An independent inspector has approved plans to protect local communities and the environment during future quarrying in Staffordshire.
Over the next 15 years, the Minerals Local Plan shows how local communities and the environment will be protected and where sand, gravel and other minerals will come from. The plan, which was formed after a two year consultation with local communities and the industry, will now go before a meeting of the full council in early 2017. If approved, the plan will be put in place up to 2030.
Materials for the construction sector, the building of everything from new houses & schools to roads, is supplied from the minerals industry, which helps the county’s growing economy and the creation of jobs in the area.
Mark Winnington, Cabinet Member for Economic Growth at Staffordshire County Council said: “This is an important plan which shows how we will protect our communities and countryside as we manage the extraction of sand, gravel and other natural resources to support the construction industry, our local economy and jobs. We’ve been working on the plan for the last two years and I would like to thank those individuals and organisations who took part in the various consultations to help us get it right. Having the plan is vital, without it, it would make it difficult to deal with planning applications for new quarries, and means there would be an effective free for all for the minerals industry to develop quarries anywhere across Staffordshire. Now that it has been approved by the Secretary of State we hope to present the report to full council for their approval early in the New Year.”
People can view the new plan and the independent inspector’s report at https://www.staffordshire.gov.uk/environment/planning/homepage.aspx.
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