plan document forming part of the Minerals
and Waste Development Framework and it is the first such document that
the County Council is preparing. It will set out the Council’s vision,
spatial strategy and core policies for minerals and waste development
in Oxfordshire over the next 20 years. It will not include specific
site proposals; these will be contained in the separate Minerals and
Waste Site Proposals development plan documents that we are preparing
on a separate timetable running about 6 months behind the Core Strategy
timetable.
(Annex 1 - download as .doc file)
(Annex 2 - download as .doc file)
(Annex 3 - download as .doc file)
(Annex 4 - download as .doc file)
(Annex 5 - download as .doc file)
- On 6 September
2005 the Cabinet approved a set of aims, objectives, issues and options
to form the basis of a Minerals and Waste Issues and Options Consultation
Paper for the Core Strategy. This paper would also inform preparation
of the Minerals and Waste Site Proposals Documents. The Issues and Options
Consultation Paper was subsequently prepared and agreed by the Cabinet
Member for Sustainable Development, and was published on 28 June 2006.
The consultation period ran to 11 August.
- The Council must
now prepare Preferred Options for the Core Strategy and publish these
for consultation. This report summarises the outcome of consultation
on issues and options and puts forward a draft Preferred Options document
for the Cabinet’s consideration.
Consultation on Issues
and Options
- The Minerals and
Waste Issues and Options Paper set out for consultation:
- the strategic
aims and objectives for minerals and waste planning in Oxfordshire;
- the main spatial
planning issues that need to be addressed; and
- possible options
for addressing the issues identified.
- At this core strategy
stage in the plan-preparation process, these matters are covered in
a general, strategic manner. Detailed site options will be considered
when the site proposals documents are prepared. The Issues and Options
Paper was distributed to all County Council Members when it was published.
A copy has been made available in the Members’ Resource Centre.
- 130 responses
to the Issues and Options Paper were received within the consultation
period, from a range of organisations and individuals. A summary of
these responses by issue is set out at Annex 1. The full responses can
be seen in Environment and Economy (Strategic Policy and Economic Development
Group) at Speedwell House.
- The Issues and
Options Paper was also considered by the Minerals and Waste Forum stakeholder
group, on 12 September 2006. Discussion focussed on key locational issues
for new minerals and waste developments. The report of this Forum meeting
is set out at Annex 2.
- The options put
forward for consultation in the Issues and Options Paper were subject
to sustainability appraisal. An Interim Sustainability Appraisal report
was published in June 2006, to accompany the Issues and Options Paper.
A copy has been made available in the Members’ Resource Centre.
Preferred Options
- A draft set of
preferred options was drawn up in the light of the responses to consultation
on the Issues and Options Paper, the views of the Minerals and Waste
Forum and the results from the interim sustainability appraisal. These
preferred options were considered by the Minerals and Waste Plan Working
Group on 26 September 2006.
- A revised set
of aims, objectives and preferred options for the Core Strategy, taking
into account the views of the Minerals and Waste Plan Working Group,
is set out at Annex 3. The supporting text to explain how these aims,
objectives and preferred options have been selected has been drafted
and is set out at Annex 4. For each issue this briefly sets out the
background to the issue; the options considered; the outcomes of consultation;
where applicable, the results of sustainability appraisal; and the proposed
preferred option(s) and why they have been selected. It also indicates
where policies should be included in the Core Strategy to deliver preferred
options, although policy wording will not be drafted until the core
strategy submission document is prepared next year. This draft of the
full Preferred Options document is substantially complete, but needs
some further editing to produce a final document for publication and
consultation.
- Subject to approval
by the Cabinet, consultation on the Preferred Options document will
take place in January and February 2007. The statutory consultation
period is 6 weeks. After considering all the responses to this consultation,
the Council must prepare a full version of the Core Strategy for submission
to the Secretary of State and publication for comment. There will then
follow an Independent Examination by a government appointed Inspector.
The report of the Inspector will be binding on the Council.
Sustainability Appraisal
- The Core Strategy,
as for all development plan documents, must be subject to sustainability
appraisal (including strategic environmental assessment). A sustainability
appraisal report must be prepared and published alongside the Preferred
Options document. This is currently being prepared.
- A workshop on
the emerging preferred options was held on 20 September 2006. The earlier
interim sustainability appraisal report and the outcomes from this workshop
together confirm that the options in Annex 3 are the best in terms of
sustainability, subject in some cases to mitigation measures being included
when policies and proposals to implement the strategy are developed.
A summary of the sustainability appraisal is at Annex 5. This will form
the basis of the sustainability appraisal report.
Corporate Policies and
Priorities
- The Council has
a statutory duty to produce a Minerals and Waste Development Framework,
to provide a planning strategy, policies and proposals for the supply
of minerals and management of waste in Oxfordshire. The purpose of the
Framework is to guide the production of minerals and management of waste
consistent with the economic and environmental needs of the County.
Preparation of the Framework contributes to the Council’s corporate
objective of providing value for money. It also contributes towards
the Council’s strategic priorities of helping the economy to grow in
a way that does not prejudice the future of the environment; safeguarding
communities and maintaining rural character; and making Oxfordshire
a welcoming, safe and exceptional place to be.
Financial and Staff Implications
- There are no financial
or staff implications beyond those already provided for in the project
management of the Oxfordshire Minerals and Waste Development Framework.
Risk Management
- The Minerals and
Waste Development Framework is a high risk project because of the complexity
of the process and the potential implications of any delay for procurement
by the Council of any new waste treatment facilities for household waste.
This is being addressed through established project management procedures,
including regular reporting on risk management.
RECOMMENDATION
- The Cabinet
is RECOMMENDED to:
- approve
the Aims, Objectives and Preferred Options for the Minerals
and Waste Core Strategy set out at Annex 3 to the report and
approve in principal the supporting text of the Preferred Options
document as set out at Annex 4 and referred to in paragraph
9 of this report;
- authorise
the Head of Sustainable Development, in consultation with the
Cabinet Member for Sustainable Development, to finalise the
Core Strategy Preferred Options document for publication and
consultation in accordance with Regulation 26 of the Town and
Country Planning (Local Development) (England) Regulations 2004;
- authorise
the Head of Sustainable Development, in consultation with the
Cabinet Member for Sustainable Development, to prepare and publish
the Sustainability Appraisal report to accompany the Core Strategy
Preferred Options document; and
- authorise
the Head of Sustainable Development, in consultation with the
Cabinet Member for Sustainable Development, to finalise arrangements
for consultation on the Core Strategy Preferred Options document.
CHRIS
COUSINS
Head of Sustainable
Development
Background papers: Responses to Minerals and Waste Issues and Options
Consultation Paper, June 2006 (E&E SPED Group, Speedwell House, file
no. 15.1.2.3.10.2.1)
Contact Officer: Peter Day, Minerals and Waste Policy Team Leader Tel:
(01865) 815544
November
2006
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