Agenda and minutes

The Members had before them:

A.    The Agenda papers (previously circulated); and

B.    A copy of the summary presentations from the public participants invited to speak (previously circulated);

Apologies were received from Cllrs Bill Hopkins, David Ross and Kit Taylor.

None.

The Council has put in place arrangements which usually allow one speaker each on behalf of objectors, the applicant and supporters of applications to address the Committee.  Speakers are chosen from those who have made written representations and expressed a desire to speak at the time an application is advertised.  Where there are speakers, presentations are made as part of the consideration of each application.

Those presentations made are recorded at the minute to which they relate.

The Committee considered the proposed extraction of sand and gravel with restoration using site derived and imported inert material to wetland, nature conservation and agriculture (cross-boundary application) on land at Bow Farm, Bow Lane, Ripple, Worcestershire.

The report set out the background of the proposal, the proposal itself, the relevant planning policy and details of the site, consultations and representations.

The report set out the Head of Planning and Transport Planning’s comments in relation to Worcestershire's landbank of sand and gravel reserves, Location of the development, Best and Most Versatile (BMV) agricultural land, Alternatives, Traffic, highway safety and impact upon public rights of way, Residential amenity (including noise, dust, air quality, vibration, lighting and health impacts), Landscape character and appearance of the local area, Historic environment, Ecology, biodiversity and geodiversity, Water environment and flood risk, Restoration and aftercare of the site, Economic impact, Climate change and sustainability, Cumulative effects, Prematurity, and Other matters - Impact upon tourism, Site security, Utilities / pipelines, Adequacy of the ES and Environmental Impact Assessment team and expertise, Monitoring and enforcement, Consultation, Human Rights Act 1998, Obligations under the Equality Act 2010, and other points.

The Head of Planning and Transport Planning concluded that:

Worcestershire's landbank of sand and gravel reserves

Paragraph 213 of the NPPF stated “minerals planning authorities should plan for a steady and adequate supply of aggregates by…maintaining landbanks of at least 7 years for sand and gravel…whilst ensuring that the capacity of operations to supply a wide range of materials is not compromised”. As required by the NPPF the County Council had produced a Local Aggregate Assessments (LAA), to assess the demand for and supply of aggregates in Worcestershire.

The LAA (published February 2022) covered the period up to 31 December 2020 and, in accordance with the NPPF (paragraph 213), calculated annual provision requirements on a rolling average of 10 years' sale data in Worcestershire and other relevant local information. The annual production guideline for sand gravel identified by the LAA was 0.853 million tonnes. Based on this production guideline and the stock of permitted reserves of approximately 2.504 million tonnes of sand and gravel, Worcestershire had a landbank of approximately 2.94 years on 31 December 2020. This was below the 7-year landbank required by national policy and indicated that there was currently a shortfall of permitted reserves in the county. 

Since 31 December 2020, the MPA granted planning permission on 25 March 2021 for a proposed sand quarry, on land adjacent to former Chadwich Lane Quarry, Chadwich Lane, Bromsgrove. Based on the proposed extraction of approximately 1.35 million tonnes per year, this had increased the landbank by approximately 1.58 years.

Assuming production guideline for sand and gravel set out in the LAA (0.853 million tonnes) continued in 2021, then the landbank of permitted reserves on 31 December 2021 would be approximately 3.001 million tonnes of sand and gravel, equating to about 3.52 years. Consequently, on 31 December 2021 Worcestershire did not have sufficient reserves of sand and gravel available with  ...  view the full minutes text for item 1115.