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Meeting the Need for MineralsThis sections considers how our need for aggregates
should best be met. These materials can only be extracted where they
occur. Land-won Sand and Gravel The extent of the reserves in our area is such that they could in theory be exploited for many years to come. However, in reality, their use is severely limited by location and sustainability issues, as extraction can give rise to impacts on the environment, local amenity and quality of life. There is therefore a strong case for reducing land-won sand and gravel extraction to a reasonable minimum.
Historically, the supply of land-won sand and gravel has been strong in the South West of Hampshire, in particular the Avon Valley and Lymington/New Milton areas. These areas service local demand as well as supplying aggregates to the Bournemouth/Poole and Salisbury urban areas, and it is important that discussions with neighbouring authorities continue in order to understand what future development pressures in these areas will be. The major urban areas of Portsmouth and Southampton are largely serviced by the nine wharves located in and around these areas. On the basis of known plans, the areas where major new development is planned are Aldershot, Andover, Basingstoke and Waterlooville. To reflect this, there should be modest shift in the balance of supply over the period to 2020 towards the North East (Upper Test Valley/ Basingstoke/ Andover/ Bramshill Plateau/ Bordon) and away from the South West (New Forest/Waterside/Lower Test Valley). There should be a change of about 5% in supply for land-won aggregates from South West Hampshire to North East Hampshire. Whilst there is scope to increase the use of recycled aggregates, this will only have a limited impact on reducing sand and gravel needs. 90% of increased recycling will substitute for crushed rock imported into Hampshire, rather than sand and gravel. This is a consequence of the difference in use of each material and the suitability of recycled aggregate for that use. The 10% of recycled and secondary aggregate that could substitute land-won sand and gravel equates to 60,000 tonnes by 2020. Currently there is only about 3-5 years’ licensed supply of marine aggregates left off the South Coast. An increase in supply is subject to new dredging licences being granted in deeper areas of the eastern English Channel. There are currently about ten such applications awaiting determination which, if all were granted, could be expected to supply sand and gravel at present supply rates for some 50 years. The outcomes cannot be guaranteed however, since decisions will have to balance any adverse environmental impacts of the dredging operations, both to offshore habitats and in terms of coastal erosion etc. There is a case for increasing the amount of marine dredged sand and gravel in order to reduce the need for land-won material, subject to an assessment of the effects on the marine environment.. Continuously review the situation with regard to new dredging licence applications and the need for wharf capacity in Hampshire. Promote the importation of secondary aggregate through spare capacity at Hampshire’s wharves. Overall there are a number of arguments that could be used to justify reducing Hampshire’s land-won sand and gravel apportionment:
These arguments were put forward at the examination in
public of the Regional Minerals Strategy in October 2004, without
success. It is however very important that the arguments are
developed with supporting evidence over time to show what can be
achieved to reduce the need for land-won aggregates. Need for Minerals Sites There will be an on-going need for new sand and gravel pits. Potential sites should be considered on their merits against a number of constraints. The opportunity for landfill is not considered to be a positive factor for choosing one site over another. Opportunities to use sites that enhance biodiversity and have potential for other innovative influences should be considered. Where extraction takes place at ‘species poor’ locations it can provide the opportunity to create important habitats such as heathlands and wetlands. There are four key areas of search for mineral sites:
Due to constraints within the National Park boundary
there are unlikely to be any significant minerals and waste developments
within the National Park boundary. In order to reduce the impact of
development on the New Forest National Park, the extraction of sand and
gravel directly to the East of the River Avon should be avoided. Need for Recycling Sites There is a need to create additional capacity to recycle construction, demolition and excavation wastes. A key requirement is a need for 2 - 3 large facilities to recycle heavy construction/ demolition materials located in the greater M27 corridor area and in North Eastern Hampshire. These sites should be permanent and located on industrial or similar sites. This will assist in encouraging investment in the production of good quality aggregate products. Smaller less strategic facilities, for example for ‘skip’ type materials, will be needed. Their location should be left for the market to decide in accordance with site assessment criteria. Some degree of over-capacity is likely to be needed since recycling facilities are often an important component in a company’s ability to be competitive in the collection marketplace. Limiting facilities may ultimately lead to increases in costs. Preference should be given to optimising existing capacity rather than to the provision of new sites. Many of the current sites are however potentially time-limited and there will be a need for new facilities to replace them. In order for the public and community organisations to be better able to accept these sites, it is important to ensure sites are located to ensure minimal disruption to local communities, especially in terms of noise, traffic and pollution. They should also be well run and well regulated.
Sustainable design could limit the demand for aggregate and therefore this should be encouraged as set out in Increasing Resource Efficiency and Reducing Wastage. Both the ‘in-situ’ crushing of material at demolition sites and the segregation of recyclable materials at construction sites should be promoted. The local authorities should encourage sustainable design, construction and demolition in order to minimise the demand for aggregates, increase recycling and reduce the disposal of construction and demolition wastes.
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