HILLINGDON UNITARY DEVELOPMENT PLAN - London Borough ...

working quality. The Minerals Planning Authority will, as far as practicable, have regard to the proven
restoration expertise of companies and individuals, and will take account of their past restoration record in
Hillingdon and elsewhere.
13.21 Where restoration practises proposed are to be able to restore land to its original pre-working
grade or sub-grade, objection to the release of the site on the basis of agricultural land quality is unlikely.
Where the land quality is likely to fall by more than one grade or sub-grade, or cease to be the best and
most versatile land (Grades 1, 2 and 3a), an objection is highly likely on agricultural land quality grounds.
Where the land quality will probably fall by one grade, but remains within the category of best and most
versatile agricultural land, (Grade 1, 2, 3a) an objection is also highly likely, although this will depend on a
consideration of all other material factors.
MIN4 THE MINERALS PLANNING AUTHORITY WILL NORMALLY RESIST FURTHER
RELEASES OF BEST AND MOST VERSATILE AGRICULTURAL LAND (GRADES 1, 2 AND
3A) FOR MINERAL WORKING UNLESS SITE WORKING AND RESTORATION METHODS
ARE ADOPTED WHICH WILL, AFTER A PERIOD OF 5 YEARS AFTER-CARE, ENABLE THE
LAND TO BE RESTORED, AS FAR AS IT IS PRACTICABLE TO DO SO, TO A STANDARD
SIMILAR TO ITS PRE-WORKING AGRICULTURAL LAND QUALITY.
13.22 Although careful handling and treatment of soils during stripping, storage and replacement is
important to achieving a high standard of restoration, management of the land during the five year aftercare
period has an equally important role to play in enabling it to be returned to its pre-working agricultural
quality. Having regard to guidance from Ministry of Agriculture Fisheries and Food, this Authority will
seek to ensure that aftercare schemes make full and proper provision to allow agricultural land to be
returned to its original quality within the statutory five year period. Should it be apparent at the application
stage that a period of longer than five years is necessary to allow the land to be restored to the required
standard, for example where a particularly novel restoration technique is proposed, the applicant will be
required to enter into a planning agreement which makes provision for aftercare during that longer period.
MIN5 WHERE SUCCESSFUL AGRICULTURAL RESTORATION IN ACCORDANCE WITH
THE REQUIREMENTS OF MIN4 IS ACCEPTED AS BEING LIKELY AND THERE IS NO
OTHER OVERRIDING OBJECTION TO THE RELEASE OF AGRICULTURAL LAND, THE
MINERALS PLANNING AUTHORITY WILL SEEK THE PHASED RELEASE OF LAND FOR
MINERAL EXTRACTION/DISPOSAL OF WASTE.
13.23 Mineral working and landfill can have an adverse effect on adjoining agricultural units (for
example by drain down of the water table, dust, litter blow) and the possibility of combining units where
viability under the terms of Policy MIN5 or changing agricultural practices arises.
MIN6 THE MINERALS PLANNING AUTHORITY WILL HAVE REGARD TO THE IMPACT
ON FARMING PRACTICES OF PROPOSALS FOR MINERALS EXTRACTION/DISPOSAL OF
WASTE AND IMPORTANCE OF AGRICULTURAL LAND IN THE STRUCTURE OF
NEIGHBOURING FARM UNITS WHEN CONSIDERING SITES FOR RELEASE.
13.24 The type of filling material and the engineering of pollution control measures can materially affect
the quality of restoration and the speed with which sites can be returned to a beneficial after-use. (See also
Para 13.39). The Minerals Planning Authority will therefore regulate those aspects wherever necessary
under Town and Country Planning Act powers, although the main pollution control responsibility rests with
the Environment Agency under the provisions of the Control of Pollution Act 1974 and Part 2 of the
Environmental Protection Act 1990.
13.25 In the special circumstances of West London (where total remaining reserves are strictly limited,
usually under high grade agricultural land and subject to the pressures of the urban fringe) the Minerals
Planning Authority considers that the quality of restoration and aftercare that can realistically be anticipated
and rapid return of land to beneficial use takes precedence over transport economics and the aggregates and
waste disposal demands of the capital. The availability of suitable filling materials is considered to be a
London Borough of Hillingdon Unitary Development Plan