This report on the Central and Eastern Berkshire Joint Minerals and Waste Local Plan recommends an additional consultation stage on a Focused Regulation 18 Consultation on Sand and Gravel and Operator Performance, and seeks approval for a new version of the Minerals and Waste Local Development Scheme.

The Director of Economic Growth and Neighbourhood Services submitted a report on the Central and Eastern Berkshire Joint Minerals and Waste Local Plan (CEBJMWP).  The following documents were attached to the report:

·         Appendix 1: Equality Impact Assessment scoping

·         Appendix 2: Focused Regulation 18 Consultation – Sand and Gravel Provision and Operator Performance

·         Appendix 3: Minerals and Waste Local Development Scheme

The report noted that a draft version of the CEBJMWP had been approved for consultation by the Strategic Environment, Planning and Transport Committee at its meeting on 2 July 2018 (Minute 8 refers).  It proposed a vision and spatial strategy and set out policies for the management of minerals and waste proposals, as well as proposed sites to help meet minerals and waste needs.  No sites had been identified within Reading Borough.  Due to a limited number of site options, a further ‘Call for Sites’ exercise had been carried out after the consultation, resulting in an additional site within the Royal Borough of Windsor & Maidenhead being proposed.

The report explained that a significant proportion of the plan’s expected minerals provision had been from the Bridge Farm site in Wokingham, but that this had recently been withdrawn following Wokingham Borough Council’s refusal of an application for mineral extraction.  Its removal meant that there was a substantial shortfall in meeting sand and gravel requirements, and in order to address the shortfall a further call for sites had been undertaken in autumn 2019, which had identified two potential sites in Wokingham and Windsor and Maidenhead Boroughs.  Consultation would be required on these sites and further policy approaches to address the minerals shortfall.  It was therefore proposed to undertake a further consultation under Regulation 18 of the Town and Country Planning (Local Planning) (England) Regulations 2012 before a full version of the plan was prepared for submission.  The proposed Focused Consultation on Sand and Gravel Provision and Operator Performance was attached to the report at Appendix 2.  Subject to approval by each of the four unitary authorities the consultation would take place between 10 February and 20 March 2020.

The report explained that the delays to the timescale of the CEBJMWP to incorporate additional consultation required amendment of the Local Development Scheme (LDS), a document which set out the Council’s process for producing planning policy documents.  The current version of Reading’s LDS had been approved in November 2016 and included a joint Minerals and Waste LDS as an appendix.  Approval was sought for a revised version of this Minerals and Waste LDS, which was attached to the report at Appendix 3.

Resolved –

(1)     That the Focused Consultation on Sand and Gravel Provision and Operator Performance (Appendix 2) be approved;

(2)     That community involvement on the Focused Consultation on Sand and Gravel Provision and Operator Performance and associated supporting documents be authorised;

(3)     That the Deputy Director of Planning, Transport and Regulatory Services be authorised to make any minor amendments necessary to the Focused Consultation on Sand and Gravel Provision and Operator Performance in consultation with the Lead Councillor for Strategic Environment, Planning and Transport, prior to the commencement of community involvement;

(4)     That the Minerals and Waste Local Development Scheme (Appendix 3) be approved, and that it form the basis for production of planning policy, with effect from 20 January 2020.