Planning in Redbridge

Funding

The Council may require developers to enter into section 106 agreements for post-extraction restoration and aftercare of quarry sites: • For the statutory 5 year period • For a longer period where justified by the nature and complexity of the performance or characteristics of the approved scheme. The Council will also investigate long term funding options for all end uses, including: • Financial support from the operator (s106 agreements) • Landfill Communities Fund • The Environmental Stewardship Scheme

Meeting the Redbridge Apportionment

The Council will seek to meet or exceed its minerals apportionment of 100,000 tonnes of aggregates each year until 2031. It will also seek to maintain a land bank of sites with planning permission sufficient to meet the annual apportionment for at least 7 years. In pursuit of this, the Council will: 1/ Safeguard for minerals extraction, all land in Schedule 1 and shown on the Safeguarding Map (Figure 4) as Minerals Safeguarded Land. 2/ Subject to Policy M2, grant planning permission for minerals extraction on land listed in Schedule 1 and shown on the Safeguarding Map as Preferred Areas of Extraction. 3/ Support minerals exploration on land listed in Schedule 1 as Areas A, B and C and shown on the Safeguarding Map as Minerals Search Areas. Should exploration reveal the presence of deposits capable of making a viable contribution to the Redbridge apportionment, the Council will grant planning permission for minerals extraction subject to Policy M2. 4/ Subject to Policy M4, refuse planning permission for uses or buildings on or in the proximity of Minerals Safeguarded Land which could prejudice the exploitation of mineral deposits on such protected land.

Minerals Safeguarded Land

Areas of land allocated in Schedule 1 and shown on the Safeguarding Map as Minerals Safeguarded Land (MSL), are suitable for minerals exploration and extraction provided planning applications: • Satisfy LDF Planning Policy E7 Minerals, other planning policy constraints (where they occur), particularly in relation to Sites of Nature Conservation Importance, Allotment Land, Green Corridors, Protected Open Space and areas with Conservation or Historic Interest as shown on the LDF Proposals Map (Policies Map), and land to which Policy E5 'Flooding and Water Quality' applies. • Are submitted with a comprehensive Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) that demonstrates how environmental impacts of the proposed minerals development may be contained within acceptable limits.

Buffer Zones

The Council will encourage developers to extract further minerals deposits from 'Buffer Zones' around areas previously excavated, where local amenity can be safeguarded and the environmental impact minimised.

Prior Extraction

On Minerals Safeguarded Land (MSL) the Council seeks the extraction of the mineral deposit, prior to other types of development taking place. Where minerals have not been extracted, the Council will refuse planning applications for other uses unless: 1. The use is on a strictly temporary basis that is unlikely to delay the practical commencement of extractive operations, or 2. Where alternative sites are not feasible the developer has demonstrated either: • That the MSL does not contain a commercially viable minerals resource, or • The overriding community need for the proposed development on that site outweighs the need for the mineral resource.

Recycling

The Council will encourage the recycling of construction, demolition and excavation waste so as to reduce the consumption of primary aggregates. Policy W1 of the Joint Waste DPD enables the Council to impose conditions to require such waste to be recycled where planning permission is required for the development. Subject to compliance with other relevant policies, the Council will grant planning permission for facilities to recycle construction, demolition and excavation waste on Minerals Safeguarded Land where planning permission has been granted for minerals extraction.

Plant Location

The Council will grant planning permission for new minerals operations which locate plant equipment as close as feasible to key transportation routes, minimise on-site haulage through conveyor belt technology where feasible and maximise separation distances from residential properties and other sensitive uses. This is particularly important for Minerals Search Area C to the north of Forest Road.

Environmental Management Systems (EMS)

When granting planning permission for new minerals developments, the Council will impose conditions requiring the operator to adopt an Environmental Management System (EMS). The content of the EMS will be agreed with the Council. It must outline measures to address environmental impacts identified in the EIA submitted with the application and may contain the following elements: Corporate environmental policy/ organisational commitment Community consultation and involvement Objectives and targets (e.g. for noise and dust) Environmental management programme Documentation and records Operational emergency procedures Responsibility and reporting structure Training, awareness and competence Regulatory and legal compliance and environmental performance review audits Emissions performance monitoring Procedures that safeguard existing infrastructure including water mains and sewers The minerals development shall be conducted in accordance with the operating procedures and targets of the EMS. A copy of the performance monitoring report shall be submitted annually to the Council.

Priorities for Restoration and After-Use

The Council's priority objective for restoration and aftercare of former minerals land is the promotion of nature conservation as an end in itself, or in tandem with agriculture or open space sport/recreation. Restoration strategies should support national, regional and local biodiversity priorities as expressed in: • The UK Biodiversity Action Plan. • The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) Minerals Restoration Potential (MRP) Project. Where sites are identified as capable of supporting priority habitat creation or prove to be capable of achieving RSPB objectives, the aim should be to restore those sites in line with MRP Project habitat priority levels. • The Mayor of London's Biodiversity Strategy and London Plan Policy 7.19 Biodiversity and Access to Nature. • The Redbridge Biodiversity Action Plan.

Minerals

The Council will safeguard known Mineral Reserves (as shown on the Proposals Map) by refusing development that prejudices the extraction of resources. Where excavation is proposed, high environmental standards for extraction will be expected. Planning permission will be granted where applications have an acceptable impact having regard to: 1) The extent of the total extraction area, the active extraction area and phasing of development. 2) The nature of and phasing of restoration including details of fill material and after-use proposals. 3) The siting, design and impact of any plant or equipment. 4) The transport of extracted minerals. 5) Protection for and drainage of both ground and surface water. 6) For agricultural land, a comprehensive agricultural appraisal together with details of management and supervision of restoration and aftercare. 7) Hours and days of working. 8) A comprehensive nature conservation appraisal and strategy. 9) A comprehensive archaeological appraisal and strategy to provide mitigation of any adverse archaeological effects, appropriate to the importance of the archaeological remains. 10) No adverse effect on public safety. 11) The potential direct and indirect impact of all activities on any neighbouring land, buildings and use. In the case of neighbouring residential properties, the effect on amenity will be given particular consideration and where appropriate, an exclusion zone will be required between the site boundary and any activity therein.

Principle of Sustainable Development

When considering development proposals the Council will maintain a positive approach that reflects the presumption in favour of sustainable development as expressed in the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF). The Council will always work proactively with applicants and local operators to resolve issues and find solutions which mean that proposals can be approved wherever possible, in order to secure development that improves the economic, social and environmental conditions in the borough. Planning applications that accord with the policies in this Local Plan (and, where relevant, with polices in neighbourhood plans) will be approved without delay, unless material considerations indicate otherwise. Where there are no policies relevant to the application or relevant policies are out of date at the time of making the decision then the Council will grant permission unless material considerations indicate otherwise – taking into account whether: • Any adverse impacts of granting permission would significantly and demonstrably outweigh the benefits, when assessed against the policies in the National Planning Policy Framework taken as a whole; or • Specific policies in that Framework indicate that development should be restricted.

Road Improvements

The Council will work with local operators to explore options for road improvements and better access to and from new minerals sites in Redbridge to promote sustainable and efficient transportation of minerals. In particular, options for improved access to the A12/Eastern Avenue will be explored for applications for new plant sites in the Aldborough Hatch area. Prior to granting planning permission for new minerals extraction the Council will require s.106 or s.278 agreements to secure identified improvements where these applications will have an identified impact on the highway network in addition to existing operations. Green Travel Plans and Transport Assessments will also be required to accompany new applications to show how the impact of heavy road haulage and use of private cars by staff is to be minimised.