HILLINGDON UNITARY DEVELOPMENT PLAN - London Borough ...

Authority will seek in conjunction with other London Boroughs to contribute a proportion of the regional
sand and gravel requirement and London-wide landbank provided that the amenity of those living, working
and recreating in those parts of the Borough most affected by mineral working is not unacceptably debased.
MIN2 THE MINERALS PLANNING AUTHORITY WHEN CONSIDERING PROPOSALS
TO WORK SAND AND GRAVEL WILL, SUBJECT TO APPLICANTS BEING ABLE TO
ESTABLISH THEIR ACCORDANCE WITH THE POLICIES IN THIS PLAN AND OTHER
ENVIRONMENTAL CONSIDERATIONS SEEK IN CONJUNCTION WITH OTHER LONDON
BOROUGHS TO CONTRIBUTE A PROPORTION OF THE REGIONAL SAND AND GRAVEL
REQUIREMENT AND LONDON-WIDE LANDBANK.
13.15 The current trend, identified in Paragraph 13.12 above, has stabilised since 1992 and is
considered in broad terms to be an optimum compromise between the demands of industry (to consume
aggregate) and the aspirations of local residents (to see a cessation of quarrying). Whilst it is quite possible
that the demand for aggregate can justify in economic terms working all the remaining reserves
simultaneously, this would lead to the loss of large tracts of the best and most versatile agricultural land,
have a severe impact on the viability of the remaining farms and have a detrimental affect on the local
environment, particularly through cumulative impact on the area south of the M4 motorway. In addition,
although it is recognised in paragraph 13.12 that mineral working need not be unacceptable in the Green
Belt, it is considered that an increasing concentration of mineral workings in this sensitive part of the Green
Belt would compromise its objectives on a long-term, albeit temporary basis. A "laissez faire" policy is
also a poor method of husbanding a scarce and non-renewable resource.
13.16 Having regard to the difficulty of supplying east and south London from Hillingdon, existing
permissions and remaining (unconsented) reserves throughout London, the role that river and rail served
aggregate handling facilities play in supplying the capital, the increasing use of secondary aggregates and
where there are strong local environmental objections, there is no strong case for Hillingdon increasing the
amount of land south of the M4 motorway to mineral working over and above the total hectarage estimated
in 1994, unless applicants can demonstrate that exceptional circumstances apply.
MIN3 THE MINERALS PLANNING AUTHORITY WILL NOT NORMALLY GRANT
PERMISSIONS THAT WOULD RESULT IN MORE THAN 165 HECTARES OF LAND SOUTH
OF THE M4 MOTORWAY BEING SUBJECT TO PLANNING CONSENT FOR SAND AND
GRAVEL EXTRACTION AND/OR WASTE DISPOSAL AND WHERE THE FULL
RESTORATION IS YET TO BE COMPLETED, EXCEPT IN EXCEPTIONAL
CIRCUMSTANCES. SUCH CIRCUMSTANCES MAY INCLUDE:-
(i)
(ii)
(iii)
(iv)
(v)
THE NEED TO SUPPLY AN ADJACENT OR NEARBY MAJOR PROJECT;
WHERE THE PRODUCTION OF SAND AND GRAVEL IS AN INCIDENTAL BY-
PRODUCT OF DEVELOPMENT FOR SOME OTHER PRIMARY PURPOSE;
WHEN REFUSAL OF PERMISSION BASED SOLELY ON THIS POLICY WOULD
STERILISE THE ORDERLY WORKING OF RESERVES THAT COULD BE
PROCESSED THROUGH AN EXISTING ENVIRONMENTALLY ACCEPTABLE
PROCESSING PLANT;
SHORT-TERM WORKING WHEN THE OUTPUT FROM A NEWLY
COMMISSIONED QUARRY MAY OVERLAP WITH THE PRODUCTION FROM
ONE NEARING CLOSURE THROUGH EXHAUSTION OF ITS AVAILABLE
RESERVES.
WHERE OTHER LONG TERM ENVIRONMENTAL OBJECTIVES OF THE
COUNCIL COULD BE SECURED BY WORKING THE LAND FOR SAND AND
GRAVEL.
London Borough of Hillingdon Unitary Development Plan