AN updated Hampshire Minerals and Waste Plan has been delayed due to considerations of Natural England on nutrient impacts on habitats, a report has revealed.

The consultation on the updated Plan, to ensure sustainable minerals and waste development across the county, will be submitted to the Secretary of State in July 2024.

At least once every five years, local authorities are responsible for updating their Minerals and Waste Plan according to the National Planning Policy Framework (2021).

The Plan was adopted in October 2013 and reviewed in 2018, with the conclusion that an update was not required. However, in 2020, it was rechecked, and the recommendation was that an update would be undertaken to ensure compliance with national policy.

The scheme is produced in partnership with Portsmouth and Southampton City Councils and the New Forest and South Downs National Park Authorities.

The decision to undertake a partial update of the Plan was made by each authority, and work commenced in 2021.

The initial development scheme, which set out the timetable and programme for a partial update of the Plan, was approved in March 2021.

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However, this was subsequently revised due to delays and approved by the county council on July 21 2022, following the need to delay the original timetable. This was as a result of the high number of Government consultations that had been issued and related to the Plan.

The need to take account of the advice issued by Natural England on nutrient impacts on habitats, the international situation which elevated the political priority of energy prices and supply, as well as implications of case law on climate change policy and decision-making.

The first public consultation regarding Regulation 18 was recently completed. It lasted twelve weeks, from November 8, 2022, to January 31, 2023, and approximately 2,500 responses were received.

A consultation summary report is being prepared and will be publicly available in the following months. The comments will be used to inform the further development of the plan policies and formulate decisions on the proposed allocations set out in the Plan.

Further updates on the regulations 19, 22, 24, 25 and 26 will be reviewed. Regulation 19 relates to ‘Aggregate wharves and rail depots’, while 24 relates to ‘Oil and gas development’.

The timescale indicates that Regulation 24 will be in public examination in Spring 2025.

Hampshire County Council has contractual arrangements with the plan-making partner Authorities regarding the monitoring and implementation of the Plan.

The total budget estimate for the partial Plan update is £816,750. Partner authorities contribute approximately £261,360 to the estimated total budget; the remaining £555,390 will be paid by Hampshire County Council.

The report was presented at the council cabinet meeting on Tuesday (June 13).