1. What is the new Minerals Local Plan

Introduction

1.1. The Nottinghamshire Minerals Local Plan forms the land use planning strategy for mineral development within the County up to 2036. It will provide the basis for the determination of mineral planning applications within the County. Its over-arching theme is the promotion of sustainable development and achieving the highest quality restoration possible. This means balancing the economic benefits and need for minerals against the social and environmental disruption and harm that their extraction can cause. Long term environmental gains can be achieved, for example, by creating wildlife habitats out of worked out quarries. Sustainability also means safeguarding mineral resources from unnecessary sterilisation so they can remain available for extraction for future generations.

1.2. The plan contains the following:

• An overview of the County in terms of population, transport, communications, the economy and resources, Green Belt, landscape, countryside, natural and built heritage, water, soil, air, health and climate, which will help us plan effectively for the future;
• A long term Vision for mineral development in Nottinghamshire to 2036;
• Strategic Objectives demonstrating how the Vision will be achieved
• Strategic Policies covering the key issues of Sustainable Development, Minerals Provision, Biodiversity-Led Restoration, Climate Change, Sustainable Transport, The Built, Historic and Natural Environment, the Nottinghamshire Green Belt and minerals safeguarding, consultation areas and associated minerals infrastructure;
• Mineral Provision Policies setting out the mineral requirements during the plan period to 2036, including land allocations to meet this demand;
• Development Management Policies, the purpose of which is to deliver the strategic policies and objectives by providing the criteria against which future minerals development will be assessed. They relate specifically to individual, site level criteria such as environmental impacts and standards and provide guidance about how planning applications for minerals development in the County will be assessed;
• A framework by which the implementation of and subsequent effect of the plan and its policies can be monitored and reviewed; and
• A Policies Map which identifies site allocations/policies and site-specific Development Briefs.

Replacing our existing minerals policies

1.3. The new Nottinghamshire Minerals Local Plan will replace the existing saved policies contained in the Nottinghamshire Minerals Local Plan which was adopted in 2005.

1.4. This document can be made available in alternative formats or languages on request.