County sites picked out as potential mineral targets
A SITE in Foston is being put forward as one of five in South Derbyshire that could be given over for sand and gravel extraction.
Derbyshire County Council has launched a public consultation as part of a review of the Derbyshire and Derby Minerals Local Plan, which it manages alongside Derby City Council.
The authority said the review has been prompted by recent changes to Government planning policy and the need to look again at the supply of sand and gravel in South Derbyshire and to decide whether further resources will be needed.
Sand and gravel operators were asked to put forward sites which they believe could yield the minerals needed to fulfil the supply requirements and three sites were put forward, including one at Foston alongside two others in the county.
The consultation now focuses on the potential extraction of sand and gravel at sites deemed suitable by the council. These include one at Foston, one at Elvaston and one at Willington, along with two at Swarkestone.
The authority says these sites would provide enough sand and gravel to meet expected demand identified in the Plan up to the year 2036.
The Foston site would sit south of the small village, close to Scropton, in the Lower Dove Valley and could yield up to half a million tonnes per year.
Views are now being sought on these draft proposals before work on the plan continues.
Councillor Martyn Ford, chair of the Derbyshire and Derby Development Plans Joint Advisory Committee, said: “Minerals are important to our way of life, not only in building houses, factories and roads, but also in the manufacture of a huge range of everyday products such as paints, paper and toothpaste.
“They are also important in the production of energy used to heat our homes and fuel our industries.
“Derbyshire is rich in minerals, making the county one of the most important in the UK for resources particularly limestone.
“But 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.
“Unfortunately, mineral working almost always causes some impact on the environment and local communities.
“The challenge now is to find the best balance between these competing interests, and this is where we need local people to help by completing the consultation.”
The consultation is at derbyshire.gov.uk/sandandgravel and the closing date for comments is Sunday, December 13.