Consultation: Oxfordshire Minerals & Waste

Last chance to comment on Oxfordshire County Council’s minerals & waste plans: consultation closes 30 September.

 

28 SEPT 2015:  CPRE OXFORDSHIRE’S RESPONSE TO THE MINERALS CONSULTATION IS NOW AVAILABLE AT THE FOOT OF THIS PAGE.

 

Oxfordshire County Council’s proposed Minerals & Waste Local Plan: Part 1 sets out its vision, objectives and policies for minerals and waste developments to 2031. (Part 2: Site Allocations document will be prepared subsequently and will identify specific sites for minerals and waste developments. A timetable for preparation of this document will be available in 2016.)

This is the public’s final chance to comment on the legality and ‘soundness’ of Part 1 of the Plan.

CPRE Oxfordshire shares the concerns of many local communities that the proposed figures for sharp sand and gravel extraction are vastly exaggerated. Rather than using the 10 year average, as suggested in the National Planning Policy Framework, this Local Plan is based on production figures from much earlier years of high output. This means a 42% increase in future production targets, from 0.715 million tonnes per annum to 1.015 mtpa, with a knock on impact on local people and the landscape.

You can read more about CPRE’s concerns here – Gravel sums don’t add up

You can read the Council’s plan and other supporting information here:
http://www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/cms/content/minerals-and-waste-core-strategy

Once the consultation is over, the Council will review the comments. If it thinks no significant changes are required, it will submit the draft Plan, together with all the comments, to the Secretary of State. The independent examination of the plan, by an Inspector appointed by the Secretary of State, is expected to take place in the first quarter of 2016. The Inspector may ask those who have raised significant points in their consultation responses to attend an oral hearing. (Remember – you cannot appear at the hearing unless you have previously submitted a written response.)

The representation form is available here:
https://www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/cms/content/minerals-and-waste-core-strategy#revisedminerals

(Scroll down and click on the ‘Proposed Submission Documents’ heading – you are looking for ‘Minerals & Waste core strategy representations form & guidance’)

Representations must be in by 5pm on 30 September 2015:

By email to: mineralsandwasteplanconsultation@oxfordshire.gov.uk

Or by post to:
Minerals & Waste Core Strategy Consultation
Environment & Economy
Planning Regulation (Minerals & Waste)
Oxfordshire County Council
Speedwell House, Speedwell Street
Oxford OX1 1NE

For further information or to obtain a representation form, you can contact the County Council’s Minerals and Waste Policy Team at the address above or by:

Email: mineralsandwasteplanconsultation@oxfordshire.gov.uk

Telephone: 01865 815544 or 01865 810431.

 

 

CPRE_Oxon_Minerals_Core_Strategy_Pre-Sub_Consultation_Response_-_Sept_2015.pdf