Chapter 16 - Minerals

Introduction

16.1 Extraction of minerals is an important activity providing raw materials for the power, construction and manufacturing industries and creating jobs. However, it can also create problems, in that it may scar the landscape with quarries, pits, or spoil heaps, bring heavy traffic onto unsuitable roads, make noise and dust or take place in areas of attractive countryside, on productive agricultural land or in areas valued for recreation.

16.2 From 1 April 1986 the ten District Councils of Greater Manchester became Mineral Planning Authorities and are responsible for the planning control of the mining and working of minerals including most mineral processing plants, aggregate rail and water depots and coating and ready mix concrete plants. Minerals operations are subject to a wide range of controls in addition to planning legislation. The Minerals Local Plan, the relevant parts of which are being absorbed without significant amendments into the Trafford UDP, deals only with those aspects of mineral working which are subject to planning control.

General Justification for the Policies and Proposals of The Minerals Chapter

16.3 Deposits of gravel and sand exist in Trafford. Some extraction has taken place in the past but operations have been on a small scale. Minerals, however, are a finite resource and deposits should not be sterilized unnecessarily. The Government require, in their Minerals Planning Guidance Notes, Mineral Planning Authorities to make adequate provision for the extraction of minerals. Trafford's UDP takes account both of that guidance and of the approach contained in the Minerals Local Plan which was approved by the Secretary of State on 30 August 1989.

16.4 Consideration of proposals for the extraction of minerals must strike a balance between the commercial need for the minerals within the region and the implications for the Borough's environment, especially in the countryside.

16.5 Where feasible and practical the Council will seek to encourage the use of waste materials in the road and other construction programmes in order to conserve the limited resources of natural aggregate that exist.

PART I PLAN POLICIES

Part I Policy M1 – Protection Of Mineral Deposits

The Council will protect mineral deposits from incompatible development.

Part I Policy M2 – Extraction Of Minerals

When considering proposals for new mineral workings, or extensions to existing workings, the Council will have regard to:-

  • The need for the mineral and the contribution the proposal would make towards maintaining the required supply of minerals;
  • The need to protect areas of special environmental, ecological, wildlife, landscape or agricultural value;
  • The likely short and long term impact on established settlements and the amenities enjoyed by the residents of those areas;
  • Whether extraction and subsequent restoration can create opportunities for environmental improvements and/or enable the establishment of new and needed land use activities in the Borough.

PART II PLAN PROPOSALS

Part II Proposal M3 – Aggregate Minerals

When considering proposals for new or extended workings for aggregate minerals the Council will (unless exceptional circumstances apply) take account of the need for Trafford to make an appropriate contribution towards the maintenance of a sufficient sub-regional landbank of reserves of all forms of aggregates with planning permission and in particular to support production of sand and gravel for a period of at least 7 years ahead at all times during and at the end of the Plan period.

Justification

1. Trafford depends heavily upon neighbouring areas for the minerals it requires. The Council intends to deal with proposals for the working of aggregates within a sub-regional (i.e. Greater Manchester and Merseyside) context, while bearing in mind both the need to limit unnecessary transport of aggregates and the local impact of individual proposals.

2. The Greater Manchester Minerals Local Plan sought to ensure that Greater Manchester would always be able to support production at a rate of 360,000 tonnes per annum over a period of 10 years ahead. However, this target has now been replaced by an agreed apportionment to Greater Manchester and Merseyside of an appropriate share of the overall target for the North West Region derived from MPG6 - Guidelines for Aggregates Provision in England. Under this apportionment, carried out on the advice of the North West Regional Aggregates Working Party, Greater Manchester and Merseyside is to provide 6.6 million tonnes of sand and gravel and 25.2 million tonnes of crushed rock in the period 1992-2006.

3. The land bank procedure recommended in MPG6 recognizes that the overall process of site selection, acquisition, gaining of planning permission, and subsequent development can be time consuming. In the meantime there is a need to ensure a landbank of at least 7 years supply of aggregates to the construction industry.

4. The Council will assist in monitoring the supply of and demand for aggregates in Greater Manchester and will consider the implications of any changes in supply and demand over the Plan period. If necessary the provisions of the Plan will be reviewed.

Part II Proposal M4 – All Minerals - Exploration Criteria

The Council will normally permit proposals for mineral exploration where all the following criteria are satisfied:-

i. they will not have an unacceptable impact on dwellings or on other environmentally sensitive properties in terms of visual amenity, noise, dust, air pollution, water pollution or other nuisance;

ii. they will not have an unacceptable adverse effect on land drainage and water supply;

iii. the access arrangements are satisfactory and traffic generated will not have an unacceptable effect on properties adjoining routes used by traffic from the development or on road safety anywhere between the site and the strategic highway network;

iv. they will not have an unacceptable effect on the viability of agricultural holdings or lead to an unacceptable loss of agricultural land, taking into account the quality of restoration likely to be achieved following mineral exploration;

v. they will not have an unacceptable effect on the setting of listed buildings, ancient monuments or conservation areas;

vi. local features of landscape, ecological, wildlife, archaeological, or geological interest within the site are protected as far as possible;

vii. they will not have an unacceptable permanent impact on (a) areas in recreational use or with significant potential for such use, (b) Areas of Special Landscape Value (as defined on the Proposals Map), (c) sites and areas of importance for nature conservation, or (d) land within the Mersey Valley (as defined on the Proposals Map);

viii. the proposal provides for satisfactory restoration of land disturbed by exploration.

Justification

1. Trial boreholes are temporary phenomena and in most cases have minimal impact on the land and on local amenity. However, some mineral exploration, for example for deep mined coal and oil, is carried out on a 24 hour a day basis using very tall rigs. Such operations can have a significant effect on local amenity because of noise, floodlighting and traffic. There is also the possibility of water pollution from oil seepage. This Proposal takes all these factors into account and ensures proper restoration of the site after exploration is complete.

2. Classes A and B of Part 22 of the Schedule to the Town and Country Planning General Development Order 1988 grant planning permission for small scale temporary developments for the purposes of mineral exploration, subject to certain limitations. However, there remain a number of circumstances under which the operator will have to submit a planning application.

Part II Proposal M5 – Mineral Sterilization

The Council will seek to protect known mineral resources from sterilization by other development. Where other development is approved, the Council will encourage the prior extraction of minerals before the other development proceeds.

Justification

1. Once land is built upon any minerals resources lying beneath it are lost to the community. Sites containing scarce mineral resources should therefore be protected from built development for as long as possible and certainly for as long as alternative building sites are available. Even where building has to proceed, in many cases thoughtful planning could ensure that the mineral is extracted before building commences.

Part II Proposal M6 – Aggregates

Areas of search for aggregates have been defined on the Proposals Map as broad locations where mineral extraction will normally be permitted, subject to compliance with the criteria in Proposal M8.

Justification

1. The areas of search have been defined to take into account where minerals actually occur and the levels of production required to meet the County's share of regional production, and having regard to the protection of:-

i. Special Landscape Areas;

ii. The Mersey Valley;

iii. Agricultural land Grades 1, 2 and 3a;

iv. Recreational areas, Country Parks and Conservation Areas;

v. Sites of Special Scientific Interest and sites of ecological or wildlife value or archaeological significance.

2. The areas of search identified on the Proposals Map are drawn from the Greater Manchester Minerals Local Plan. Whilst the methodology of devising these areas of search used the best available information on identifying mineral resources, it was based upon Government advice which has subsequently been amended. It is possible that an applicant can demonstrate the existence of other circumstances such as the fact that the deposit was previously unmapped in support of any new proposals that come forward.

3. For the avoidance of doubt the following areas of search identified in the Greater Manchester Minerals Local Plan have been deleted for the reasons given:-

Area:
Davyhulme Golf Course and Ringway Golf Course (2 Areas)

Reason:
i) Site of special landscape value

ii) In conflict with Proposal M4

iii) Loss of land of recreation and amenity value

iv) Intrusion of traffic

Area:
Peak's Nook, Carrington

Reason:
Site has been quarried and tipped.

Area:
Lock Lane, Partington

Reason:
Site developed for public open space to serve residential area. The exploitation of the site would involve the use of Lock Lane by heavy goods vehicles.

Area:
Isherwood Road , Carrington

Reason:
Site of Grade A Site of Biological Importance.

Area:
Former rail sidings north of Partington

Reason:
Extraction impracticable due to environmental and physical constraints.

Area:
Electric power distribution centre, Isherwood Road, Carrington

Reason:
Extraction impracticable due to environmental and physical constraints.

4. A comprehensive review of the areas of search, using a clearer, less restrictive methodology, will be undertaken and incorporated into the Plan by way of review.

Part II Proposal M7 – All Minerals Other Than Oil And Gas, Including The Reworking Of Spoil Tips

Mineral working will normally be permitted when all the following criteria are satisfied. Mineral disposal points (when they are the subject of planning control) will normally be permitted when criteria (iv) to (xii) are satisfied.

i. there is a demonstrable need for the mineral taking into account its quality and the proposed market;

ii. in the case of sand and gravel, reserves with planning permission are below the levels specified in Proposal M3;

iii. adequate reserves of the mineral in terms of both quality and quantity are proved;

iv. it will not have an unacceptable impact on dwellings or on other environmentally sensitive properties in terms of visual amenity, noise, vibration, dust, smells, litter, vermin, air pollution, water pollution or other nuisance;

v. it will not have an unacceptable adverse effect on land drainage and water supply;

vi. the access arrangements are satisfactory and traffic generated will not have an unacceptable effect on properties adjoining routes used by mineral traffic or on road safety anywhere between the site and the strategic highway network;

vii. it will not have an unacceptable effect on the viability of agricultural holdings or lead to an unacceptable loss of agricultural land taking into account the quality of restoration likely to be achieved following mineral working;

viii. it will not have an unacceptable effect on the setting of listed buildings, ancient monuments or conservation areas;

ix. local features of landscape, ecological, wildlife, archaeological or geological interest within the site are protected as far as possible;

x. it will not have an unacceptable impact on areas of recreational use or potential, special landscape, the Mersey Valley, or areas of ecological or wildlife importance;

xi. it will not prevent the working of other mineral deposits of significant value;

xii. there is no detrimental impact on surrounding groundwater levels, existing water extraction or river flow.

Justification

1. Stringent criteria must be met before mineral working can be accepted. Even where such matters as access and restoration proposals are adequately dealt with a concentration of active sites in a restricted locality may not be acceptable. Conversely a proposal which is so small in scale or inadequate in its scheme of working that it leaves large quantities of minerals unworked, or sterilizes adjoining deposits, will not be approved. Minerals disposal points can also cause environmental problems and, therefore, care needs to be exercised as to their siting. Nevertheless a disposal point does not always have to be sited at a mineral working. Consequently not all of the criteria set out in this Proposal are applicable to disposal points.

2. This Proposal does not apply to reworking of tips permitted under Classes A, B and C of Part 23 of the Schedule to the Town and Country Planning General Development Order 1988, which grants planning permission in certain circumstances for the removal of materials from stockpiles or temporary mineral working deposits.

Part II Proposal M8 – All Minerals - Working And Restoration

In cases where applications for mineral workings are considered to meet the criteria set out in Proposal M7 the proposals will also be expected to provide, as appropriate, for the following:-

i. a satisfactory scheme of working and landscaping, providing for progressive working and restoration in the case of extensive workings;

ii. satisfactory provision for the processing and disposal of the mineral;

iii. satisfactory provision for the disposal of mineral waste;

iv. satisfactory provision for screening and landscaping whilst working is in progress;

v. a satisfactory scheme for restoration;

vi. a scheme for aftercare in the case of restoration to agriculture, forestry, recreation, nature conservation or amenity use, for a period of up to 5 years.

Justification

1. All proposals for mineral working must show that the site can be adequately screened, worked and restored to an appropriate after-use such as agriculture, forestry, recreation, nature conservation or amenity, that processing and transport of the mineral will not give rise to planning problems in themselves and that any waste can be adequately disposed of. These are matters which in the past have not always been adequately dealt with, leading to nuisance while operations take place and a legacy of dereliction.

Part II Proposal M9 – Standards Of Restoration

Where restoration of a mineral working or a surface mineral waste disposal site to agriculture, forestry or amenity use is proposed the Council, in consultation with the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food or the Forestry Commission, will seek the standard of restoration required by the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 and will impose appropriate aftercare conditions, having regard to Minerals Planning Guidance Note 7.

Justification

1. Standards of restoration have often been very poor in the past and it is a major aim of this Plan to improve the quality of restoration. The Town and Country Planning Act 1990 allows the Council to require land to be restored to its pre-existing standard, so far as is practicable (as established by land quality assessments made by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food) or to a standard reasonably fit for the proposed use. The Council will have regard to the Code of Practice set out in the Minerals Local Plan.

Part II Proposal M10 – Reclamation

In considering applications for mineral working or surface disposal of mineral waste the Council will, where it is possible without seriously infringing planning constraints or causing nuisance to residents, give favourable consideration to proposals which would assist in reclaiming derelict and degraded land.

Justification

1. It may sometimes be possible to include derelict or poor quality land in mineral applications and make such land more attractive or productive as part of the restoration operations. Proposal ENV32 - Derelict Land Reclamation sets out the Council's approach to the reclamation of derelict land. This policy has in fact been pursued by the Opencast Executive and has contributed to the clearance of derelict land. The possibility of such benefits will need to be weighed against the temporary loss of amenity caused by mineral working.

Part II Proposal M11 – Modification Of Old Planning Permissions

In the case of mineral workings which have long standing planning permissions with inadequate conditions of working or restoration the Council will seek, in conjunction with the operators, to review those conditions and to include these workings within comprehensive landscaping or restoration schemes when extensions to the workings are under consideration. Under Section 105 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990, the Council will consider the desirability of seeking modification to older planning permissions in order to achieve better standards of restoration.

Justification

1. A number of sites used for mineral extraction in the County have been granted permission subject to minimal conditions. These conditions would not meet current environmental standards and the Council therefore wishes to review these conditions wherever possible. Implementation of recent legislation will eventually offer the opportunity to impose better conditions although compensation will be payable in certain cases. The Council will also wish to consider planning agreements as an alternative course of action and 'consolidating permissions' where an applicant is prepared to include earlier consent areas in a new application when extensions to the working area are sought.

Part II Proposal M12 – Provision Of Depots

Where appropriate the Council will encourage the provision of rail or water-linked aggregate depots and mineral disposal points and the provision of rail and water links to existing and new mineral workings provided that:-

i) in the case of mineral disposal points and aggregate depots,

- they have good access to the strategic highway network;

- the access arrangements are satisfactory and traffic generated will not have an unacceptable effect on properties adjoining the access routes or on road safety anywhere between the site and the strategic highway network;

ii) In all cases :-

- local features of landscape, ecological, wildlife, archaeological or geological interest within the site are protected as far as possible;

- they will not have an unacceptable impact on dwellings or on other environmentally sensitive properties in terms of visual amenity, vibration, noise, dust, air pollution, water pollution or other nuisance;

- they will not have an unacceptable adverse effect on land drainage and water supply;

- they will not have an unacceptable effect on the viability of agricultural holdings or lead to an unacceptable loss of agricultural land;

- they will not have an unacceptable effect on the setting of listed buildings, ancient monuments or conservation areas;

- they will not have an unacceptable impact on areas of recreational use or potential, special landscape, the Mersey Valley, or sites of ecological importance;

- satisfactory screening and landscaping, and where appropriate, restoration are provided.

Justification

1. Provision of rail and water linked depots in appropriate locations will reduce the need to move aggregates within the Borough by road and hence provide environmental benefit from the lower flows of existing or future road freight traffic. Care will have to be taken that the resulting road traffic serving the rail and water-linked depots does not give rise to significant local environmental disbenefits which outweigh the environmental gains elsewhere.

Part II Proposal M13 – Oil And Natural Gas

Exploitation of oil or natural gas will normally be permitted only when:-

i. it will not have an unacceptable impact on dwellings or on other environmentally sensitive properties in terms of visual amenity, noise, vibration, dust, air pollution, water pollution or other nuisance;

ii. it will not have an unacceptable adverse effect on land drainage and water supply;

iii. the access arrangements are satisfactory and traffic generated will not have an unacceptable effect on properties adjoining routes used by traffic from the development or on road safety anywhere between the site and the strategic highway network;

iv. it will not have an unacceptable effect on the viability of agricultural holdings or lead to an unacceptable loss of agricultural land;

v. it will not have an unacceptable effect on the setting of listed buildings, ancient monuments or conservation areas;

vi. local features of landscape, ecological, wildlife, archaeological or geological interest within the site are protected as far as possible;

vii. it will not have an unacceptable impact on areas of recreational use or potential, special landscape, the Mersey Valley, or areas of ecological importance;

viii. notwithstanding that the proposal is in every other way acceptable, it does not increase the extent of active workings in a particular locality to an unacceptable degree;

ix. it forms part of an overall scheme for the development of the oil or gas field approved by the Council.

Justification

1. Exploitation of oil and natural gas may involve large structures, continuous working and other environmentally intrusive consequences. The Council will only permit the working of these minerals where it is satisfied not only that the impact of individual production facilities is limited, but where each facility fits into a predetermined scheme for the development of a particular field. Without such an overall scheme, unforeseen sporadic development could take place over a wide area as the potential of a field is revealed.

Part II Proposal M14 – All Minerals - Standards Of Working

Where mineral working is acceptable in principle, the Council will as appropriate:-

i. limit the period of operations;

ii. control levels of noise and vibration;

iii. control hours of working and maintenance;

iv. ensure satisfactory access to the site;

v. prevent or control the production of polluted water and dust;

vi. control the impact of blasting;

vii. ensure the satisfactory disposal of waste materials arising from mineral working;

viii. limit the visual impact of the development;

ix. ensure the stability of surrounding land;

x. ensure that the site is satisfactorily restored.

Justification

1. No matter how well located a mineral working may be, there is always a need to ensure that precise standards of working and restoration are adhered to.