Essex County Council

Essex County Council

Notice of public participation in the Review of a Minerals Local Plan Consultation period – 6 February to 19 March 2024 Replacement Essex Minerals Local Plan, 2025-2040 (Regulation 18 – Issues and Options) Including Site Assessment Document The Essex Local Minerals Plan (MLP) was adopted in July 2014. The Plan provides planning policies for minerals development in Essex until 2029 and identifies future sites for mineral extraction. Proposed amendments to the MLP 2014 were consulted on in March/April 2021.

An engagement exercise focusing on mineral provision, which included a call for new sites, was held in early 2022. Up to this stage it was intended to keep the Plan end date to 2029. We are now proposing to extend the Plan to 2040 covering a 15-year period from 2025. New sites will be needed to meet the forecasted demand for aggregates (sand and gravel) over this period. Doing so will ensure that the Plan is robust and can help maintain a ‘steady and adequate’ supply of aggregates and meet the relevant ‘tests of soundness’ as set out in the National Planning Policy Framework.

Due to the Plan date extension, a second call for sites exercise was held in September 2022. Both Call for Sites exercises generated 52 site submissions for consideration for inclusion in a new Plan. The suitability of the 52 submitted sites has been assessed by independent consultants and a report of the findings prepared. A revised Plan has also been drafted, titled Essex Minerals Local Plan, 2025-2040 (Regulation 18 – Issues and Options).

Public consultation on both of these documents and their associated evidence base will be held from 6th February to 19th March 2024. All consultation documents and information on how to respond can be found online at www.essex.gov.uk/minerals-review. Free internet can be accessed at your local library. All Information will be published in accordance with the requirements of the Freedom of Information Act, The General Data Protection Regulation and ECC’s own privacy notice.