The 11 parishes of Alvescot, Bampton, Black Bourton, Brize Norton, Broadwell, Carterton, Clanfield, Grafton/Radcot, Kelmscott, Kencot and Langford have joined together as AGGROW to present this unified statement to their County Councillors and others regarding possible gravel extraction in West Oxfordshire.
AGGROW is the largest protest group in Oxfordshire.
Oxfordshire County Council is formulating a twenty year plan for minerals extraction within the county. Its plan was based initially on the excavation of some 2.1 million tonnes per annum (mtpa), a demand figure determined by the previous Government. This figure has been challenged from the onset and, at the beginning of this year, the County Council commissioned an assessment to inform its future need for sand and gravel.
The Proposed Minerals Plan - in summary
Oxfordshire’s requirements
Between 2011 and 2026, 40,000 new homes are planned to be built across Oxfordshire; the traffic in the county is expected to increase by 25%!! Based on this planning assumption it is estimated that some 1.26mtpa of sand and gravel (gravel 1.01mt, sand.25mt) will be required to support this building programme and to meet the county’s infrastructure needs.
The key areas for development will be Didcot, Wantage, Grove, Bicester, Oxford with Banbury, Upper Heyford, Witney and Carterton having smaller growth.
Planning permissions for quarries, to ensure an adequate and steady supply of sand and gravel for developments, will be determined in consideration of the following points:
· Minimise distance to market.
· Minimise use of unsuitable roads.
· Minimise harmful impacts on environment and communities.
· Minimise areas vulnerable to flooding.
· Protect important landscapes, archaeological and heritage assets.
· Contribute to landscape character.
· Contribute to habitat and biodiversity.
· Provide access to countryside and recreation.
· Developers will be expected to carry out road improvements and repairs where needed.
Sites will not be considered where quarry workings would:
· Not give reasonable access to primary roads.
· Impede or displace floodwater, reduce floodwater storage or affect flood defences.
· Have an adverse impact on quantity or quality of water
· Interfere with the flow of groundwater.
· Have unacceptable impact on the environment or residential amenity.
· Not protect local residents from unacceptable impacts.
· Not safeguard settlements, landscapes.
· Not preserve Scheduled Ancient Monuments in situ.
Proposed areas for excavation
In formulating its proposals, the County Council considered 17 areas and discounted 7 due to limited reserves. Its plan proposes that excavation will be continued in the Lower Windrush Valley, Eynsham, Cassington, Yarnton, Sutton Courtney and Caversham; Cholsey will replace Sutton Courtney around 2020. No new site permissions will be granted unless demand exceeds supply. Excavation will continue south of Oxford to support planned housing and the Science Vale area – Didcot, Wantage and Grove.
So far as West Oxfordshire is concerned the proposed plan states that “The rate and intensity of mineral working in West Oxfordshire should not increase due to traffic problems, impacts on rivers, groundwater flows and impact on local communities.”
Your support is needed now
The proposed Minerals Plan is now available for public consultation and can be accessed in full at www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/mineralsandwaste until 31 October.
It is important and in all our interests that we respond to this consultation exercise through this website or by email to mineralsandwasteplanconsultation@oxfordshire.gov.uk Your comments can also be sent by post to Minerals and Waste Draft Plan Consultation, Speedwell House, Freepost, Oxfordshire County Council or by fax to 01865 241577. Telephone: 01865 815398. Should you wish to discuss your response please feel free to contact us.
Next Steps
Public consultation will end on 31 October when the County Council will consider the plan in the light of comments made. Following Cabinet approval, the Minerals Plan will go before the full Council for final approval or amendment. The Plan will then be available for final public comment and will then be submitted for independent examination by a Government Inspector early in 2012.
It is anticipated that the new Minerals Plan will be implemented in 2013 and
AGGROW will continue until then.