07/11/11…..Council’s mineral extraction targets are too hight, say campaigners
OXFORDSHIRE County Council?s targets for extracting minerals are unnecessarily high according to the local branch of the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE).
The Council has been consulting on its draft Minerals Planning Strategy, which sets out its plans for mineral extraction in the county until 2030.
In its response to the consultation which closed on October 31, CPRE Oxfordshire has called on the County to look again at the amount of sand and gravel to be extracted.
Arnold Grayson, CPRE?s local minerals consultant, says: ?The Council is currently proposing a figure of 1.2 million tonnes a year. We think this could come down by around a third, to 870,000 tonnes.
?Changes in building design and construction methods mean that less sand and gravel is now needed by the construction industry. There is also a greater supply of marine sand and gravel and recycled material available.
?In addition, we are asking the Council to investigate the possibility of bringing in materials by rail, such as china clay sand from Cornwall.?
Helen Marshall, Director of CPRE Oxfordshire, says: ?These figures are important because they translate directly into holes in the ground and trucks on the roads.
?The communities of West Oxfordshire have suffered from the effects of extensive mineral extraction for years, and the County is now looking to open up new sites in other Districts. Anything we can do to reduce these figures to a more realistic level will help take the pressure of the countryside and local people.?
MORE INFORMATION:
CPRE Oxfordshire promotes the beauty, tranquillity and diversity of rural Oxfordshire by encouraging the sustainable use of land and other natural resources in town and country. Established in 1931, the charity is this year celebrating its 80th anniversary. We are part of the national CPRE charity. For more information see: LINK
The County Council is responsible for minerals and waste planning in Oxfordshire and is preparing a new plan for where mineral working and waste facilities should be located. This consultation document is the Council’s draft plan for minerals to 2030. It includes a strategy and policies for sand and gravel, soft sand and crushed rock extraction. The draft plan also sets out the Council’s proposed policies on provision for secondary and recycled aggregates, aggregate rail depots, safeguarding of mineral resources and infrastructure and restoration of mineral workings. For further details see:
LINK
SOURCE: Press Release
