Agenda Item ????
Planning and Transportation
Regeneration Scrutiny Select Committee
Minerals Planning Update
25th April 2013
Presentation Overview
Minerals and the Planning System
Minerals Development Plan Document
Salford’s Mineral Resources
Peat
Sand & Gravel
Coal
Unconventional Gas
Minerals and the Planning System
National minerals planning policy is
set out in NPPF.
NPPF says that minerals are essential
to support sustainable economic
growth and quality of life.
It is important to ensure a sufficient
supply of minerals but as they are a
finite resource it is important to make
best use of them.
Minerals and the Planning System
Salford City Council has statutory role as the ‘Mineral
Planning Authority’ and is required to plan for the
sustainable use of minerals.
This role includes:
• Preparing minerals planning policies and identifying
suitable locations for minerals development
• Determining minerals planning applications
• Enforcement of planning control
• Monitoring minerals sites to ensure compliance with
conditions
• Review of old minerals permissions
• Preparing Local Aggregate Assessment
Minerals DPD
Joint Minerals Plan provides a minerals planning
framework for Greater Manchester.
Adoption of Plan set for the end of April 2013.
Aim:
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Protect local communities and the natural and
built environment
Safeguard potentially economically viable mineral
resources
Provide a steady and adequate supply of
minerals to meet GM’s needs
Salford’s Mineral Resources
Sand & Gravel – Astley Moss
Peat – Little Woolden Moss, Astley Moss
Coal - Cutacre
Coal Bed Methane – Barton Moss
Extraction at Astley Moss
Astley Moss Sand & Gravel
Astley Moss
Insert Picture of Astley
Peat
Peat Harvesting
Peat
Peat Sites In Salford
Cutacre Open Cast Coal Site
Cutacre Open Cast Coal Site
2008
2012
Cutacre Open Cast Coal Site
Site on Salford/Wigan/Bolton border
Permission granted on appeal in 2001 subject to conditions for
the winning and working of coal by opencast methods and
reclamation and restoration of land
• In total, 1,150,160 tonnes of coal extracted.
• Last load of coal left site on 20th June 2011.
• Work now focussed on restoring the site – no more coal extraction.
• Bolton’s Core Strategy identifies part of Cutacre for strategic
employment uses – planning applications now anticipated in the
coming months for employment uses and Country Park.
Unconventional Gas
• Number of types of unconventional gas including:
– Coal Bed Methane
– Shale Gas
– Coal Mine Methane
Unconventional Gas
Coal Bed Methane
• Generic name given to gases locked into coal
measures
• Released by drilling directly into unworked coal seams
• Surface infrastructure usually comprises a small
compound
• Extraction of coalbed methane does not involve
‘fracking’
Unconventional Gas
Barton Moss
Unconventional Gas
Barton Moss
• Planning permission granted for drilling 2 exploratory boreholes
for Coal Bed Methane (CBM), appraisal and production on land
north of Barton Moss road was granted in 2010.
• This planning permission does not allow for fracking to take
place
• Works to date include the building of an access road, a compacted
course aggregate on a membrane to distribute the weight over the
moss to mark out the site compound, 3 drill cellars have been built
(preparation work for the drill rig) and the site is enclosed by Heras
fencing.
• Drilling works are yet to commence on site.
Unconventional Gas
Shale Gas
• How Shale Gases are worked
• Regulation of Fracking Operations
• Government Approach to Fracking