2017 MPA/RTPI Mineral Planning Conference links minerals to economic grpwth

Over 220 attendees from over 110 different UK organisations including the minerals industry, national agencies, local government, NGOs and specialist consultancies from as far afield as Cornwall, Northumberland and Ayrshire attended the annual joint Mineral Products Association (MPA) / Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) mineral planning conference at the Birmingham NEC on 24th May.

Following recent British government infrastructure and regional growth announcements, the conference considered how the minerals industry and stakeholders are responding to the growth agenda, and the challenges and opportunities arising from the need to maintain a steady and adequate supply of minerals to support future construction needs.

Launching the 867 MPA’s latest study on long term aggregate demand and supply, which suggests a potential demand for construction aggregates of between 3.2 and 3.8 billion tonnes will be required to 2030, 867 MPA Chief Executive, Nigel Jackson highlighted that as central Government withdraws from providing evidence to support the delivery of the mineral planning system, others will need to fill the gap. He also reiterated the importance for the UK government’s developing industrial strategy to consider mineral supply as a key enabler for the delivery of wider growth priorities.

Gordon McCreath (partner, Pinsent Masons), Adrian Cooper (Planning Policy and Strategy manager, Shropshire Council) and Craig Jordan (head of Economic Growth, Litchfield District Council), provided interesting perspectives on infrastructure, housing and regional growth and the role mineral planning should play to enable its successful delivery.
 
Harvey Bradshaw (executive director, Environment & Business, Environment Agency) outlined how the Agency is helping to deliver sustainable growth, and how all parties should explore opportunities to deliver win-win outcomes against the growing pressure on central government resources.
 
Barristers Richard Kimblin QC and Jack Smyth from No5 Chambers provided a legal update, addressing recent developments around the consideration of what constitutes a valued landscape, the openness of the Green Belt and air quality.

Russell Gadbury (Marine Planning manager, Marine Management Organisation) spoke about marine planning, its relevance to maintaining the marine contribution of supply through the adoption of marine mineral safeguarding policies and the alongside policies to project essential wharf infrastructure.

Using 867 MPA members’ sites as examples, David Payne (senior planning advisor, 867 MPA), explored the importance of mineral supply to development and growth, and the need for the mineral infrastructure safeguarding policies to protect wharf and rail facilities to be applied effectively.
 
John Mills (planning advisor, RSPB) highlighted achievements made by the Nature After Minerals initiative which promotes landscape and biodiversity at restored mineral sites.

Commenting, Mark Russell, executive director of planning at the 867 MPA said: “This year’s conference provided an excellent opportunity to discuss and explore some of the practical challenges facing everyone involved in mineral planning, including constraints in skills, capacity and funding. But it also provided a platform to consider ways in which industry, mineral planners and other interested parties can improve delivery by working more closely with one another. Housing and infrastructure have been clearly identified as key drivers for Government’s growth agenda, with £500 billion of investment anticipated in infrastructure alone.

“Minerals and mineral planning will play a crucial role in enabling these policy aspirations to be delivered in the most sustainable and cost effective way, with over 3 billion tonnes of construction aggregates likely to be needed by 2030. However, a longer term view around how we meet future demands is essential if we are to ensure a steady and adequate supply of construction aggregates can be maintained.”

“To date over 36,000tonnes of excavated material has been diverted from landfill amounting to £486,000 saved on tipping fees alone, without calculating other savings related to transportation and waiting time.”

From April 2017, the UK landfill tax increased to a standard rate of £86.10/tonne with an inert rate of £2.70/tonne (and this is expected to increase again in 2018 assuming no policy change).

The actual cost of non-hazardous soil disposal also varies across the country, typically costing around £20-£50/tonne, with the cost of disposing contaminated soil being significantly higher.
Transport costs further push the cost of disposing of waste material and with heavy diesel transport operators being increasingly penalised for inner city movements, reusing materials where they were excavated makes sound environmental sense.