Updating the Minerals and Waste Local Plan - Find a freedom of information request

1) The reasons behind LCC's and the LCC Minerals and Waste team's decisions to not carry forward MS29-SL into the new draft 'Updating the Minerals and Waste Local Plan' document.

2) Please could you provide the minutes, notes and documents where this decision was discussed and decided

3) Provide the reason behind MS29-SL not being carried forward

4) Please could you also provide the reasons behind why Breedon were asked to resubmit MS29-SL as SG17 in the new draft plan.

MS29-SL:

In 2022 the county council carried out a public consultation on an Issues and Options document – the first stage in the updating of the adopted Lincolnshire Minerals and Waste Local Plan. The Issues and Options document is available on the County Council’s website: https://www.lincolnshire.gov.uk/planning/minerals-waste/2  

This proposes that sites already allocated in the adopted plan should be carried forward as allocations in the new plan except where evidence emerges that there has been a significant change in circumstances since a site was originally allocated.

In the case of MS29-SL, this site was previously promoted by Cemex as an extension to their King Street site, which would have involved the transportation of the excavated sand and gravel to their existing plant site via a conveyor that would pass under or over the A1175. Since that time, however, Cemex has decided to focus its attention on a different site in Baston (SG08) and is no longer proposing to work MS29-SL. This constitutes a significant change in circumstances as Cemex is unlikely to make an application to work MS29-SL within the new plan period.

The removal of MS29-SL would therefore be in line with the approach set out in the Issues and Options document (referred to above) – particularly as the inclusion of an “undeliverable” site in the proposed new plan is likely to be found unsound in due course when the plan is examined.  A formal decision on this matter will, however, only be made when the draft plan is considered by the council’s Executive in due course.

Nomination of SG17

Breedon initially only nominated SG11 in the West Deeping area. However, the nomination forms indicated that the company were intending to work MS29-SL first, but as a free-standing quarry. Breedon were therefore contacted and advised that this proposal was contrary to the site’s allocation as an extension to the King Street Quarry and were asked to submit a nomination form so that the site could be reassessed. The decision to ask for this information is down to the diligence of the Minerals and Waste Policy Team when checking the nominations to ensure that all sites are assessed on the correct information. Furthermore, this does not imply that the nomination will be acceptable or preferable to the previous allocation – it is simply a means to ensure that the nominations are assessed against the correct information. 

The attached document entitled “Updating of the Lincolnshire Minerals and Waste Local Plan - Consultation on potential mineral sites nominated for allocation in the new plan“ was distributed to targeted organisations at the end of 2022 to collect information and assist the County Council with its assessment of sites that have been nominated for allocation in the update to the Lincolnshire Minerals and Waste Local Plan. The reasons why nomination SG17 was made are also set out in this document.

Please see attached e-mail correspondence between the County Council and the site proponent on this matter.

It must be emphasised that at this stage all the nominated sites are still being assessed, and the Council is yet to make a formal decision on which sites are to be selected as the most appropriate for provisional allocation in a draft plan setting out the county council’s preferred approach. The draft plan when published will be subject to full public consultation, and timetable details can be found on the abovementioned website.

Should you require the attachments mentioned above please contact customerinformationservice@lincolnshire.gov.uk with the below reference number and this can be provided.