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[June 2002]
Minerals Industry Must Strike a Balance Says Government Official
The minerals industry has been told that it must be "commercially competitive and publicly acceptable at the same time".Speaking at a Minerals 2002 seminar in London on 28 May 2002, Sally Keeble MP, Under Secretary of State for Housing, Planning and Regeneration, said: "Your industry must deliver the products our society and economy needs in ways that satisfy the public's concerns about the environment.
"The minerals industries are already responding well to this agenda because the aggregates industry runs a very successful quarry restoration awards scheme and most of the major operators now have their sites accredited under environmental management and audit schemes. Some of the largest operators run independent audit committees and publish reports scrutinised by outsiders and some operators are voluntarily giving up permissions in the most sensitive landscapes."
She warned the industry not to be complacent and stressed that minerals extraction must be undertaken with maximum efficiency in the right places and with minimal negative impact on the environment and quality of life.
Defending the aggregates levy, Sally Keeble said it would encourage recycling: "The prospect of the levy had already prompted suppliers of china clay waste and slate to consider major improvements to sea and rail infrastructure to overcome the remote locations of these major potential sources. But even on optimistic assumptions about the use of alternatives and efficiency, demand for aggregates in Great Britain is still likely to be around 200 million tonnes a year".
She revealed her intention to cut down on the 470 pages currently contained within the Mineral Planning Guidance notes and to reduce the time taken during the planning process. "Minerals plans can take up to ten years from start to finish and this kind of timescale is useless to local people and business alike," she said. Additionally, she announced the publication of the latest six-yearly survey of land used for mineral working in England.
ENDS