NORTH STAINLEY WITH SLENINGFORD PARISH COUNCIL
MINERALS AND WASTE LOCAL PLAN – STATEMENT FROM THE PARISH COUNCIL
5TH MARCH 2015
North Yorkshire County Council is in the process of drawing up a Minerals and Waste Joint Plan. The Plan, once drawn up and adopted, will provide strategic guidance about when and where minerals and waste development (including quarrying) may take place across the whole county.
As part of the process of drawing up of the new plan developers and landowners are invited to put forward potential sites for quarrying. Any site can be speculatively put forward. It does not mean that they will be included in the final plan, nor that they would be guaranteed planning permission. The Parish Council is aware that three sites in the parish were put forward in 2011:
· An extension to Potgate Quarry.
· An extension to Hanson’s Ripon Quarry (located between North Stainley and North Lees).
· A site near Quarry House, West Tanfield.
In addition, a site in East Tanfield (located outside of, but in close proximity to, this parish) has also been put forward.
Details of all the sites put forward can be found on a map on the County Council’s website: http://maps.northyorks.gov.uk/connect/?mapcfg=minerals_cfs
The inclusion of sites at this stage does not imply any support by the Authorities (or the Parish Council) for development in these locations as further assessment of them still needs to be undertaken by North Yorkshire County Council. The Parish Council has previously objected to some of the proposed sites on a number of grounds.
In April 2012 the Parish Council noted that sites had been put forward in this area and looked forward to the ‘preferred options’ stage of the consultation process. This is when the County Council will ask for opinions on sites which are likely to be included in the final plan and would therefore be likely to gain planning permission. This consultation is still awaited, the latest indication being that it will take place in early summer. When it happens the Parish Council will publicise it and consider it at one of its meetings which are open to the public to attend.
In March 2014 the Parish Council responded to another consultation on the Minerals and Waste Joint Plan. Its response included the following: “There needs to be a focus on new areas of search to ensure that one location, such as near this parish, do not become over-burdened with mineral workings.”
The sites in North Stainley with Sleningford Parish, although listed in the current consultation, are not the focus of it. The local sites are not new proposals and they have not been changed.
However, if members of the public wish to comment on them now, then they can make a direct submission to North Yorkshire County Council. Details of the current consultation and how to respond can be found on the Parish Council’s website: www.northstainleyparishcouncil.btck.co.uk
In the meantime, HGV’s from Hanson and Potgate quarries should not be routinely travelling through the village. Hanson quarry have agreed to remind their drivers of this, although it should be remembered that neither quarry can control the drivers of vehicles belonging to other companies (e.g. contractors / hauliers).
If you would like to be included on the Parish Council’s mailing list, and receive a copy of the agenda in advance of each Parish Council meeting, then please e-mail