Without more planning permits for mineral extraction, essential supplies of sand & gravel and crushed rock could soon come under threat.
A survey published today by the Mineral Products Association (MPA) reveals declining levels of permitted reserves – geological resources for which planning permission has been granted to extract sand & gravel, or crushed rock (such as limestone and granite).
The MPA’s 11th Annual Mineral Planning Survey (AMPS) report says that Britain has an abundance of essential mineral resources and is almost entirely self-sufficient in meeting the 250-million-tonne-a-year demand for materials, 30% of which comes from recycled or secondary sources.
But for more than a decade the rate of consumption – mainly for construction – has not been matched by the rate of approval for new planning consents for quarrying, due to a planning system that often puts local interests ahead of national need, the MPA says.
Between 2014 and 2023, for every 100 tonnes of sand & gravel used in Great Britain, an average of 61 tonnes of new permissions have been granted. And for crushed rock the figure is even lower, with only 33 tonnes of new material consented for every 100 tonnes consumed.
The MPA warns that this situation is not sustainable in the medium term.
Like the country’s geology, the picture varies between regions, with areas that have traditionally been nationally important ‘strategic’ suppliers, such as the East Midlands and Southwest, seeing significant shortfalls over the last 10 years. The Southeast of England consumed three times the volume of new permitted reserves for sand & gravel, while the East Midlands saw materials sales 18 times the volume of new permitted reserves. And the entire planning process can often take 10 to 15 years to complete.
MPA economic analysis indicates that between 3.8 and 4.1 billion tonnes of aggregates will be required over the next decade to support the country’s construction needs. Maintaining the sustainable and cost-effective supply of these strategically important materials will require active management, planning and investment, supported by regular surveys and up-to-date data to monitor performance.
MPA director of economic affairs Aurelie Delannoy said: “Our new AMPS report is timely, published as the new government looks to reform the planning system with housing and infrastructure at the top of their agenda. MPA’s members are working hard to produce and deliver the essential mineral products needed to deliver the government’s ambitions. But unless there are significant reforms to streamline mineral planning and permitting, along with a change in the investment environment, these mineral reserves will not be fully replaced. That will not only impact the mineral products industry but also the UK construction industry and the wider economy.”
MPA executive director Mark Russell added: “Our survey shows the availability of essential minerals is fast approaching a cliff-edge. If the long-term trend of diminishing reserves from local domestic sources continues, it is inevitable that the tensions involved in maintaining future supply will be exacerbated. In turn, this will result in increased costs to supply, but also increased energy consumption and emissions, as materials will have to be transported over ever-growing distances to fulfil demand.
“An increasing number of planning applications appear to be being refused against local authority planning officer recommendations. Consequently, the mineral products industry is increasingly having to plan by appeal, as was the situation in the 1990s. Nothing gets built without minerals and that’s why we’re asking the government to include mineral planning as an integral part of the proposed planning reforms.”
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