Hampshire County Council plan identifying potential quarry sites on Forest delayed
A controversial minerals plan involving two Forest sites has been delayed.
Yeatton Farm in Hordle and Ashley Manor Farm in New Milton are included in the Hampshire Minerals and Waste Plan as potential quarries in a proposed strategy for sand and gravel digging, writes Natalia Forero of the Local Democracry Reporting Service.
But the plan has now been put back for Natural England to consider nutrient impacts on habitats, a report has revealed.
A recent consultation on the updated plan, which sets out a framework up until 2040, will be submitted to the Secretary of State in July 2024.
At least once every five years, local authorities are responsible for updating their Minerals and Waste Plan to ensure compliance with national policy.
The policy is produced in partnership with Portsmouth and Southampton City Councils and the New Forest and South Downs National Park Authorities.
Work to undertake a partial update of the plan commenced in 2021, but was delayed last year due to the high number of government consultations in relation to the document.
It must take account of the advice issued by Natural England on nutrient impacts on habitats, the international situation which elevated the political priority of energy prices and supply.
The first public consultation regarding Regulation 18 was recently completed. It lasted 12 weeks, from 8th November 2022 to 31st January 2023, and approximately 2,500 responses were received.
A consultation summary report is being prepared and will be publicly available in the following months. The comments will be used to inform further development of the plan policies and formulate decisions on the proposed allocations set out in the document.
Further updates on regulations 19, 22, 24, 25 and 26 will be reviewed, with the timescale indicating that Regulation 24 will be in public examination in Spring 2025.
The total budget estimate for the update is £816,750. Partner authorities contribute approximately £261,360 to the estimated total budget; and the remaining £555,390 will be paid by Hampshire County Council.
The report was presented at Hampshire County Council’s cabinet meeting.
