HILLINGDON UNITARY DEVELOPMENT PLAN - London Borough ...

13. MINERALS AND WASTE DISPOSAL
Introduction
13.1 In Hillingdon the main pressure for mineral working is for sand and gravel and remaining
deposits are identified by Figure 10. There are also occasional proposals for 'borrow pits' for common fills
for engineering projects. In the past chalk and brickearth were worked extensively. Community
expectations of better housing, hospitals, schools, roads, railways, airports and the like all increase demand,
as does continuing maintenance and improvement of what already exists. A desire to reduce road traffic,
and consequently congestion and pollution, favours mineral extraction being as close as is environmentally
acceptable to the point at which the minerals are needed. At the same time, however, residents seek a
better overall environment, leading to increasing public concern and frequently strong objections to most
minerals and waste related planning applications. The Council has a statutory duty as Minerals and Local
Planning Authority to reconcile these conflicting pressures in a way which enables the community's needs
to be satisfied in the least damaging manner overall.
13.2 The London Waste Regulation Authority in its Waste Management Plan for Greater London 1995
- 2015 Today's Waste Tomorrows Resources - classifies the numerous different types of waste present in
the general waste stream. The Local Planning Authority will adopt the classification of waste system used
by the Waste Regulation Body in order to avoid a duplicity of definitions. (See Appendix B1 of the Waste
Management Plan for Greater London). Wastes which are largely non-putrescible and non-soluble and
stable are suitable for use in landfilling to restore exhausted mineral workings to a high standard. These
categories of waste also offer scope for recycling and materials reclamation and this is already quite widely
practised elsewhere in London. Other untreated wastes are generally unsuitable for high quality mineral
working restoration within a short timescale and also present large scale handling and long term potential
pollution problems at landfill sites. The problems could be diminished by energy recovery techniques
which reduce the wastes in terms of volume rendering the ultimate residues much more of a stable material
and therefore more suitable for landfilling. Provision of an adequate range of disposal options also tends to
lower the incidence of fly tipping which can otherwise be so damaging to the amenity of the Borough.
13.3 Supply of minerals and disposal of wastes does not conform to local authority areas. In 1989
London produced less than 3% of the land-won sand and gravel produced in the South East Region but it
consumed 11% of it. Whilst all London authorities create demand for minerals, only Hillingdon and
Hounslow in West London contain extensive remaining deposits; in East London the main deposits are in
Havering, Enfield and Redbridge although, as in the case in Hillingdon, many of these are prevented from
being extracted by environmental constraints. Strategic Guidance advocates co-operation and a joint
approach stating 'it is important that London contributes as much as possible to its own needs' (SPG, para
64). It is not therefore practicable to base minerals policy solely on satisfying needs arising within
Hillingdon, even if it were possible to forecast it with any certainty and to divorce demand in Hillingdon
from the wider market forces. Similar considerations apply to planning for waste disposal where a
recycling or energy recovery plant may need to draw supplies from a wider area than an individual
Borough. Consequently the Borough is committed to close liaison with adjoining authorities, the London
Planning Advisory Committee (LPAC), the London and South East Regional Planning Conference
(SERPLAN), the South East Regional Aggregates Working Party (SERAWP), the London Waste
Regulation Authority (LWRA) and other relevant groupings and bodies. Relevant reports by those bodies
will be a material consideration when considering planning applications.
13.4 Boroughs close to the Thames make extensive use of marine dredged sand and gravel and also
crushed rock arriving by sea. These supplies ease pressure on Hillingdon's deposits but will only do so as
long as an adequate number of wharves remain available in the face of redevelopment pressures. The
distance from wharves on the Thames and the traffic generation involved militate against Hillingdon basing
its strategy on greater use of marine dredged aggregates while deposits remain within the Borough which
could be worked. Policies MIN24 and MIN25 recognise the strategic importance of Hillingdon's Rail
Aggregates Depots and Policy MIN18 the importance of waste transfer facilities; other transportation
policies in Chapter 14 will also be applied when appropriate and together these consider the facilities and
London Borough of Hillingdon Unitary Development Plan