United Kingdom
Aggregates supply
A Government consultation is seeking views on securing a sustainable supply of aggregate minerals in England. About 165 million tonnes of aggregates such as sand, gravel and crushed rock are extracted from the land in England or dredged from the sea off the English coast every year for use in the construction industry. The consultation paper proposes possible recycled materials, for instance construction, demolition and industrial mineral wastes, that could be used in place of newly extracted materials. The consultation is the first step in the process of reviewing Mineral Planning Guidance Note 6 (MPG6) 'Guidelines for aggregates provision in England' (1994).
(DETR, October 2000)
Planning Inspectorate
The Planning Inspectorate has been reviewed in line with Cabinet Office guidelines that all executive agencies should be reviewed at least once every five years. Planning Minister Nick Raynsford has accepted the recommendation that the Inspectorate should remain an executive agency. Stage two of the review will examine how the performance of the Planning Inspectorate could be improved which will address the suitability of it aims and objectives, future reporting arrangements and strategic and business planning.
(DETR News Release, 20 October 2000)
Brownfield sites
Two guides have been published to provide further support for the Government's strategy laid out in PPG 3: Housing. A good practice guide 'Tapping the Potential' encourages local authorities to utilise brownfield sites in order to conserve greenfield land. It helps authorities to identify all the opportunities for reusing existing buildings, empty homes, office conversions, and under used or derelict land to meet future housing needs. The second publication, a draft good practice guidance on the managed release of housing sites, aims to ensure brownfield sites are utilised before greenfield sites.
(DETR News Release, 14 December 2000)
Contaminated land – Scotland
The Scottish Executive has issued a revised Planning Advice Note (PAN) 33 'Development of Contaminated Land' which outlines the role of the planning system in dealing with contaminated land as well as the risks to public health and the environment. The revised PAN offers best practice advice to local authorities on the determination of planning applications and the implementation of the requirements of the new statutory contaminated land regime which came into force in July 2000. It should also be of value to land owners and developers responsible for addressing and developing contaminated land in Scotland.
(Scottish Executive, October 2000)
Renewable energy – Scotland
The Scottish Executive has released the publication 'National Planning Policy Guideline (NPPG) 6: Renewable Energy Developments' in an attempt to aid the development of its policy on renewable energy projects. The document is designed to assist planning authorities in balancing development and conservation when considering proposals for renewable energy projects.
(Scottish Executive, November 2000)
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