Agenda item

Purpose of report:

To update members about progress in preparing the Minerals and Waste Local Plan.

Witnesses:

Matt Furniss, Cabinet Member for Transport & Infrastructure

Katie Stewart, Executive Director, Environment, Transport and Infrastructure

Lee Parker, Director of Planning, Infrastructure and Major Projects

Caroline Smith, Planning Group Manager

Dustin Lees, Minerals & Waste Policy Team Leader

Key points raised during the discussion:

1. The Chairman commended the considerable effort made with regards to the consultation. He asked if the service was content with the response received and was it representative sample.  The Cabinet Member for Transport and Infrastructure said that he was satisfied with the feedback for this part of the long process. Stakeholders were not usually enthusiastic until the later stages of the process when locations were discussed and this was the expectation in this case. Themes emerging from the considerable work done by the team to engage hard to reach groups were consistent with general representational feedback. The Executive Director, Environment, Transport and Infrastructure said that recognition that however accessible a consultation, there were certain demographics that would remain unlikely to engage. The Directorate had embraced this and a small amount of spending had been put into the commissioned focus groups, which alongside the more traditional routes for consultation, would ensure that the Directorate is able to access a representative view of its work going forward – a hybrid approach to consultation that the Directorate is keen to develop further.

2. A Member noted commentary received directly from residents who attended the Addlestone library session on the 4th of March 2022 said that “it was only held a matter of days before consultation phase one closed and left little time for residents to incorporate what they had learned from the session into their responses” The Member asked for assurances that more public consultations would be taken into account. The Cabinet Member for Transport and Infrastructure gave an assurance that this would be the case. 

3. A Member noted that the regeneration bill references a minerals and waste plan for every local authority with responsibility for its delivery. Given that the next phase of public consultation for this preferred option was due to be considered and progressed in June 2023, a Member queried if there was a sense of urgency to be considered or was the 12-month delay as a result of what was included in the draft legislation acceptable. The Cabinet Member for Transport and Infrastructure explained that the 12-month period was to deliver the technical work necessary to prepare that draft plan for the preferred options and public consultation material.

4. A Member noted that 2011 Minerals Plan currently in place was over 10 years old and when set against the revised national planning framework, was weakened every day. Several major planning applications involving minerals would be put at risk given that the new plan would not be implemented for at least two years. The Cabinet Member for Transport and Infrastructure accepted that the existing plan was out of date but confirmed that it was reviewed in 2014 and again in 2019 against soundness and conformity to the Mineral Plan (MPF) and both reviews concluded that no changes were required.

5. A Member said that to deliver minerals and waste sustainably, proactive planning for specific requirement was required such as proactive planning where renewable energy went alongside the constraining policies. The Cabinet Member for Transport and Infrastructure confirmed that this would be factored in because there was a need to consider what was being planned and the location. The plan was being considered as a circular economy, ensuring a minimal carbon footprint and Greener Futures was interwoven throughout although the government had not ruled out oil and gas based on the current events. 

6. The Chairman requested that the committee be engaged in the process to add value and become fully involved in the decision by which a preferred option is decided. The Cabinet Member for Transport and Infrastructure agreed.

Resolved:

The Community, Environment and Highways Select Committee noted the report.