Cabinet Member: Environment

Forward Plan Ref: 2019/190

Contact: Kevin Broughton, Principal Minerals Officer Tel: 07979 704458

Report by Director of Planning & Place (CA11).

Under the National Planning Policy Framework, July 2018 (NPPF), mineral planning authorities should prepare an annual Local Aggregate Assessment (LAA).

The purpose of an annual Local Aggregates Assessment is to review the latest information available in order to forecast future demand as well as analysing all aggregate supply options and assessing the balance between supply and demand.  The LAA sets the level of provision to be made for future supply of sand and gravel and crushed rock from quarries and the NPPF states the LAA should ‘forecast future demand, based on a rolling average of 10 years’ sales data and other relevant information, and an assessment of all supply options.’

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

(a)       approve the inclusion of the provision level figures in paragraph 30 of the report in the Oxfordshire Local Aggregate Assessment 2019 for use as the basis for provision for mineral working in the Oxfordshire Minerals and Waste Local Plan and for calculating the Oxfordshire landbank; and

(b)       authorise the Director for Planning and Place in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Environment to finalise the Oxfordshire Local Aggregate Assessment 2019 and to publish it on the Council website.

Recommendations agreed.

It was agreed that officers look at whether it is possible to provide a simple illustration linked to housing, road  or other developments that would demonstrate what the figures represented.

The purpose of an annual Local Aggregates Assessment is to review the latest information available in order to forecast future demand as well as analysing all aggregate supply options and assessing the balance between supply and demand.  Cabinet had before them a report on the latest LAA that set  the level of provision to be made for future supply of sand and gravel and crushed rock from quarries and the NPPF states the LAA should ‘forecast future demand, based on a rolling average of 10 years’ sales data and other relevant information, and an assessment of all supply options.’

Councillor John Sanders, Shadow Cabinet Member for Environment asked what the outcome of the meeting of the South East England Aggregate Working Party (SEEAWP) had been. Charlotte Simms, Senior Policy Officer, Development Management - Policy replied that SEEAWP had been happy with the report and had made no comments.

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

Following comments about the need to translate the figures in a way that people would understand it was agreed that officers look at whether it is possible to provide a simple illustration linked to housing, road or other developments that would demonstrate what the figures represented.

RESOLVED:             (unanimously) noting that there was no advice from the South East England Aggregate Working Party to: 

(a)       approve the inclusion of the provision level figures in paragraph 30 of the report in the Oxfordshire Local Aggregate Assessment 2019 for use as the basis for provision for mineral working in the Oxfordshire Minerals and Waste Local Plan and for calculating the Oxfordshire landbank; and

(b)       authorise the Director for Planning and Place in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Environment to finalise the Oxfordshire Local Aggregate Assessment 2019 and to publish it on the Council website.