Planning and Transportation

Regeneration Scrutiny Select Committee

Minerals Planning Update

25th April 2013

Agenda Item ????

Minerals and the Planning System

Minerals Development Plan Document

Salford’s Mineral Resources

Peat

Sand & Gravel

Coal

Unconventional Gas

Presentation Overview

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:Protect local communities and the natural and built environmentSafeguard potentially economically viable mineral resourcesProvide 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

Insert Picture of Astley

Astley Moss

Astley Moss Sand & Gravel

Peat

Peat Harvesting

Peat

Peat Sites In Salford

Cutacre Open Cast Coal Site

Cutacre Open Cast Coal Site

2008

2012

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.

Cutacre Open Cast Coal Site

• 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

Unconventional Gas

Barton Moss

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

Unconventional Gas