DETR seeks views over future of aggregates

Securing a sustainable supply of aggregate minerals in England is the subject of a government consultation launched this week. The paper focuses on sustainable aggregates supply and sets out key issues and possible new approaches, including maximum use of recycled materials in place of new extraction. The consultation is the first step in the process of reviewing Mineral Planning Guidance Note 6. It comes six months after the government rocked the aggregates industry by putting an aggregates tax, along the lines of the Landfill Tax, in his March Budget announcement. The industry thought that it had won its argument against a tax. Announcing the consultation document, planning minister Nick Raynsford said: “The task we share is to meet the needs of society and the economy for aggregates while providing the necessary environmental protection and mitigation which we owe to our society and to future generations. Standards within the aggregates industry are generally high, but so are public expectations. He added: “Existing planning guidance on aggregates supply has been widely criticised as demonstrating a 'predict and provide' mentality. We need a good range of views on how the guidance can be made more responsive to local circumstances so that we can plan, monitor and manage supply more effectively.” The consultation will end on 31 January 2001. Planning guidance for aggregates will then be revised and a draft published for comment later in the year. The consultation paper is can be found on the DETR website at www.planning.detr.gov.uk/conindex.htm