DRAFT MINERALS STRATEGY FOR THE SOUTH EAST PUBLISHED

The South East England Regional Assembly today publishes its draft Regional Minerals Strategy for consultation, the last in its series of mini-reviews of Regional Planning Guidance. Strategies for transport, waste, renewable energy, and tourism and sport have already been published.

The Strategy sets out a regional framework up to 2016 for the development of minerals such as chalk, clay, sand and gravel; raw materials which are important for both the manufacturing and construction industry. This strategy is needed to replace a set of old and obsolete targets and policies which were published in 1994.

Included in the strategy is:

• Guidance on how minerals can be used more efficiently in the construction industry in order to prolong the region’s supply of raw materials.
  
  
• Policies to encourage greater re-use and recycling of materials as construction aggregates. This approach mirrors the philosophy of the Assembly’s Regional Waste Management Strategy which advocates the importance of recycling and re-use of waste, including construction and demolition waste.
  
  
• A new set of targets for the supply of construction aggregates, both for the region as a whole and for individual counties or unitary authorities.

The Assembly will be consulting on the Strategy throughout the region for eight weeks until 3 November 2003. Thereafter the Strategy will be reconsidered in light of consultation feedback and presented to Government in early 2004.

The Strategy, and its accompanying consultation questionnaire, is available in our strategies section both in pdf and text format. Copies are also available in local libraries. Alternatively, copies of the Strategy can be purchased from the Assembly for a cost of £10.

Contact

Lesley van Dijk, PR Executive - 01483 555223

Alex Butlin, PR Executive - 01483 555221

Notes to editors:

1. The Regional Assembly is the “voluntary regional chamber” for the South East. It was established in January 1999 to give a representative voice to the South East region which covers Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, East and West Sussex, Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Kent, Oxfordshire, and Surrey.
2. The Assembly is made up of 111 members including elected councillors nominated by the region’s local authorities and 37 representatives from other sectors of the community (including business, trades unions, education, housing, health, sports, culture, tourism, faith groups, environmental, community and voluntary organisations).
3. The Assembly has three areas of core business:
1. It is the representative voice of the South East, engaging and representing its member organisations and, through them, the wider public.
2. The Assembly has a specific role under the Regional Development Agencies' Act 1998 to ensure the accountability of the South East England Development Agency (SEEDA) to the region.
3. The Assembly has been the Regional Planning Body for the South East since April 2001. It has responsibility for proposing strategic planning and transport policies to Government.

Last updated: 21 August 2007