A new Minerals Local Plan for Derby and Derbyshire is nearing the final stage of consultation after Derbyshire County Council Cabinet Members approved the latest draft on Thursday 2 February 2023.
The draft plan will contain policies to help Derby City Council and Derbyshire County Council make decisions about planning applications for new quarries or extracting minerals until 2038 in Derby and Derbyshire outside of the Peak District National Park.
Measures to avoid and minimise potential environmental impacts of mineral extraction or quarrying which can raise concerns for local communities are also set out in the plan.
Local residents will be invited to make final comments on the plan in a public consultation to be launched in March, subject to the draft being approved by Cabinet Members at Derby City Council and at Full Council meetings of both councils.
It follows several earlier rounds of public consultations and engagement throughout various stages of the plan’s development and all comments received in response to previous consultations were taken into consideration when preparing the latest draft.
Councillor Carolyn Renwick, Derbyshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Infrastructure and Environment, said: “Derbyshire is rich in minerals, making the county one of the most important in the UK for resources particularly limestone.
“Mining and quarrying is an important part of our past, present and future from supplying minerals for the construction industry to the manufacture of products such as paints, paper and toothpaste.
“The same geology which gives rise to this wealth of resources also creates the striking landscapes which are important to Derbyshire people, the visitor industry and the local economy.
“Mining and quarrying can only take place where minerals occur and unfortunately almost always causes some impact on the environment and local communities. The challenge is to find the best balance between these competing interests.
“We’ve listened to the comments so far and as a result we’ve strengthened the draft plan in key areas including to reflect climate change objectives. Now we’re inviting local people to take a look at the latest version and comment in this final stage of consultation.”
All comments received on the current draft will be sent with the draft plan to the independent planning inspector as part of the approvals process.