This introduction briefly explains why we need to plan for minerals and waste; what the new development framework system is all about and how you can find out more and be involved

Why do we need minerals?   

Minerals are an essential part of our everyday lives.  Aggregates and other construction minerals provide the physical framework of our built infrastructure.  Energy minerals, such as coal, oil and gas provide power for electricity, heating and transport.  Minerals are also used in the chemicals and manufacturing industries, food production and agriculture.  Quite simply, if we did not have a steady supply of a wide range of minerals our modern way of life would not be possible.

What minerals are worked in Nottinghamshire?

Nottinghamshire is rich in mineral resources which serve both local and wider needs.  The County is the largest producer of sand and gravel in the East Midlands and has nationally important deposits of gypsum and coal.  Other minerals worked in the County include clay, limestone and oil.   

What are the consequences of mineral extraction?  

Our huge demand for minerals comes at a significant environmental cost.  Potential environmental impacts of quarrying and mining include traffic, noise and dust during the extractive phase as well as leaving permanent scars on the landscape after extraction has finished.  Mineral extraction can, however, bring long term environmental benefits - reclaimed mineral workings can form valuable new wildlife habitats such as wetland and heathland.  Recreational areas such as water sports facilities and country parks can also be created.    

Why is waste an issue?  

Our modern way of life also creates increasingly large quantities of waste – not just what we put in our bins but also waste from business, industry, hospitals and agriculture.  In fact household waste only accounts for one seventh of the total waste produced in the UK.  Traditionally most of this waste has been dumped but landfill space is running out fast, becoming more costly and new sites are difficult to find.  Landfill also means wasting precious natural resources many of which could be re-used recycled or at least have energy recovered from them.

Waste management, especially for household waste, is currently going through something of a revolution and strict new targets for reducing landfill are being imposed by the Government to meet European rules.  As a result, recycling and composting rates of household waste are rapidly increasing, and escalating taxes on landfill are also encouraging industry and businesses to seek ways of reducing and recycling their waste.  

These changes mean that a range of new waste management facilities are needed but, even if we meet recycling and other targets, more landfill capacity will have to be found.  

What will the Minerals and Waste Development Framework do?

Planning controls try to make sure that our demand for minerals and how we manage our waste is met in the most sustainable way.  Put simply this means permitting sites in the most acceptable locations and ensuring they are worked, operated and, where relevant, reclaimed to high environmental standards.  

The Minerals and Waste Development Framework will form the blue print for future minerals extraction and waste management for the next 10-15 years.  It will comprise a range of new documents that contain policies setting out overall requirements for minerals and new waste management facilities; identify sites where mineral extraction and waste management is acceptable in principle and general policies for protecting residential amenity, features of wildlife, heritage and landscape importance.  Once adopted, these policies will form the main guidance for determining all minerals and waste planning applications received by the County Council.

A new interactive local development framework service is currently being developed. This will allow you to make comments on policies and text within development documents that are open for consultation and view an interactive proposals map.

How can I find out more about the Development Framework system?

The development framework arrangements were brought in under the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004.  All Local Plans produced under previous system will be gradually replaced as the new plans are adopted.  If you would like to learn more, the following link will take you to the Planning Portal and an interative description of the government's ideas on the Development Planning Framework.

www.planningportal.gov.uk/uploads/ldf/ldfguide [opens in a new window]

How can I get involved?

Public consultation and community involvement is a very important part of plan preparation. All new plans must go through a number of stages of public consultation and an independent examination before they can be adopted by the County Council.  Details of plans being prepared, current public consultation exercises and adopted plans are available on this website.  To access this information and to return to the main page see the Local Development Framework

IMPORTANT : Proposed Changes to the new Planning System

The current web page descriptions are based on the new planning system before it was revised by the Government in June 2008.  These revisions are in response to widespread problems many Local Planning Authorities experienced trying to implement the new system.  The revisions will affect some aspects of how plans are prepared and content although the basic approach and purpose of the new planning system will however remain the same.

One significant change is that planning Authorities are now encouraged to allocate strategic sites where possible. This could in some cases mean that a separate allocation document is no longer necessary. This is contrary to what was assumed when the new system was introduced in 2004.

For further information please Contact us.

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