Regulation 19 Rutland Local Plan

Sites for Minerals Development

What will the policy do?

The existing commitments for crushed rock provide crushed rock surplus to requirements over the plan period and therefore no sites have been identified. Further, no sites for the supply of limestone and clay, required to support Ketton Cement Works, have been identified - the identification of the cement AoS and Policy MIN4 enables sites to come forward which are in line with relevant Local Plan policies.

To support a continued supply of building stone, a site for building stone extraction at New Road, Hooby Lane is identified in Policy MIN5, with its location shown in Figure 10.

Why is this policy needed?

Crushed rock (limestone)

The NPPF requires a steady and adequate supply of minerals. Regarding crushed rock (limestone), the total provision to be met for crushed rock during the plan period (from 1 January 2021 to 31 December 2041) is 5.66Mt. Permitted reserves as of 1 February 2023 total 16.2Mt, of which most remains^[4]. Thistleton Quarry makes up 6.4Mt of the permitted reserves and is currently inactive, however the site is considered by industry and part landowner British Steel Pension Fund (BSPF), to be undeliverable on the basis the site is not economically viable due to the costs involved of developing the associated haul road and annual limit on sales. BSPF are willing to exchange Thistleton Quarry for an alternative, deliverable and viable site, at New Road, Hooby Lane (also in their ownership) which would primarily be for building stone extraction^[5]. The surrender of the Thistleton permission will remove the uncertainty surrounding the Thistleton resource in the plan and is supported in principle subject to the planning application process and compliance with relevant Local Plan policies. The Local Plan has therefore gone down this route and allocated the New Road site and not taken the Thistleton quarry site as a commitment in its provision figures for crushed rock, although it accepts that formal extinguishment of the Thistleton permission would not be possible until New Road is granted permission. Extraction at New Road would support the supply of building stone in Rutland.

The existing commitments, excluding the 6.4 Mt reserve at Thistleton, will still provide crushed rock surplus to requirements over the plan period; and as such there is no need to allocate any sites for the extraction of crushed rock.

Due to the limited number of current crushed rock permissions, the total aggregate output may be affected if a site ceases operations or significantly reduces production. For these reasons, the situation at all sites will be monitored to ensure that a sufficient supply of minerals is maintained. The possible need for additional sites is accounted for through Policy MIN4 Development criteria for mineral extraction, which allows unallocated sites to come forward where in line with relevant Local Plan policies and where it can be demonstrated that site is required to secure provision or maintain landbanks and cannot reasonably, or would not otherwise be met from, committed or allocated reserves.

Limestone and clay

To support a continued supply of building stone, a site for building stone extraction is allocated. Located within the LABS AoS, it is in line with the mineral's spatial strategy. Limestone for building stone purposes is currently produced from three quarries: Clipsham, Woolfox and Hooby Lane. Clipsham and Woolfox quarries also produce limestone for use as agricultural lime in addition to crushed rock. Overall, output of limestone for these end uses (i.e., building stone) is limited and therefore the Plan does not identify a specific provision rate.

A sufficient supply of limestone and clay is required to support Ketton Cement Works and meet its annual cement production rate of approximately 1.4Mt. Permitted limestone and clay reserves used in the manufacture of the cement at Ketton are sufficient to last until around the middle of the plan period^[6]. The need for additional reserves is accounted for with the identification of the cement AoS, as it is understood to contain appropriate reserves to maintain a landbank of at least 15 years over the plan period. In the event that a supply cannot be reasonably met from within the cement AoS or committed reserves; Policy MIN4 Development Criteria for Mineral Extraction enables sites to come forward where in line with relevant Local Plan policies.

A specific provision figure for brickclay is not identified. The existing permission for brickclay extraction at Little Casterton expires around the beginning of the plan period. Any new proposals for brickclay extraction will need to demonstrate they are in compliance with relevant Local Plan policies.

Supporting evidence

Rutland Local Aggregates Assessment Draft 2024
Minerals and Waste Site Selection Methodology and Assessment 2023
Minerals and Waste Site Assessment May 2024