The emerging Devon Minerals Plan needs to ensure that an adequate supply of minerals is available over the period to 2031. While Devon has extensive reserves of some types of mineral, it is anticipated that there will be a shortfall of sand and gravel as the reserves remaining at existing quarries are unlikely to be sufficient. In addition, some of the highest quality grades of ball clay from the Bovey Basin are in short supply, requiring mineral operators to extend working into new areas.
The County Council has identified a range of options for the delivery of these materials, based on sites put forward by mineral operators and other sites identified from geological mapping. We have undertaken appraisal of these options, using a wide range of environmental, social and economic indicators, to identify which sites in each area should be considered for inclusion in the Minerals Plan and which should be excluded from further consideration. See Site Appraisal Methodology for more information.
Sand and Gravel Sites in Eastern Devon
The outcomes of this appraisal process are a small number of “preferred sites” for sand and gravel supply in East and Mid Devon. Before taking a decision on which to include in the Devon Minerals Plan, the County Council undertook consultation on the sand and gravel sites from 15 March to 30 April 2012 to obtain the views of local communities and other relevant organisations. Links are provided below to the consultation document, together with copies of the detailed site appraisals and a summary of the key findings.
- Consultation document
- Sand and gravel site appraisals – north
- Sand and gravel appraisals – south
- Site appraisal summary report
Approximately 480 responses to the consultation were received. The following document provides a summary of these: Responses to local consultation on future of quarrying in East and Mid Devon
To inform future decisions on the identification of sand and gravel sites, the County Council’s sustainability appraisal team has published a draft Sustainability Appraisal Report on the site options in East and Mid Devon.