Minerals extraction and waste management advice

What does the Minerals Local Plan 2004-16 cover?

• Policies for working (ie extraction of) minerals (mainly sand and gravel) areas for future extraction, controls on mineral sites and a basis for taking decisions on minerals applications.
• Policies for future waste management facilities (recycling, recovery and diversion from landfill) for all controlled waste including municipal, commercial and industrial and construction and demolition wastes.

How are mineral working and waste management facilities controlled?

• The development must have permission from us.

Planning conditions control the development and must specify:

• Maximum noise levels
• Hours of operation
• Restoration requirements
• Landscaping
• Wheel cleaning and (sometimes) sheeting of loads
• Number of lorry movements etc
• Typically 50 or so conditions for a major site

How is lorry routing controlled?

• Design of the site access to enable lorries to leave in one direction only.
• Direction signs on site.
• Legal agreement to prohibit the use of certain roads.

What if lorries are using a prohibited route?

• Take details of the time and vehicle registration number and pass to the contact for mineral working.
• We will take this up with the site operator.

Where can I see a copy of the permission?

• District council offices
• County Hall, Aylesbury
• Parish council (by appointment)

What can be done about noisy reversing bleepers?

• Very little as this is a health and safety requirement, but we do, when appropriate, ask operators to use advanced quieter ones.

Who monitors the site?

1)  We check compliance with planning conditions including:

• Correct site being worked;
• Restoration;
• Landscaping; and
• Hours of operation.

2)  Where there is a waste management licence the Environment Agency to check:

• Type of materials being tipped; and
• Proper engineering of the site.