Issue - meetings

Cabinet Member: Climate Change Delivery & Environment

Forward Plan Ref: 2022/111

Contact: Kevin Broughton, Minerals and Waste Local Plan Team Leader, 07979704458

Report by Corporate Director Environment & Place (CA14).

A report to Cabinet seeking authority to pursue a new Minerals and Waste Local plan and to withdraw the current Minerals and Waste Local Plan Part 2 and the update of the Minerals and Waste Local Plan Part 1.

The Cabinet is RECOMMENDED to:

a)                  Approve the Oxfordshire Minerals and Waste Development Scheme (Thirteenth Revision) December 2022 at Annex 1, in order to have effect from 1st January 2023.

b)                  Delegate any final detailed amendment and editing to the Corporate Director Environment and Place, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Climate Change and Environment.

Recommendations approved.

Cabinet was asked to approve the annual Minerals and Waste Development Scheme (MWDS) setting out the Council’s programme for preparing the Minerals and Waste Local Plan.

Before considering the item, the Chair had accepted a request to speak:

Mandy Rigault addressed the meeting on behalf of Nuneham Courtenay and Sandford-on-Thames Parish Councils as well as the wider communities.  She noted that the current plan runs to 2031 and in respect of sharp sand and gravel there were already enough permitted reserves to meet demand up to 2031.  She asked therefore why there was a need for a new plan – especially given the £320,000 cost.  She urged that a decision be deferred until next year so that Cabinet and local councillors can review if a new plan is needed.

Mandy Rigault added that she understood that there were concerns around crushed rock but asked if these could be addressed under next year’s review of Part 1.

Councillor Pete Sudbury, Cabinet Member for Climate Change Delivery & Environment, responded that there had to be a review of crushed rock, even though the Council had made an argument that the current demand was largely temporary from the HS2 project.  The advice from officers was that we should review the sharp sand and gravel aspects at the same time.  If the reserves were sufficient, he did not envisage re-opening issues on that aspect.

Councillor Sudbury proposed the recommendations.  He stated that he had brought the timescale down to the minimum and the plans had been peer reviewed by Northamptonshire.

Councillor Enright seconded the recommendations and they were approved.

RESOLVED to

a)                  Approve the Oxfordshire Minerals and Waste Development Scheme (Thirteenth Revision) December 2022 at Annex 1, in order to have effect from 1st January 2023.

b)                  Delegate any final detailed amendment and editing to the Corporate Director Environment and Place, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Climate Change and Environment.