To replace the existing Minerals Local Plan, we are preparing the Devon Minerals Plan 2011 – 2031, formerly the Minerals Core Strategy, which will contain the Council’s vision and objectives for minerals planning and provide the policy framework and site proposals to maintain the supply of minerals and limit the impacts of their working. The Minerals Plan will have regard to national minerals policy, while addressing the specific characteristics of Devon and its minerals.
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Consultation on Sand And Gravel Site Proposals
Wel consulted local communities in the Uffculme/Burlescombe and Ottery St Mary areas on proposals for sand and gravel sites from 15 March to 30 April 2012. See Mineral Sites Consultation to find out more about the proposals.
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Options Consultation Paper
To obtain the views of organisations and individuals on the emerging Minerals Core Strategy, we published an Options Consultation Paper in March 2011. To view the consultation paper and supporting documents and find out what responses were received, please see Options Consultation Paper 2011.
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Devon's Big Minerals Debate
In autumn 2010, we published the Big Minerals Debate to get communities involved, over 160 responses were received.
The Big Minerals Debate leaflet includes a map of Devon highlighting the key minerals issues for each part of the county. A report providing a summary of the responses received is also available.
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Call for Aggregates Sites
To provide evidence for developing its strategy for the supply of aggregates, we issued a ‘call for sites’ in Summer 2010 to deliver new aggregate resources. Responses to this event have provided robust evidence for the appraisal of options for the delivery of a sustainable supply of aggregates, and will contribute to the identification of potential strategic sites.
Details of the submitted sites are provided in the Report of Call for Aggregates Sites. The inclusion of a site in the report does not imply that it will necessarily be incorporated within the Minerals Core Strategy.
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'Refreshing the Vision and Objectives' Consultation
In 2008, we carried out an informal consultation on revisions to the vision and objectives for the Minerals Core Strategy and changes to the scope of the Strategy, in response to comments from stakeholders during the Issues and Options consultation and other events such as new government advice.
The consultation paper and a summary of the responses received are available.
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Issues and Options Consultation
We published the Issues and Options Consultation Paper for the Minerals Core Strategy in November 2007, which proposed a vision and objectives for minerals planning in Devon, identified the key minerals and issues for the County and proposed a range of options for addressing those issues. A summary and analysis of the responses received are also available.
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Evidence Base
Preparation of the Devon Minerals Plan is based on detailed evidence which will inform the development of the Minerals Plan. The following documents have been published and will be updated where necessary:
- Technical Report
- Strategic Flood Risk Assessment
- Community Strategy Assessment
- Equality, Impacts and Needs Assessment
- Review of Options
- Cross-boundary Minerals Issues
- English Heritage – Strategic Stone Study: A Building Stone Atlas of Devon
More Information:
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Stakeholder Involvement
In order to ensure that all potential issues and options are investigated, and to incorporate as wide a range of views as possible, we are committed to encouraging the early and extensive involvement of all stakeholders, including the minerals industry, environmental and community groups, statutory bodies, representatives of local communities and interested individuals. Initiatives to achieve this include:
Newsletters
A series of newsletters were published between December 2006 and July 2012 to keep interested stakeholders up to date with progress on the Minerals Core Strategy and to inform them of events and consultations.
Stakeholder Workshops
We held two stakeholder workshops at the Sandy Park Conference Centre in Exeter, facilitated by experienced consultants, to raise awareness of the challenges and opportunities for mineral development and to encourage exploration and discussion of potential issues. The first workshop, on Wednesday 14 February 2007, introduced the Core Strategy and helped to develop its vision and objectives, while the second event on Thursday 22 March 2007 explored issues in more depth to help develop options.
A detailed report on the workshops and their outcomes was produced by the Council’s facilitators.
Consultation Workshop
To help consultees in understanding the potential effects of the Minerals Core Strategy options on their community or organisation, we held a Consultation Workshop in Exeter on 4 December 2007. The report on the scope and outcomes of the Workshop can be viewed here.
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Sustainability Appraisal
To help in understanding the environmental, social and economic impacts of the emerging Devon Minerals Plan, we are undertaking Sustainability Appraisal at each stage of its development. The process incorporates the requirements of the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) Directive, and appraises the options and policies of the Minerals Plan against a range of sustainability objectives.
Consultation on Sustainability Appraisal is undertaken in parallel with consultation for the Minerals Plan, and copies of the appraisal documents we have produced are available through the following links.
The detailed explanation of the process of Sustainability Appraisal is provided in the Scoping Report, which also contains baseline evidence and a review of relevant policies and programmes, and sets out the framework for undertaking the appraisal.
The Issues and Options Consultation Paper for the Minerals Core Strategy, published in November 2007, was accompanied by an initial sustainability appraisal report that considered the sustainability implications of each of the options.
Due to the gap between the 2007 Scoping Report and the Options Consultation Paper in early 2011, it was necessary to update the report and consult on the proposed amendments.
The Sustainability Appraisal Report for the Options Consultation Paper is available here.
Following appraisal of options for sand and gravel sites in East and Mid Devon, a draft Sustainability Appraisal Report was prepared for consultation with statutory consultees, after which a final version of the report was published. This report will inform subsequent decisions on the choice of sites for inclusion in the Minerals Plan:
If you require any further information on this report, or wish to make any comments on it, please contact the Sustainability Appraisal Team by emailing planningsamins@devon.gov.uk.
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Further information
Further information on mineral development is available through the links below. Please note that these links are provided for information purposes only, and their inclusion should not be taken as an endorsement by Devon County Council of their content.