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10.1 The people and businesses of Kent and Medway
produce major volumes of waste. Unless adequately managed and treated,
it can have the potential to cause significant environmental and
health problems. On the other hand it has potential value as a resource
if it can be re-used or recycled. Long term provision needs to be
made to manage waste in an efficient and environmentally sound manner.
Measures must also be taken to counter the trend of year on year
increases in the amount of waste generated.
10.2 National strategy and guidance seeks a more integrated approach
to waste management. This is driven by European Union regulations
– particularly the Landfill Directive
which aim to prevent, or reduce as far as possible, the negative
effects both on the environment and on human health of sending waste
to landfill. Other key influences include National and Regional
Planning Policy Guidance and Kent and Medway Councils’ own
Waste Strategies.
1999/31/EC
10.2 National strategy and guidance seeks a more integrated approach
to waste management. This is driven by European Union regulations
– particularly the Landfill Directive19 which aim to prevent,
or reduce as far as possible, the negative effects both on the environment
and on human health of sending waste to landfill. Other key influences
include National and Regional Planning Policy Guidance and Kent
and Medway Councils’ own Waste Strategies
- Household waste has grown since April 1998 at an annual
average rate of 4.5%.
- In 2001/2, each household in Kent produced an average
of 1.3 tonnes of waste.
- Volumes of waste are likely to increase, at least in
the short to medium term because of population growth, the
increase in the number of one person households and growth
in the economy.
- The number of homes in Kent is due to increase by 18%
(116,100) over the next 20 years.
- The 25.2 million tonnes of waste arising in the South
East in 2000/2001 is projected to rise to nearly 35 million
tonnes by 2025 (an increase of almost 40%)
- There are reduced opportunities for landfill.
- Environmental impacts of waste disposal.
- Kent has traditionally taken waste from neighbouring
areas and exported to others.
- Kent currently recycles or composts around 20% of household
waste. The National Waste Strategy seeks to increase this
rate to 33% by 2015.
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One of the most significant issues facing the South East
is the growing amount of waste produced and how to manage
it now and in the future. Historically waste has grown as
the economy and consumption has grown. We have become a throwaway
society, discarding materials with little though for the environmental
impact or the waste of valuable resources. This must change.
At present in the south East approximately 50% of all waste
is recovered. The draft Regional Waste Management Strategy
puts forward a range of options for increasing this rate to
77% - 86% by 2025.
The majority of existing waste management capacity in the
South East is landfill which is expected to decline over time
as sites are filled. Existing recycling, composting and energy
from waste facilities provide only a small proportion of overall
capacity at the present time. Increasing the diversion of
waste from landfill to recovery will require rapid and large
scale provision of additional recovery facilities.
Land use planning can contribute only some of the change
in practice and behaviour required. It will need to be complimented
by other initiatives for example to develop markets for recycled
goods. |
SEERA
: No Time To Waste : Regional Wate Management Strategy : Consultation
Draft March 2003 |
SEERA : No Time
To Waste : Regional Wate Management Strategy : Consultation Draft
March 2003 |
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- Promote an integrated approach to waste management
- Provide for the necessary facilities to manage Kent’s
waste in a sustainable way
- Reduce the overall amount of waste produced
- Allow some flexibility to cope with variations in the
pace of waste reduction.
- Promote the best practical environmental options when
disposing of waste.
- Promote the reuse, recycling and recovery of waste.
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10.3 The application of BPEO is essential if Kent and Medway are
to achieve a sustainable pattern of waste management.
‘Best Practicable Environmental Option’
(BPEO) seeks to ensure that waste is dealt with in
a way that considers environmental impacts alongside social
and economic considerations and represent the most efficient
and environmentally sound method. In particular, proposals
will be expected to show that they accord with the following
principles:
- The Waste Hierarchy;
- The Proximity Principle; and
- Self-Sufficiency.
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10.4 The waste hierarchy set out in the National Waste Strategy
seeks to promote an integrated approach to waste management. It
reflects the fact that the best option for dealing with waste is
to reduce the amount created, followed by re-use and then recovery
which includes recycling, composting and energy from waste. Only
when these options have been exhausted should waste be disposed
of to landfill. The appropriate waste management option will vary
according to the type of waste in question and local considerations.
The aim is to move up the hierarchy to ensure better environmental
protection and meet statutory targets. A significant increase in
the number of facilities for materials recycling, composting, thermal
treatment and landfill will be required to comply with the waste
hierarchy and national targets.
The Proximity Principle
10.5 This requires waste to be disposed of as close as possible
to where it was created and reflects the fact that transporting
waste itself has an environmental impact of its own. Types of waste
that require specialist management facilities may justify transportation
over longer distances if there are no local facilities capable of
dealing with it. It would be preferable to transport long distance
waste by rail rather than by road. |
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Self – Sufficiency
10.6 Minerals Planning Authorities should attempt to deal with
their own waste so as to support regional self-sufficiency, that
is, treating or disposing of waste within the ‘region’
in which it is produced. However the geographical proximity of areas
needs to be taken into account alongside the local circumstances.
For example parts of West and North Kent are close to regional boundaries
and are also subject to nationally important planning constraints
such as the Green Belt.
10.7 In 2001/02, approximately one third of Kent’s household
waste was exported to Essex (in the East of England Region). Whilst
this Plan seeks to ensure that Kent and Medway manage the equivalent
of their own waste (Policy WM4) some discretion may be required.
There could be occasions where applying the self-sufficiency principle
would clash with the proximity principle, for example if waste needed
to be transported long distances across the county in order to keep
it within the same region.
Need
10.8 The assessment of need for a waste management proposal should
take account of the amount of waste that needs to be dealt with;
the level and nature of management capacity that is committed, the
projected growth in the amount of waste and statutory recycling
and diversion targets. |
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Prevent Waste generation in the first place
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Re-use materials
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Recover value and materials including recycling,
composting and energy
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Dispose
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From 5th EC Environmental Action Programme Towards Sustainability
(1993)
reproduced in South East Regional Waste Management Strategy
Consultation Draft
No Time to Waste (2003)
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Policy WM1:
Provision will be made for the integrated management of
waste reflecting Best Practicable Environmental Option (BPEO),
the national waste hierarchy and national targets for waste
management.
The Waste Local Development Documents for Kent and Medway
will identify the range, scale and location of facilities
to provide for rapid growth in capacity for recycling, composting
and recovery from waste of all controlled streams.
Energy from waste proposals will be considered only as part
of an integrated approach to increase waste recovery rates
and should incorporate other waste management facilities including
recycling, composting and materials recovery. |
Policy WM2:
Proposals for the treatment, storage, transfer, processing
or disposal of waste will be required to show that they represent
the most efficient and environmentally sustainable method
of managing a specific type of waste. Proposals should demonstrate
that they:
Meet a demonstrable need that overrides material agricultural,
landscape, conservation, traffic and other environmental or
land use concerns; and
Are the Best Practicable Environmental Option (BPEO) and
thereby accord with the waste hierarchy, the proximity principle
(taking into account the environmental impact of the mode
of transport proposed and the contribution made to self sufficiency.
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10.9 The most efficient way of tackling Kent and Medway’s
waste is to reduce the quantity produced in the first place. Local
authorities should seek “project waste plans” to be
produced in association with major development proposals which detail
how waste is to be dealt with both during construction and subsequent
occupation. These might, for example, detail proposals for shared
waste collection points, for allowing waste to be separated and
transferred for recycling or re-use. Policies should also encourage
manufacturing using recycled waste as an alternative to raw materials.
Policy WM3:
Development proposals will be required to demonstrate they
are able to make a contribution to reducing growth in the
volume of waste generated in Kent and Medway.
Local Development Documents will include policies:
1) Requiring the submission of a waste
minimisation plan alongside major development proposals and,
where appropriate, provide for the use of conditions or agreements
to secure waste minimisation;
2) Providing for the development of assembly
manufacturing or processing facilities to recyle and/or recover
waste. |
10.10 Kent and Medway need to provide enough appropriate facilities
to deal with waste within their respective areas. While it would
be impractical for Kent and Medway to achieve absolute self-sufficiency
each authority should seek to achieve its equivalent after cross
border movements have been taken into consideration.
10.11 In the past, waste management policy has planned ahead on
a ten-year basis. However finding alternatives to landfilling requires
significant levels of capital investment and involves long lead
times in planning and development. The amount of waste management
capacity will be calculated by looking at the existing and committed
capacity for dealing with a specific waste type and comparing it
with the amount of that type of waste expected to arise. |
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Policy WM4:
The Kent and Medway Waste Local Development Frameworks will
make provision for, and maintain, integrated waste management
capacity sufficient for 15 years ahead.
Through their Waste Local Development Frameworks, Kent and
Medway Councils will each make provision for the management
of the equivalent of the waste arising in their areas. |
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10.12 The type of waste facilities provided will
largely reflect the need to divert waste away from landfill in order
to meet national targets within the National Waste Strategy 2000
and statutory Best Value Performance Indicators for household waste
recycling and composting. These set targets for:
- Slowing down the growth in the amount of waste produced;
- Reducing the quantity of biodegradable municipal waste landfilled;
- Reducing the quantity of industrial and commercial waste landfilled;
- Recovering value from municipal waste and for recycling or
composting household waste
10.13 Targets for recycling and diverting waste from landfill are
set out in Chapter 11 on implementation and monitoring.
10.14 Kent and Medway send almost 80% of their household waste
to landfill (2001/02). This level must be reduced to meet statutory
requirements and contribute to national targets. Rapidly diminishing
landfill space adds to the pressure to identify alternative ways
of disposing of our rubbish. In 1999 Kent and Medway had less than
6.5 years worth of landfill space left.
The steady move towards integrated waste management techniques will
reduce the county’s dependency on landfill. But while disposing
of waste in this way is seen as a last resort, there will be a continuing
need to deal with residual wastes by landfilling.
10.15 Landfilling is likely to continue on sites used for mineral
extraction where this goes hand in hand with restoring the site.
Kent and Medway’s geology dictates that some mineral workings
are only suitable for filling with inert material such as construction
and demolition waste. To reinstate sites with non-inert material
would carry a high risk of ground contamination. Inert waste material
is however, becoming less common following the success of national
initiatives to reduce waste such as the Landfill Tax. For this reason
where disposal to landfill is justified under the provisions of
Policy WM2, the material involved should be directed to appropriate
mineral workings to allow them to be restored. In some areas the
nature of the underlying geology may prohibit the disposal of even
inert waste to mineral workings.
10.16 Although the disposal of non-inert waste to landfill may
be justified if it is considered to be the BPEO, finding suitable
landfill sites can prove difficult because of the need to prevent
groundwater pollution. Landraising, a form of disposal that changes
existing land profiles - may offer an alternative means of disposal
for non-inert waste. Landraising can be visually intrusive and needs
sensitive treatment but it can offer advantages over landfill as
it enables pollution to be more easily managed. Sensitive landraising
at existing landfill sites could offset the need for further greenfield
sites. Landraising, like landfill, should only be used as a last
resort when other methods of disposal, higher up the hierarchy,
have been exhausted.
Strategic Waste
Management Assessment 2000 : South East (environment Agency) |
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Policy WM5:
Where disposal of waste to land is proved necessary:
1) For inert waste, priority will be given to using suitable
mineral workings rather than other land disposal sites where
this will facilitate the reinstatement of land to a beneficial
after-use and/or secure improvement of the environment;
2) For non inert waste, subject to Policy WM2, the Councils
will consider landraising as an option for land disposal. |
10.17 Kent and Medway presently export more than a third of their
household waste for landfilling. New facilities are needed to allow
waste to be dealt with more sustainably. Policy WM6 sets out a prospective
pattern of key new facilities. It is based upon current waste levels
and disposal flows and set against the backdrop of the existing
and committed facilities.
See KMSP Background
Paper : Waste Arisings, Disposal and Management Facilities and Future
Capacity. |
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10.18 Kent and Medway will seek to maximise opportunities
for new recycling facilities, particularly where waste can be transported
by means other than by road. Sites that offer good access by rail
or water could contribute significantly to the development of sustainable
waste management.
10.19 Biological treatment of waste by such methods as composting
offers an effective way of achieving recycling targets. Treatment
plants usually take in green waste from a variety of sources, compost
it and then take it off site for sale as a soil conditioner. Two
industrial scale plants already exist in Kent – at Dunbrik
near Sevenoaks and at Shelford near Canterbury. There is also a
handful of small, farm based composting facilities located sporadically
throughout the county. These smaller facilities tend to use the
compost on adjacent farmland. While such facilities reduce the need
to transport waste, it is unlikely that they will make a significant
contribution to recycling targets. Further, industrial scale composting
capacity is likely to be required in North and East Kent to ensure
that all parts of the county are adequately served.
10.20 Recycling alone will be unable to deal with Kent and Medway’s
waste management requirements in the short to medium term. This
is because of the time needed to secure the significant investment
required and changes in public attitudes and behaviour.
10.21 National policy regards facilities that derive energy from
waste as an essential part of waste management strategy. The new
facility that is committed at Allington, near Maidstone will be
capable of accepting up to 500,000 tonnes of household and industrial
and commercial waste each year. It will be able to deal with waste
arising in Mid and West Kent but further capacity will be needed
in East Kent. |
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Policy WM6:
The Kent and Medway Waste Local Development Frameworks will
seek to provide a pattern of waste management facilities over
the plan period, to include:
(i) A strategic recycling facility in North
Kent to meet local and regional needs;
(ii) Industrial scale composting facilities
in North Kent and East Kent;
(iii) A waste reprocessing plant in East
Kent providing energy production both for the plant and wider
use and incorporating provision for materials recycling;
(iv) Further landfill capacity in North
Kent to meet the need to dispose of residues to land; and
Other facilities that may be required to meet integrated waste
management targets.
They will also determine the need for, and pattern of, small
scale waste processing and composting facilities.
Wherever practicable facilities should be located to enable
the use of rail and/or water based transport. |
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10.22 Construction projects such as new transport schemes and
major developments can require significant quantities of aggregate
minerals or give rise to significant quantities of surplus spoil.
As a result they can have a major impact on land use and transportation.
Planning authorities considering large projects will seek to ensure
that any resource or disposal requirements are dealt with either
on site or adjacent to it. Where this is not possible they will
seek agreement on appropriate routes for vehicles bringing material
into, or out of, the site and on where materials should be sourced
and taken to. Use of the rail network will be promoted wherever
possible. |
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Policy wm7:
In order to minimise the environmental impact of construction
projects which require significant quantities of construction
aggregates or give rise to significant amounts of surplus
spoil, a scheme for the transport and routing of such materials,
together with proposals for the disposal or reuse of surplus
spoil, will be designed into the project itself. |
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10.23 Minerals make an essential contribution to economic prosperity
and provide raw materials for many everyday needs – homes,
community buildings, schools, roads, glassware, household goods
and much more. With continuing development the need for accessible
sources of minerals remains strong.
10.24 Minerals can only be worked where they occur naturally and
their extraction can have significant impacts on the environment.
Kent and Medway are rich in minerals containing a variety of sands
and gravels as well as chalk, ragstone, clays and brickearth. Given
the high environmental quality of much of Kent’s undeveloped
land there is a need to balance the demand for minerals with protection
of the county’s distinctive natural features. There is also
a need to balance the benefits of mineral extraction with the well
being and amenity of communities living nearby.
10.25 More detailed policies are outlined in the existing and emerging
Kent and Medway Minerals Local Plans/Local Development Documents.
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Mineral Resources: Key Issues
- Maintaining a sufficient supply of minerals for the development
industry
- The environmental impact of mineral extraction and transportation
- Safeguarding mineral resources for the longer term
- Maintaining sufficient capacity for the importation of
minerals
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The Strategy for Minerals is to:
- Maximise the use of secondary and recycled minerals
- Maintain a continuity of supply either locally or by
importing a range of mineral types
- Avoid unacceptable environmental impacts
- Make sure land is restored satisfactorily
- Safeguard local minerals reserves and protect import
facilities
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Supply of Minerals
10.26 Kent and Medway rely upon a range of sources for their minerals,
including:
- Locally extracted virgin (primary) materials;
- Imported virgin (primary) materials;
- Virgin (primary) marine dredged material (sand and gravel only);
- Recycled materials such as road scalpings and planings and
construction and demolition waste; Secondary materials –
material which can be used instead of a primary material and which
usually arises as a by-product of other quarrying, mining or industrial
processes. Examples include pulverised fuel ash, blast furnace
slag and incinerator residues.
10.27 It is national policy to move towards a more sustainable
use of resources by using fewer land-won “primary” minerals
and more alternative materials taken from secondary or recycled
sources. New national and regional guidelines for the supply of
aggregates (MPG 6 Amendment 2003) indicate that these secondary
sources will be expected to provide a significantly greater share
of total supply compared with the previous 1994 guidelines. The
guidelines call for a 50% increase in the use of secondary sources
by 2011 compared with the 2001 level. This can be encouraged by
influencing construction/building specifications and by making provision
for facilities that treat and process potential sources of recycled
and substitute material. |
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Policy M1:
Subject to environment, transport and other planning considerations,
proposals for the provision of minerals through recycling,
the use of secondary materials, imports and the acceptable
extraction of local sources of supply will be permitted. |
Policy M2:
Kent County Council and Medway Council will seek to maximise
the use of recycled and secondary materials through:
- The Councils’ own material specifications in setting
contracts;
- Encouraging other contractors to use, and specify the
use of, recycled materials;
- Permitting recycling proposals at appropriate locations
consistent with Waste Local Development Documents.
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10.28 Extracting and supplying of minerals has the potential to
cause significant harm to the environment. Community and environmental
interests will be protected by imposing appropriate conditions on
planning permissions and monitoring operations at sites once permission
has been granted. Suitable restoration and aftercare will also be
required at mineral sites. Restoration provides a unique opportunity
for mineral development to enhance the environment and contribute
to nature conservation and biodiversity objectives. |
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Policy M3:
Proposals for minerals extraction and/or associated plant
and buildings and minerals recycling facilities will be permitted
only where they do not have an unacceptable adverse impact
on agricultural, landscape, conservation, or environmental
interests of acknowledged importance or on residential and
business communities.
Permission will only be granted if any physical constraints
on the land have been properly taken into account and if there
are adequate access proposals, measures to minimise harm to
the landscape and environment, to protect local communities,
to landscape the site, remove plant or buildings after workings
have ceased and to restore the land to an appropriate after
use, normally as working progresses.
Wherever appropriate a period of aftercare will also be
required. |
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10.29 Geological and environmental constraints mean that approximately
two thirds of primary aggregates are supplied via rail and wharf
facilities (2001 figures). Large reserves of marine aggregate have
been identified in the Eastern English Channel. There are a number
of deep water berths along the Thames and the Medway which are suitable
for mineral importation and some are already used for this purpose.
The ability to accommodate larger ships means that these deep water
facilities play an important part in the supply of minerals to Kent
and Medway and to the wider region, particularly where they have
good, or potentially good rail links.
10.30 River frontage has become increasingly attractive for a range
of development and suitable sites for wharves have already been
lost. Since imported materials will continue to contribute to Kent
and Medway’s overall minerals requirement, it is important
to make sure that Kent’s wharf and rail facilities are protected
and, where possible, enhanced. As well as maintaining sources of
supply this will also maximise the amount of bulk material transported
in ways other than by road. It will be particularly important where
good surface access to wharves exists or can be provided. The authorities
will need to consult river and port authorities on navigational
and conservancy matters. |
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Policy M4:
Existing marine wharves and rail depots that receive and
process minerals will be protected generally from development
that would inhibit their continued operation or potential
expansion. This will be achieved through the identification
of buffer zones around such sites in Minerals Local Development
Documents.
Wharves on the Thames and Medway will be subject of study
and potential rationalisation in accordance with Policy TP22.
Proposals for new marine wharves and rail depots, to receive
and process imports of minerals, will be permitted on appropriate
sites. In assessing whether a site is appropriate, Kent County
Council and Medway Council will consider all material planning
interests including those relating to agriculture, landscape,
conservation, environment, traffic and access. |
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Construction Aggregates
10.31 Construction aggregate – sand, gravel and rock - is
the main type of mineral found and extracted in Kent and Medway.
It is used by the construction industry in concrete, road stone
and asphalt and for such things as construction fill and railway
ballast. Building sands, concreting sands and gravels and ragstone
make up the main types of aggregates found in the county.
10.32 Guidance on the level of provision that should be made for
construction aggregates is set out in Minerals Planning Guidance
Note 6 “Guidelines for Aggregates Provision in England”.
This sets out a level of provision for each region which is then
apportioned to each mineral planning authority. These authorities
must then reflect these requirements in their development plans.
In the 1994 guidelines the figure for Kent and Medway relating to
sand and gravel is 3.2 million tonnes per annum (mtpa). However
sand and gravel production in Kent and Medway has fallen substantially
below the previous regional apportionment and since the mid 1990s
has been approximately 2.2 mtpa. |
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10.33 In June 2003 Government published revised
national and regional guidelines for 2001-2016 as an amendment to
MPG6. These new guidelines are (nationally) 19% lower than the levels
forecast for 1992 to 2006 in MPG6 (1994) and assume a substantially
greater role for secondary and recycled aggregates. A new sub regional
apportionment of these revised guidelines is expected by the end
of 2003. The current figure of 3.2 mtpa for Kent and Medway is expected
to be substantially reduced as a result of this - the provisional
proposal is for 2.42 mtpa for land won sand and gravel together
with a figure of 1.2 mtpa for land won crushed rock.
10.34 Authorities are also expected to maintain a stock of planning
permissions for aggregates (a landbank) which will provide at least
7 years extraction of sand and gravel and at least 10 years for
crushed rock, such as ragstone. The revised apportionment figure
for Kent and Medway would extend the life of the current landbank
for sand and gravel which in 2000 was estimated at 13 years based
on the 1994 apportionment. It suggests a reducing impact on the
environment from primary aggregate production. Proposals for aggregate
extraction will be assessed in the light of these considerations
and the criteria set out in Policy M3. In terms of Policy M5 there
are no occurrences of ragstone within the Medway area. |
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Policy M5:
Kent County Council and Medway Council will review and maintain:
1) A supply of aggregates sufficient to
contribute to national, regional and local needs, in accordance
with their agreed share of regional aggregates supply.
2) A landbank of permitted reserves of:
- sand and gravel sufficient for at least 7 years’
production at agreed apportionment levels;
- ragstone sufficient for at least 10 years‘ supply.
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10.35 In terms of crushed rock, a major potential limestone resource
has been identified in East Kent. If local environmental and highway
issues can be dealt with satisfactorily then favourable consideration
will be given to proposals for limestone mining in this area. This
would secure a major source of quality hard rock to help meet the
community’s requirements for construction aggregates in a
way that would be less environmentally damaging compared to other
methods of winning aggregates from the land. |
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Policy
M6:
Kent County Council will give favourable consideration to limestone
mining in East Kent. When assessing the landbank for Kent’s
land won construction aggregate requirements, no account will be
taken of this option until planning permission has been granted.
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10.36 When considering the need to identify or permit additional
reserves of non-aggregate minerals, the minerals planning authorities
will take into account recent levels of national and regional production
and the extent of current permitted reserves. The need to identify
sufficient mineral reserves to justify substantial new investment
in existing and new fixed plant will also be recognised.
Silica Sand
10.37 Silica (or industrial) sand, is an essential raw material
used in many industrial processes including glass manufacture, the
production of foundry castings, ceramics, chemicals manufacture
and for water filtration. There is specific national planning policy
guidance relating to silica sand (MPG15) which stresses the need
to recognise the scarcity of economically workable silica sand deposits
and the high capital cost of investment in the industry. Policy
M7 establishes landbank reserves in line with this guidance. There
is no silica sand in the Medway area. Proposals will be subject
to the criteria set out in Policy M3.
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Policy M7:
Kent County Council will seek to maintain a landbank of
permitted reserves of silica sand sufficient for at least
10 years supply for each production site, or at least 15 years
at sites where significant capital investment is required.
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Building Stone
10.38 Some minerals found in Kent, particularly local ragstone,
can be used as building stone. This type of material is important
for repairing local historic buildings and monuments. Workings of
this kind are generally small scale. An adequate supply of local
building stone should be secured in order to make sure that the
high quality of Kent and Medway’s historic environment can
be maintained.
Policy M8:
Kent County Council and Medway Council will seek to ensure
that there is an adequate supply of building stone available
for the repair of local buildings of architectural and historic
importance. |
Brickearth
10.39 Government policy emphasises the need to make suitable provision
for brickearth, which is used to make stockbricks (often known in
Kent as London Stocks).
| Policy M9:
Proposals for the extraction of brickearth will be permitted
which will enable each stockbrick works to be maintained with
at least 15 years reserves of brickearth. Proposals for brickearth
extraction on the best and most versatile agricultural land
must provide for the site to be progressively restored. |
Chalk and Clay
10.40 Chalk and clay provide raw materials for specialist uses
and support industries that are important to the national and local
economy. Chalk is used in the building industry and is worked for
agricultural purposes such as liming, and in manufacturing, e.g.
in the paper industry. It is also used in the cement industry and
for other engineering purposes. Clay is extracted for use in the
brick and cement industry, for sea defences and other engineering
purposes such as lining landfill sites.
Policy M10:
Proposals for the extraction of chalk and clay will be permitted
which enable:
a) Kent and Medway’s cement industry
to be maintained with up to 25 years reserves of chalk and
clay;
b) Kent and Medway’s clay brick industry
to be maintained with at least 15 years reserves of clay;
c) Reserves of agricultural chalk to be
maintained with a 10 year supply; and
d) Kent and Medway’s engineering,
pharmaceutical and whiting manufacturing requirements for
chalk and clay to be met. |
Oil, Gas and Coalbed Methane
10.41 Government regards the exploration and production of oil,
gas and coalbed methane as important for the long-term national
interest. Proposals to investigate commercial production of oil,
gas or coalbed methane workings for commercial production will be
considered on their merits against Policy M3 of this Plan.
Policy M11:
Proposals for the exploration and appraisal of oil, natural
gas and coalbed methane will be permitted. Permission for
any production of on-shore oil, gas and coalbed methane which
would require a gathering station, export terminal or distribution
network will only be given if there are adequate proposals
for:
a) the screening, landscaping and design
of production well sites, gathering stations and export terminals;
and
b) access and routing for vehicular traffic;
and
c) avoiding nuisance to any sensitive development
in the vicinity; and
d) transport of oil, gas and coalbed methane
within the plan area (for which there will be a presumption
in favour of rail transport and/or underground pipelines so
far as this is practicable); and
e) the testing or disposal of gas; and
f) the clearance of plant, equipment and
buildings and the restoration and aftercare of all areas affected
by the production operations at the end of the permitted period.
The siting of gathering stations and export terminals in
locations protected by the Structure Plan’s countryside
and coast policies, or in locations close to substantial built
development, will be refused, unless it can be shown that
there is no suitable alternative location. |
Safeguarding Mineral Resources
10.42 Mineral resources should be protected against sterilisation
by other forms of development. MPG1 “General Considerations
and the Development Plan System”, gives guidance on declaring
Mineral Consultation Areas (MCAs). In such areas Minerals Planning
Authorities have to be notified of any proposed surface development
which would sterilise an economically important deposit and are
given the opportunity to object. Consideration will be given to
the identification of MCAs in the Kent and Medway Minerals Local
Development Documents.
Policy M12:
Development proposals which would sterilise the future availability
of strategic mineral reserves identified in Minerals Local
Development Documents will be refused. Where possible, known
sources of secondary and recycled materials will be safeguarded
from sterilisation.
Where development is proposed, encouragement will be given
to the extraction of the mineral resource or use of secondary
and recycled materials prior to, or in conjunction with, development.
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