MIN1 Maintaining Minerals Supply Strategic Policy
The local planning authority, in conjunction with the other merseyside metropolitan districts, will endeavour to maintain a landbank of reserves of sand, gravel and crushed rock, with planning permission, equivalent to at least seven years extraction, and also maintain its contribution to meeting its share of the aggregates demand in the region, on the advice of the north west aggregates working party, unless exceptional circumstances prevail, in accordance with national guidance.
Reasoned justification :
18.1 National guidance requires that Counties should endeavour to maintain a landbank of sand, gravel and crushed rock in order to maintain their share of aggregates supply within the Region. The Local Planning Authority subscribes to this position and recognises the necessity of maintaining supplies of these minerals. It would not wish to prejudice any possible future contribution that the Borough could make to these supplies.
18.2 However, in reality the Borough is faced with exceptional circumstances as outlined in Policy MIN1. Reserves of sand and gravel within the Borough are severely limited and are affected by environmental and nature conservation considerations. There are no known reserves of crushed rock. For these reasons, there are no planning permissions in existence for extraction of these minerals, and, therefore, the Borough's contribution to the Region's supply is minimal and likely to remain so.