Hampshire Mineral and Waste Plan July 2026

Hampshire Minerals and Waste Plan (2026)

© Crown Copyright and database rights 2026. All rights reserved. HCC 100019180.

The locations of mineral resources are based upon the BGS mineral resources data, with permission of the British Geological Survey.

Hampshire Minerals and Waste Plan (2026)

Foreword

Hampshire has some of the most beautiful countryside and coastline in the United Kingdom – one of the reasons so many choose to live here. Hampshire County Council, Portsmouth City Council, Southampton City Council, New Forest National Park Authority and the South Downs National Park Authority (the 'Hampshire Authorities') have produced the Hampshire, Portsmouth, Southampton, New Forest National Park and South Downs National Park Minerals and Waste Plan (the 'Hampshire Minerals and Waste Plan') in partnership. As the partner Hampshire minerals and waste planning authorities, we must strike a careful balance between any potential impact on the environment and our communities, while supporting our future prosperity.

Although Hampshire has a strong economy, we cannot take this for granted. To support economic growth, we need to ensure we can maintain a reliable source of minerals and manage our waste effectively and efficiently, whilst protecting the environment and our communities.

We need minerals, such as sand and gravel, to build and repair our homes and roads and they are also important for the local economy. They can only be dug out of the ground or dredged from the sea where they are found and aggregates, such as soft sand, cannot practicably be transported very far.

Although we are already good at using recycled materials for building and repairing our homes, roads, and infrastructure, we still need a reliable source of sand, gravel, and other minerals for our future prosperity. Some of these have to be from local quarries.

Waste is another important issue we need to manage. Everyone produces things that need to be disposed of, and although the aim is for the amount of waste we produce to go down, we still have to find ways of dealing with our waste that will have as little impact on the environment and communities as possible.

All minerals and waste developments require planning permission from one of the partner minerals and waste planning authorities and often an environmental permit from the Environment Agency. These consents protect communities and the environment from many of the negative effects of development. They also ensure proper restoration of quarries to agriculture or open space and improved opportunities for recreation or biodiversity. Most new waste facilities are located in industrial areas, which means they affect limited numbers of residents and minimise such development in our green areas.

The purpose of the Hampshire Minerals and Waste Plan (the 'Plan') is to enable the delivery of enough minerals for Hampshire’s needs and ensure we can deal with our waste effectively to 2040. This includes using waste material that cannot be reused or recycled as a renewable energy resource in homes and businesses.

The Hampshire Authorities' overriding concern is to ensure that any mineral or waste proposal is the right development, in the right place, at the right time.

1. Introduction

1.1 Hampshire County Council, Portsmouth City Council, Southampton City Council, the New Forest National Park Authority and the South Downs National Park Authority, as the Minerals and Waste Planning Authorities in Hampshire (the 'Hampshire Authorities'), have chosen to work together to produce a plan for all minerals and waste development in Hampshire. This is the Hampshire, Portsmouth, Southampton, New Forest National Park and South Downs National Park Minerals and Waste Plan (hereafter referred to as the 'Plan') and will form part of the development plan for Hampshire once adopted. The Plan covers the administrative areas of the Hampshire Authorities (Hampshire). However, the Plan covers only the part of the South Downs National Park that is in Hampshire. In preparing the Plan, the Hampshire Authorities worked with the Local Planning Authorities in Hampshire as well as the adjacent Minerals and Waste Planning Authorities. This ensures that the Plan reflects and supports other plans and programmes for the area. These include other local development plan documents, community strategies and specific policy strategies, such as the local transport plans, along with low-carbon and energy strategies.

1.2 The Plan area and the Hampshire Authorities administrative area is shown in Figure 1.

Figure 1 - The Hampshire Minerals and Waste Plan area and Hampshire

1.3 The Hampshire Authorities have set out a Vision, Objectives, and Spatial Strategy (as set out in Section 2. 'Vision and Spatial Strategy') and policies in the Plan to enable the delivery of sustainable minerals and waste development that is right for Hampshire up to 2040. In other words, it explains how mineral resources should be extracted and supplied as well as the necessary waste management infrastructure needed so that Hampshire’s environment will be protected, its communities maintained, and the local economy supported.

1.4 The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF)¹ requires that Plans are reviewed at least every five years. The Hampshire Minerals & Waste Plan (2013) was reviewed in 2018 but was found to not require an update at that time. However, a number of issues were kept under review and a further review was undertaken in 2020². The 2020 Review concluded that parts of the Plan needed to be updated to reflect changes in policy and to address issues with mineral and waste management provision. This Plan replaces the Hampshire Minerals & Waste Plan in its entirety, which was adopted in 2013 and takes into account issues identified through the Reviews, with particular regard to:

• new planning policy that requires biodiversity net gain from all developments;
• a greater focus on planning for climate change;
• a stronger application of the waste hierarchy and application of the circular economy; and
• enabling a steady and adequate supply of aggregates.

1.5 The Plan comprises three elements:

• strategic approach and policies;
• proposed strategic site allocations considered necessary to deliver the Plan objectives; and,
• general and site-specific development management policies.

1.6 In preparing this Plan, extensive technical work has been undertaken building upon previous work undertaken for the adopted Plan, as well as assessments of minerals and waste sites.

1.7 Public engagement formed part of the consultation process required under Regulation 18 and 19 of the Town and Country Planning (Local Development) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2012.

1.8 To create a plan for sustainable development the Hampshire Authorities have produced a policy framework to guide decision making in relation to minerals and waste development. This framework aims to provide for the protection of the environment and local communities whilst supporting the local economy. To help provide clarity and certainty of delivery it identifies a number of local extraction sites for sharp sand and gravel, soft sand, and production of secondary aggregate, as well as for new rail depots and inert recycling sites. The Plan does not generally identify waste sites, but instead the spatial policies are designed to guide development to the right locations. The Plan considers the longer-term options for the sustainable development of minerals and waste management infrastructure and provides for them through a further safeguarding policy.

1.9 When considering proposals for minerals and waste development, the Plan policies and their associated supporting text will be taken into account to guide decision making. In any decision for minerals and waste development in Hampshire, due regard should be given to all parts of the Plan and appropriate weight given to those parts that are judged to be most relevant. Regard should also be given to impacts on the environment and communities beyond the Plan area arising from developments within it. The requirements for what information should be submitted to meet the Policies are set out in the Validation Guidance³.

1.10 The main policies and site allocations in the Plan are located in:

• Section 3. 'Sustainable minerals and waste development';
• Section 4. 'Protecting Hampshire's Environment';
• Section 5. 'Maintaining Hampshire's Communities';
• Section 6. 'Supporting Hampshire's Economy'; and
• Section 7. 'Implementation, Monitoring and Plan Review'.

1.11 The minerals and waste site allocations identified in the Plan are considered within their relevant policies (policies 19, 20 and 29) and are also set out in more detail in 'Appendix A - Site allocations'.

1.12 'Appendix B - List of safeguarded minerals and waste sites' sets out the minerals and waste sites safeguarded by the Plan⁴ at the time of publication. An up-to-date list of safeguarded mineral and waste sites is available on Hampshire County Council’s website⁵.

1.13 The Plan includes an Implementation and Monitoring Plan. This sets out how the Hampshire Authorities will implement and monitor the policies set out in the Plan. The Implementation and Monitoring Plan is set out in 'Appendix C - Implementation and Monitoring Plan' and should be read alongside the policies in the Plan. Monitoring of the Plan will be documented annually through a monitoring report which will be published by the Hampshire Authorities.

1.14 The Plan includes a glossary (see 'Glossary and acronyms') which explains key terms and issues referred to in the Plan, as well as providing a list of the acronyms.

¹ National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), Para. 33 (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC), 2023): https://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ukgwa/20231228093504/https:/www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-planning-policy-framework--2

² 2020 Review of the Hampshire Minerals & Waste Plan (2013): https://documents.hants.gov.uk/mineralsandwaste/HWMP-2020Review.pdf

³ Planning Application Validation Guidance (2018): https://documents.hants.gov.uk/mineralsandwaste/ApplicationValidationGuidance2018.pdf

⁴ The Safeguarding List will be updated regularly through the monitoring of the Plan as set out in section 7. 'Implementation, Monitoring and Plan Review' and 'Appendix C - Implementation and Monitoring Plan' and is available on-line.

⁵ Hampshire Minerals and Waste Sites and Safeguarding full site list: https://www.hants.gov.uk/landplanningandenvironment/strategic-planning/sites-in-hampshire

2. Vision and Spatial Strategy

2.1 This section describes how the Hampshire Authorities have developed the Vision and Spatial Strategy for minerals and waste planning in Hampshire up to 2040. It sets out:

• a portrait of what the Plan area is currently like;
• the work that has been carried out to assess this;
• the forecasted need for minerals and waste facilities;
• the issues the Plan has to consider in delivering these developments; and
• how the vision has been shaped from this work.

2.2 The Plan has been prepared based on up-to-date evidence in order to justify the policies and proposals within it. The Hampshire Authorities have gathered together and analysed a wealth of information on minerals and waste issues for Hampshire. All this has been brought together in a series of background documents, which are all published alongside this Plan (see 'Appendix D - Supporting documents').

2.3 The Plan is based upon the principle of delivering sustainable minerals and waste development in Hampshire up to 2040. This means ensuring we have the right developments to maintain a reliable supply of minerals and excellent management of our waste, at the right time, whilst protecting the environment and our communities. The Plan is structured to reflect this approach of balancing and integrating the needs of the environment, the community, and the economy, as demonstrated in Figure 2.

Figure 2 - Balancing the environment, community and the economy in Hampshire

2.4 The National Planning Policy Framework⁶ (NPPF) endorses this approach.

⁶ National Planning Policy Framework, Chapter 2 (DLUHC, 2023)

Hampshire in 2021

2.5 Hampshire is located in southern England. It covers an area of 377,000 hectares and has a varied physical geography of a lowland character. The landscape has been formed by a number of influences including ancient peri-glacial activity that created gravel terraces and plateau deposits, particularly on the coast and river valleys. The most important sand and gravel deposits are in the Avon Valley, on the western side of Hampshire. Hampshire also contains a broad band of chalk downland, which separates the more developed areas of the north-east and south.

2.6 Significant parts of the landscape are recognised as being of high quality and this is reflected in a large proportion of Hampshire being covered by nature conservation and landscape designations. These areas are protected to maintain natural resources and ensure that future generations will have the opportunity to understand, enjoy, and benefit from their special qualities. Hampshire also includes two National Parks located in the New Forest and the South Downs. These areas form part of the wider biodiversity interests and contribute to Hampshire's ecosystems, community, quality of life and the local economy (for example through tourism). Key Environmental and landscape designations both within and outside of the Plan area are highlighted in Figure 3.

Figure 3 - Key Environmental and Landscape Designations within and in proximity to the Plan area

2.7 The majority of Hampshire's population lives in the south of the Plan area, in the two cities of Southampton and Portsmouth and their neighbouring towns. There is also a further concentration of population in north-east Hampshire. Elsewhere the population density is lower and largely scattered in villages and small to medium-sized towns. This means the population distribution and resulting development largely determine how waste management (other than landfill) is structured. Strategic growth is being delivered at Whitehill & Bordon (East Hampshire) and a Garden Village at Welborne (Fareham), along with other areas of large-scale developments at Aldershot, Andover, Basingstoke, Berewood (West of Waterlooville), Eastleigh and Whiteley. The provision of aggregate and waste management services is an important part of the delivery of areas of planned growth in Hampshire. Figure 4 highlights some of Hampshire’s main communities.

Figure 4 - Hampshire's main communities

2.8 Hampshire has a prosperous and growing economy with a comparatively low unemployment rate. However, there are still pockets of deprivation in areas such as Gosport, Havant, Southampton and Portsmouth and in some rural areas. The Partnership for South Hampshire (PfSH) and Solent Local Economic Partnership promote economic growth and regeneration, with a particular focus on Southampton and Portsmouth.

2.9 Communications are good with a high-capacity road network, including the A3, M3, and M27. Southampton International Airport is a busy and growing hub for short-haul European flights. The railways are heavily used for passengers and freight with increasing amounts of freight being transported from/to Southampton docks following improvements to the rail network. The rail network provides opportunities for importing aggregate into Hampshire, such as the importation of limestone from Somerset.

2.10 The Port of Southampton is a global gateway for the United Kingdom in terms of shipping, for containerised goods and leisure cruises. Solent Freeport is one of eight Freeports in England announced by the Chancellor in the 2021 Budget that will benefit from incentives to encourage economic activity. Freeports operate with both ‘tax’ and ‘customs’ sites and both types exist in the Solent, for example, Portsmouth Port is a customs site and Dunsbury Park in Havant is a tax site. Tax sites offer occupiers business rates relief and other incentives to support capital investment, skills and employment. Business rates growth generated at the tax sites can be retained locally and reinvested in the area. Customs sites help enable the tariff-free movement of goods for both export and import through simplified customs procedures. Each freeport has an outer boundary which is the area where the Freeport’s regeneration spending and innovation measures can be used to generate prosperity for the region. The Port also plays a regional role for minerals and waste. The Port currently exports scrap metal and has imported crushed rock in the past. The wharves on the River Itchen are significant for importing marine-dredged sand and gravel and exporting metal. Portsmouth Harbour is home to an important naval dockyard and a commercial port, servicing the continental roll-on, roll-off ferry trade.

2.11 There are major growth and regeneration opportunities in south and north Hampshire. These need to be properly planned to ensure that they do not have an adverse impact on the environment and that the quality of life for residents is not compromised. Achieving an acceptable balance between minerals and waste development and the protection of the environment as well as the maintenance of our communities sets some specific challenges for the planning of minerals and waste development in different parts of Hampshire. A detailed portrait of what Hampshire looks like now, and implications for minerals and waste is set out in the Baseline Report⁷.

2.12 Hampshire has local supplies of sand and gravel, silica sand, chalk, brick-making clay and oil and gas. Hampshire does not have hard rock or other specialist aggregates or minerals. These have to be imported into the county by sea or by rail. Over the last 10 years, the average production, sales, and landings of all minerals have been approximately 3.65 million tonnes per annum (mtpa), including approximately 0.83mtpa of recycled and secondary aggregates and 0.90mtpa of sand and gravel from local quarries⁸. An increasing amount has come from marine dredging⁹ with the landing of approximately 1.4mtpa through Hampshire’s wharves. Hampshire has traditionally exported sand and gravel to neighbouring areas but is also a net importer of aggregates such as crushed rock, which is predominately sourced from Somerset.

2.13 Hampshire's chalk downland is of limited importance for minerals and waste development although it contains some small on-shore oil and gas fields.

2.14 Hampshire takes a hierarchical approach to managing waste, which prioritises waste prevention above other levels of the Waste Hierarchy (to achieve best environmental outcomes). However, it also takes a resource-management approach to dealing with waste which cannot be prevented, where waste is seen as a resource that can be reused or recycled to make new products. The Hampshire Authorities are already working together to reduce household and business waste in Hampshire and are looking to improve recycling rates.

2.15 Hampshire’s total estimated waste arisings are about 5.4mtpa. Around half of the non-hazardous waste is recycled, with over 90% of municipal waste diverted from landfill¹⁰. Currently, Hampshire is estimated to need a further 0.9mtpa of waste management capacity by 2040 in order to achieve net self-sufficiency.

2.16 Hampshire's main mineral resource areas¹¹ and existing minerals and waste sites are shown in Figure 5.

Figure 5 - Mineral resources, minerals developments and strategic waste infrastructure

⁷ Sustainability Appraisal (incorporating Strategic Environmental Assessment) – Updated Baseline Report (June 2023)

⁸ Minerals Background Study

⁹ Minerals Background Study

¹⁰ Waste Background Study

¹¹ Minerals Background Study

Issues for the Plan

2.17 The Hampshire Authorities regard the following as the key issues for the Plan:

• Many of Hampshire’s key mineral resources are in rural parts of the Plan area where high quality landscapes and many special natural or man-made habitats are located and where there are already development pressures. Pressures on the Plan area's National Parks from minerals extraction are highlighted particularly by the presence of scarce soft sand and silica sand resources in the South Downs National Park around Kingsley. Also, many of the rural areas such as Mortimer, Bramshill, Eversley, Ringwood Forest and the New Forest coastal belt have been affected by mineral workings for a number of years. Local communities are concerned about the potential for further workings in these areas as well as the impacts on amenity and habitats. These concerns need to be balanced against the limited alternative locations of viable supply.
• The south of Hampshire is a densely populated and heavily developed area but has significant underlying sand and gravel resources which are close to the markets they serve. However, mineral working in these areas can present problems for local communities, particularly lorry traffic associated with extraction in locations such as Hamble and Hythe.
• Many of the mineral wharves are also located in urban areas in south Hampshire. These sites also present challenges in terms of traffic generation and balancing the need for wharves to receive marine-dredged aggregates with the opportunities for regenerating important waterside areas. These include areas such as the wharves located on the River Itchen in Southampton.
• There are also a number of planned growth areas in Hampshire, such as those at Aldershot, Basingstoke, Eastleigh, Fareham (Welborne), Whitehill & Bordon, and Winchester, which will need to have local waste facilities and supplies of mineral for their construction. Local Plan reviews are also likely to lead to more strategic allocations coming forward in the future.
• The environmental and financial impacts caused by (over) consumption mean that preventing waste from arising should be considered as a priority, before waste management practices are implemented. There is a national drive to create a circular economy, treat waste as high as possible up the Waste Hierarchy and send zero waste to landfill, for both non-hazardous waste and inert waste. The principle of producing energy from waste continues to be supported as part of a sustainable network of waste management infrastructure. However, this has implications in terms of the need for more built facilities to recycle or recover waste, including aggregate recycling. These facilities can often present problems such as noise, traffic and dust which can make it difficult to find suitable sites for minerals and waste development. Although the Plan promotes the concept of zero waste to landfill, it recognises that the facilities to achieve this are not yet in place, so some landfill is still needed in the Plan period.
• Communities have expressed concerns about the prospect of local minerals or waste developments and expect the adverse impacts they may experience to be recognised, reduced to a minimum, and mitigated. Communities also wish to be involved throughout the planning process.
• One of the main implications of climate change for Hampshire is its effect on the coast in terms of flooding and coastal protection. A number of Hampshire's strategic waste facilities are on this coastal belt, such as those at marine aggregate wharves or at Marchwood and Portsmouth. This is an important consideration for the resilience of minerals supply and for waste management.

2.18 The Plan sets out how we aim to resolve these issues and develops a vision and objectives (see the section on 'Vision - Where we need to be').

Other Plans and Programmes

2.19 National policy guidance is contained in the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF)¹² and National Policy Statements (NPS), such as the NPS for Ports¹³, NPS for Renewable Energy Infrastructure¹⁴ and NPS for Hazardous Waste¹⁵. The NPPF does not contain specific waste policies. These are set out in the National Planning Policy for Waste (NPPW)¹⁶. National waste planning policy is published alongside the National Waste Management Plan for England. The Plan's development has taken into account national policy as expressed in the NPPF and NPPW. The Plan also takes into account Government circulars and other relevant guidance.

2.20 The development plan relevant to Hampshire Planning Authorities comprises the following:

• Hampshire Minerals and Waste Plan;
• Local Plans / Development Plan Documents (DPDs) adopted by the Unitary Authorities, the National Park Authorities and the district / borough councils;
• Neighbourhood Development Plans (NDPs) made by Qualifying Bodies; and
• Two saved policies from the South East Regional Spatial Strategy - one of which is relevant to the Plan area as it covers the Thames Basin Heaths Special Protection Area (SPA).

2.21 There are a number of international, national, regional and local policies, plans and programmes which were important to the development of this Plan. These include Marine Plans, Local Transport Plans, Community Strategies and National Park Management Plans of the Hampshire Authorities. The Marine Management Organisation has planning jurisdiction for the South Inshore and South Offshore Marine Plan Areas. The South Marine Plan covers the area from the river Dart in Devon to Folkestone in Kent, including the tidal extent of any rivers within this area. The Marine Plans are a material consideration for decision-makers.

2.22 The Hampshire Minerals and Waste Plan including the Vision (see the section on 'Vision - Where we need to be') reflect the aspirations of the Hampshire Authorities including, but not limited to, Hampshire’s Strategic Plan (2017-2021)¹⁷, Portsmouth City Council’s Priorities¹⁸, Southampton City Council’s Strategy¹⁹ (2015-2025), New Forest National Park Partnership Plan²⁰, the South Downs National Park Authority Partnership Management Plan²¹, the Recommendations of the 2050 Commission of Inquiry²², Hampshire’s Climate Change Strategy²³ and the emerging Hampshire Economic Strategy²⁴.

2.23 The NPPF sets out a 'duty to co-operate'. In response to this, as part of plan preparation, the Hampshire Authorities liaised with Hampshire’s district and borough councils and surrounding minerals and waste planning authorities, as well as those that have a related mineral or waste interest, such as Somerset. Where necessary, Statements of Common Ground were prepared to address strategic issues that cross administrative boundaries. This co-operation will continue following the adoption of the Plan as part of its implementation. Consideration was also given to issues raised in other Authorities’ relevant plans and programmes. In addition, liaison will continue with statutory consultees (such as the Environment Agency, Natural England and Historic England), the minerals and waste industry, other infrastructure providers and technical working parties related to minerals and waste who have been involved in the preparation of this Plan.

2.24 A full list of documents which are considered to be directly (and indirectly) relevant to the Plan is included in the Updated Baseline Report²⁵. This includes an assessment of the implications of this Plan on the key relevant objectives and targets identified.

Vision – Where we need to be

2.25 The Hampshire Minerals and Waste Plan’s vision is as follows:

2.26 The following Plan Objectives outline how the Vision will be achieved. By 2040, minerals and waste development will help meet Hampshire’s present and future needs by protecting the environment, maintaining community quality of life, and supporting the economy and will:

• Facilitate a reduction in minerals and waste-related carbon emissions to support the transition to net zero (neutrality) by 2050.
• Provide a steady and adequate supply of minerals.
• Plan for a resilient and reliable net self-sufficient waste management network.
• Ensure the delivery of minerals and waste development in a strategic way that protects and enhances natural and historic environments.
• Ensure communities do not experience a reduction in air quality and are less disturbed by minerals and waste activities.
• Supports and complements urban regeneration.
• Enable a circular economy by prioritising a reduction in waste arisings and hazardous content of waste, to ensure that Hampshire continues to prosper whilst reducing its emissions.
• Support future development requirements with sustainable, high-quality operations.
• Secure proposals and their restoration schemes that improve health and well-being.
• Achieve a net gain in biodiversity above the pre-worked baseline, having regard to strategic ecology networks.

Spatial Strategy

2.27 The Spatial Strategy outlines the approach the Hampshire Authorities will take to critical minerals and waste issues and sets the context for the Plan's policies. The Hampshire Authorities have, and will continue to, work collaboratively with other bodies. This will ensure that strategic priorities across local boundaries are, and will continue to be, properly coordinated and clearly reflected in the Plan, any subsequent review or update of the Plan, and other individual Local Plans.

2.28 The Spatial Strategy takes account of Hampshire in 2021 and the Vision and provides the context for the Plan's policies.

2.29 The overall strategic priority is that enough minerals and waste development is provided to support the economies of Hampshire, as well as economies in other areas influenced by Hampshire throughout the Plan period, without jeopardising Hampshire’s environment and the quality of life of its communities.

2.30 Accordingly, to safeguard Hampshire’s unique environment, any minerals and waste development and their associated restoration, must fit within a framework comprising the protection and enhancement of:

• designated environmental assets such as, but not limited to, Special Protection Areas (SPAs), Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) and Ramsar Sites, Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI);
• biodiversity interests in general by achieving biodiversity net gain (BNG) or Local Nature Recovery Strategies via available mechanisms;
• the significant natural assets like landscape designations (such as National Parks, National Landscapes) and landscape character;
• the countryside and South West Hampshire Green Belt;
• heritage assets (such as Scheduled Monuments, Listed Buildings and non-designated archaeological remains);
• rivers and the water environment; and
• strategic scale environmental networks, giving consideration to both how the development will interact with environmental assets in Hampshire and in neighbouring areas.

2.31 Recognising the potential impacts minerals and waste developments can have on local communities, there is an expectation that the following will be addressed:

• climate change impacts, flooding and soil conservation;
• safeguarding of community amenity, health, safety and well-being;
• management of traffic;
• quality designed development; and
• economic and social regeneration.

2.32 Within this context, the most important issues for aggregates in the Hampshire area include:

• maximising recycling and recovery of construction, demolition and excavation (CDE) waste;
• provision for sand and gravel to be supplied at a rate of 0.9 million tonnes per annum (mtpa)²⁶ from local land-won gravel sources;
• provision for silica sand landbanks at existing sites in east Hampshire;
• ensuring sufficient capacity at alternative sources such as recycling sites, aggregate wharves and aggregate rail depots is maintained or developed to ensure that 4mtpa can be supplied from these alternatives to land-won sources;
• Safeguarding of mineral resources, existing and potential strategic minerals and waste infrastructure as well as areas which could be considered as possible locations for a minerals and waste wharf or rail depot (if they become available or are released from their current use within the Plan period). On this basis, a steady and adequate supply of aggregate can be provided up to 2040.

2.33 To meet the local land-won sand and gravel requirement of 0.9mtpa, Hampshire will need to provide 17.1 million tonnes (mt) of aggregate by 2040. This will be met from²⁷:

• existing (permitted) reserves - 10.59mt;
• sites identified within the Plan - 11.4mt; and
• unallocated opportunities - 2.75mt²⁸.

2.34 The sites for local land-won sand and gravel identified in the Plan are all considered strategic. These strategic sites will each make a significant contribution to the total supply of aggregates over the Plan period and are critical to the delivery of the strategy for minerals outlined in the Plan.

2.35 The spatial strategy for the future supply of aggregates will centre on using local land-won sand and gravel resources that can be worked without significant impacts to the environment, communities, or economy. In the main, these locations already contain aggregate workings. Therefore, the timing of new workings will be controlled carefully to avoid any cumulative impacts. The strategy also builds on:

• capacity of existing and potential further development of construction, demolition and excavation (CDE) waste and secondary aggregate capacity;
• aggregate wharves capacity, including site expansion and relocation opportunities²⁹, in south Hampshire; and
• existing aggregate rail depots in south Hampshire and new sites in north Hampshire.

2.36 Hampshire will continue to supply neighbouring areas with approximately 39%³⁰ of the primary aggregate from its marine and land-won sand and gravel sources.

2.37 For waste, Hampshire will aim to meet the Governments goal of a ‘zero avoidable waste’ economy³¹ which for the purposes of this Plan, will mean zero waste to landfill. It is recognised that preventing waste by reducing waste arisings is a priority action. This is consistent with the Government’s view that all material resources should be preserved and then re-used, recycled or recovered in some way with only minimal amounts disposed to landfill as the last resort. However, Hampshire already has a mature network of waste infrastructure for recycling and recovery so that over 90% of its municipal waste is already diverted from landfill. Hampshire’s future needs are based on the estimated current capacity for waste management³² and the following assumptions and targets:

• estimated current waste arisings and growth rate between 0% per annum (for inert waste), 0.66% (for non-hazardous waste) and 3.93% (for hazardous waste);
• an average non-hazardous recycling capacity rate of 65% during the Plan period; and
• provision of both landfill capacity to cover 5% of waste and sufficient recycling and recovery capacity to be fully net self-sufficient.

2.38 These assumptions and targets mean overall that by 2040, Hampshire requires:

• an additional 0.5mtpa of non-hazardous recycling and recovery capacity;
• an additional 2.3mt of non-hazardous landfill capacity;
• an additional 0.4mtpa of inert recycling capacity; and,
• an additional 0.16mtpa hazardous waste recycling and recovery capacity.

2.39 Hampshire has a good network of existing facilities for waste management, with a capacity of approximately 5mtpa³³. Waste from Household (WfH) is largely managed by a long-term contract covering the whole of Hampshire and comprises a network of facilities which achieve a recycling rate of almost 40% and a diversion from landfill rate of around 95%. The many varied Commercial and Industrial (C&I) wastes are managed by a wide range of facilities, with some of regional or national importance. Although improving, the level of commercial waste diverted from landfill is not as high as that compared to WfH. In summary, this extensive network consists of:

• Household Waste Recycling Centres (HWRCs).
• Waste transfer stations (WTSs).
• Material recovery facilities (MRFs).
• Authorised treatment facilities (ATFs).
• Energy recovery facilities (ERFs).
• Composting sites.
• Aggregate recycling facilities.
• Landfills.
• Facilities for recycling and recovering hazardous waste.

2.40 The current network of facilities is generally focused on the main urban areas in south and north Hampshire although some specialist facilities, such as composting and landfill, tend to be in more rural areas. Some waste facilities, particularly those for recycling construction, demolition and excavation (CDE) waste that produce recycled aggregates, reflect historic landfill locations or current/former quarries.

2.41 Hampshire will plan for all of its waste arisings whether WfH, C&I or from other commercial sources such as that from CDE activities. C&I waste arisings can contain similar materials to that in WfH and require similar methods of treatment and thus proposed development which can manage both sources of waste will be encouraged. All types of waste will be planned for, regardless of its origin in Hampshire.

2.42 The locational requirements of facilities are not expected to change significantly. As more waste is managed through recycling and recovery facilities rather than landfill, more will be managed close to its origin in the urban areas of south and north Hampshire. Waste facilities will also need to support the planned areas of major new development in the county and seek opportunities for co-location where the benefits from proximity to other land users or networks for recovering resources such as energy, materials, or carbon from waste can be realised. There is also a general presumption that major waste facilities should be located to enable the use of both the Strategic Road Network (SRN) and Primary Road Network (PRN), alongside other roads only where demonstrably suitable for large vehicles in highway and amenity terms, to ensure impacts on communities are kept to a minimum. However, some facilities, such as anaerobic digester plants and composting, may be located in rural areas where there is an available feedstock and where residues can be disposed of to land.

2.43 Historically, landfill was the most significant method for disposing of waste and was generally located in former quarries. However, as recycling and energy recovery from waste has increased, there is now only one landfill site in operation in Hampshire. This downward trend will continue. As it is expected that Hampshire’s capacity will be filled during the Plan period, criteria are provided for new landfill capacity to come forward. At the same time, the Plan aims to fulfil ‘net self-sufficiency’ through the provision of recycling and recovery capacity instead.

There are no allocated non-hazardous landfill sites identified as:

• the current and proposed mineral operations – except the reserve provision noted above – do not provide suitable voids;
• Hampshire’s geology is unsuitable;
• there are access and landscape constraints, and
• there is no operator interest.

2.44 Principal locations for hazardous waste will focus on the existing merchant³⁴ incinerator at Fawley.

³⁴ Built and owned by a waste operator and charges a 'gate fee' for every load of waste that is brought to the facility. Merchant plants will accept local authority waste and private waste.

Key Diagram

2.45 The components of the spatial strategy are illustrated on the Key Diagram. It shows the main supply sources for aggregates, the main areas of different types of waste development interests and some of the principal constraints. The Key Diagram is intended to be a diagrammatic interpretation of the Spatial Strategy set out in this chapter and is not intended to portray any specific site activity or proposal with spatial accuracy. The remaining sections of the Plan develop the principles and objectives set out in the 'Spatial Strategy'. Specific details relating to the policies are shown on the 'Policies Map'.

Figure 6 – Key Diagram

¹² National Planning Policy Framework (DLUHC, 2023)

¹³ National Policy Statement for Ports (Department for Transport, 2012): https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-policy-statement-for-ports

¹⁴ National Policy Statement for Renewable of Energy Infrastructure (Department Energy and Climate Change, 2011): https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/47856/1940-nps-renewable-energy-en3.pdf

¹⁵ National Policy Statement for Hazardous Waste (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, 2013): https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/205568/pb13927-hazardous-waste-policy-20130606.pdf

¹⁶ National Planning Policy for Waste (Department of Communities & Local Government, 2014): https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-planning-policy-for-waste

¹⁷ Hampshire Strategic Plan (2017-2021) (Hampshire County Council): https://democracy.hants.gov.uk/documents/s3427/Serving%20Hampshire%20Strategic%20Plan%202017-2021.pdf

¹⁸ Portsmouth City Council Priorities: https://www.portsmouth.gov.uk/services/council-and-democracy/transparency/freedom-of-information/council-priorities-and-decisions/

¹⁹ Southampton City Council Strategy: https://www.southampton.gov.uk/media/r3javvpi/southampton-city-strategy-15-25_tcm63-387730.pdf

²⁰ New Forest National Park Authority Partnership Plan: https://www.newforestnpa.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/2325-NFNPA-PP22-FULL-WEB-AW-TaggedUpdated.pdf

²¹ South Downs National Park Partnership Management Plan: https://www.southdowns.gov.uk/national-park-authority/our-work/partnership-management/

²² Hampshire 2050 Commission of Inquiry: https://www.hants.gov.uk/aboutthecouncil/haveyoursay/visionforhampshire2050

²³ Hampshire Climate Change Strategy: https://www.hants.gov.uk/landplanningandenvironment/environment/climatechange

²⁴ Hampshire Economic Strategy: https://www.hants.gov.uk/business/hampshire-prosperity-partnership

²⁵ Sustainability Appraisal (incorporating Strategic Environmental Assessment) – Updated Baseline Report (June 2023)

3. Sustainable minerals and waste development

3.1 The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) requires local plans to support the presumption in favour of sustainable development so that development which is sustainable can progress. The Plan is based on the principles of sustainable development. This is demonstrated in Section 2. 'Vision and Spatial Strategy' and the policies in the Plan which all seek to deliver sustainable minerals and waste development in Hampshire. Accordingly, any development that conforms with the Plan is deemed sustainable and the Hampshire Authorities should allow it to progress without delay. As planning law³⁵ requires planning applications to be determined in accordance with the development plan unless material considerations indicate otherwise, the Plan includes a policy relating to sustainable minerals and waste development.

3.2 The Hampshire Authorities will always work proactively with minerals and waste applicants to find solutions which mean that proposals can be approved wherever possible, and to secure development that improves the economic, social and environmental conditions in the Plan area.

3.3 Planning applications should be submitted in accordance with national and local Validation Guidance³⁶ which should be used, along with the requirements of the Plan, to determine what assessments will be required. Relevant assessments will be required to determine the economic, social and environmental impacts and to demonstrate how proposals meet the requirements of the Plan. Any impacts and mitigation measures identified will be considered in the determination of planning applications and will inform any necessary planning conditions or planning obligations. Careful consideration will be given to the issues raised by key stakeholders, including local communities, to ensure that concerns are suitably addressed in decision-making.

3.4 Development management will be the main, but not the only, means by which the Plan will deliver sustainable minerals and waste development in Hampshire. Planning applications should be submitted in accordance with Validation Guidance, which should be used to determine what assessments will be required. The approach to development management will be focused on problem solving and seeking quality outcomes. The Plan is largely delivered through the determination of minerals and waste planning applications and through the implementation of policies in this Plan.

3.5 The policies in the Plan provide an overarching approach to development management in the Plan area. Accordingly, when dealing with applications, the Hampshire Authorities will:

• promote pre-application discussions between minerals and waste developers, the determining authority, statutory consultees and other consultees, as appropriate;
• encourage engagement between developers and the local community;
• ensure appropriate and proportionate information is submitted;
• request that statutory consultees (including the Environment Agency, Highways Authorities, Hampshire and neighbouring Environmental Health Officers, Natural England and Historic England) provide timely advice;
• give due weight to this Plan in the context of the overall development plan³⁷ when making decisions on minerals and waste development;
• impose appropriate controls on development;
• monitor all minerals and waste development proportionate to its potential risk and take appropriate compliance measures, including enforcement action when unauthorised development takes place; and
• encourage the formation of local liaison panels for minerals and waste development sites, as appropriate, to ensure the community can examine development proposals and engage with interested parties. Liaison panels are relevant to minerals and waste development at all stages of the planning process, including pre-application and post submission, as well as during development monitoring.

3.6 In making any planning decision, the Hampshire Authorities will have to consider the merits of a proposal, such as what benefits the development will bring in relation to mineral supply or waste management capacity. The Authorities will also have to make a judgement as to the weight they give to the various elements of the Plan as well as other material considerations and conclude whether on the balance of evidence a development is sustainable and if it should be granted planning permission. Consideration is given to relevant policies in Local Plans for areas within which development is located and a balanced judgement made on the weight to be applied.

3.7 Policy 1 (Sustainable minerals and waste development) indicates that, where the Plan is silent or the relevant policies are out of date, the Hampshire Authorities will grant permission, unless material considerations indicate otherwise (including taking into account whether there are specific policies in the NPPF that indicate that development should be restricted). This may include those policies relating to:

• sites protected under the Habitats Regulations³⁸ and/or sites designated as Sites of Special Scientific Interest;
• land designated as National Park, National Landscapes, Heritage Coast, Green Belt and/or Local Green Space;
• designated heritage assets; and
• locations at risk of flooding or coastal erosion.

3.8 In order for a minerals or waste proposal to comply with the requirements of the Plan, appropriate planning conditions and planning obligations will be used. Planning conditions attached to planning permissions for minerals and waste development are the usual way in which potential impacts associated with construction and operation of minerals and waste development may be controlled. Planning conditions are used to ensure the policy requirements of the Plan and other material considerations are properly addressed.

3.9 Addressing further off-site matters may require additional schemes over and above planning conditions and can be required through legal agreements (planning obligations) as appropriate. A planning obligation normally requires something to be undertaken, or it can be used to impose restrictions. Planning conditions and obligations are considered in the NPPF³⁹.

3.10 Planning obligations will only be sought where they are required to make a development acceptable in planning terms which would otherwise be unacceptable. The Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) Regulations 2019⁴⁰ require that any planning obligation required by a Local Planning Authority be:

• necessary in order to make the development acceptable (in planning terms);
• directly related to the development; and
• fairly and reasonably related in scale and kind to the development.

3.11 These tests will be used to determine where planning obligations should be secured and where they will be necessary. An example of the type of planning obligation that is likely to be required is that of a long term ecological or landscape management plan (particularly following the restoration of a site) or funding towards transport improvements where the impact of the development on the local highway network is required to be mitigated. Obligations regarding transport should have regard to the relevant Local Transport Plan.

3.12 Hampshire County Council is not a Charging Authority and therefore cannot operate CIL itself. However, minerals or waste development dealt with by the County Council (as Minerals and Waste Planning Authority) may still be liable to pay CIL charges according to the rates set by the relevant district, borough, unitary or national park authority where CIL charging schedules have been adopted. The Levelling Up and Infrastructure Act⁴¹ replaces CIL and Section 106 agreements with a new Infrastructure Levy. The Plan will implement any relevant changes should they be brought forward through legislation.

3.13 CIL is currently charged on buildings of over 100 square metres net additional floorspace that people normally use, and as such mineral extraction and associated developments that propose buildings to house machinery will not be liable to pay the CIL. Employment and industrial developments are liable to pay the CIL charges if included on charging schedules. However, in some parts of Hampshire some developments will not be economically viable if a significant CIL is charged for employment or industrial developments and these uses have been excluded or limited from the relevant Charging Schedules. Therefore, it is likely that some built facilities for waste management activities would be ultimately exempt from paying the CIL charges.

3.14 The Hampshire Authorities are committed to ensuring that minerals and waste development takes place in conformity with the planning permissions granted. If a minerals or waste development is not being operated in accordance with the planning permission, or associated agreed schemes, the Hampshire Authorities will take the necessary steps to ensure compliance, where it is expedient to do so. This may include taking enforcement action to ensure that any breach of planning permission is rectified. Environmental Health Officers (at district or borough councils) and the Environment Agency (EA) may also monitor aspects of a minerals or waste development. The EA ensures that all waste sites are operated in accordance with Environmental Permitting Regulations⁴².

3.15 Minerals and waste proposals to extend existing sites will only be supported where past operator performance of the existing operations has been adequately demonstrated at the time the application is submitted. This would include where issues have been raised about the environmental or amenity impacts of a site, particularly where there is evidence to demonstrate these impacts. In such cases, these issues and evidence of impacts would be taken into account in decision-making. There may be circumstances where there are overriding environmental, and amenity impacts which may outweigh the need for further development in an existing location or if cumulative impacts with other previous, existing, or proposed sites are considered to be excessive. Sections 4. ‘Protecting Hampshire’s Environment’ and 5. ‘Maintaining Hampshire’s Communities’ consider these issues in more detail alongside other policies within the Plan.

3.16 Policy 1 (Sustainable minerals and waste development) is also considered in 'Appendix C - Implementation and Monitoring Plan'. The Implementation and Monitoring Plan sets out how the policy will be implemented and how the Hampshire Authorities will monitor its implementation. It should be read alongside this policy.

³⁵ Section 38(6) of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 and section 70(2) of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990.

³⁶ Planning Application Validation Guidance (2018): https://documents.hants.gov.uk/mineralsandwaste/ApplicationValidationGuidance2018.pdf

³⁷ National Planning Policy Framework, Para. 11 (DLUHC, 2023)

³⁸ Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2017 (as amended)

³⁹ National Planning Policy Framework, Para. 55-58 (DLUHC, 2023)

⁴⁰ Community Infrastructure Levy (Amendment) (England) (No.2) Regulations 2019: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2019/1103/contents/made

⁴¹ Levelling Up and Infrastructure Act (2023): https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/55/enacted

⁴² Environmental Permitting Regulations (England and Wales) 2016 [NB. The Waste and Environmental Permitting etc (Legislative functions and Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020 (draft Legislation)]

4. Protecting Hampshire’s Environment

4.1 A high-quality and healthy environment underpins the economic prosperity and quality of life of Hampshire. Hampshire's environment contributes various benefits (known as 'ecosystem services') which are important to the wider environment, local communities and the economy. Such benefits include maintaining natural capital, protecting the historic environment and providing an attractive and healthy setting for those living, working and spending leisure time in the Plan area. Furthermore, a high-quality and healthy environment supports the economy, by providing tourism assets and an attractive setting for investment. Some resources such as clean water, productive soils and renewable energy are sustained by the natural environment. Environmental assets also provide opportunities for developing industries for the green economy as well as supporting the health and well-being of communities. Finally, a robust and well-functioning natural environment will be more resilient to climate change. Figure 7 highlights some of the Plan area's main natural environment assets including designated nature conservation sites, the South West Hampshire Green Belt, National Parks and National Landscapes. In addition, Figure 7 demonstrates the relationship between environmental assets in the Plan area and in surrounding areas which offers up opportunities for landscape-scale habitat enhancements.

Figure 7 - An overview of Hampshire's unique natural environment assets

4.2 Some minerals and waste developments, although necessary, can pose a risk to the environment through pollution, disturbance to wildlife, destruction of archaeological sites and historic landscapes and altering landscape character. However, the natural environment should not be seen as a barrier to development, and if planned appropriately, minerals and waste development can not only maintain the existing quality and value of the environment but can also provide significant opportunities to enhance it.

4.3 The Plan aims to provide for the maintenance of a beautiful, high-quality and healthy environment and supports:

• resilience to climate change;
• the green economy;
• cultural heritage and tourism;
• the health and well-being of local communities; and
• economic prosperity and quality of life.

4.4 This section of the Plan considers the importance of protecting Hampshire's environment and sets out policies relating to the following issues:

• climate change;
• habitats and species;
• nationally protected landscapes;
• the countryside and valued landscapes;
• the Green Belt;
• the historic environment;
• water management;
• soils; and
• restoration and aftercare.

4.5 All policies in this section of the Plan are also considered in 'Appendix C - Implementation and Monitoring Plan'. The Implementation and Monitoring Plan sets out how each policy will be implemented and how the Hampshire Authorities will monitor the implementation. It should be read alongside the policies in this section of the Plan.

Climate change

4.6 There is scientific consensus that human activity is increasing the atmospheric concentration of greenhouse gases which is resulting in climate change⁴³. It is therefore a national planning objective that planning plays a key role in helping to shape places to secure radical reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, minimising vulnerability and providing resilience to the impacts of climate change, encourage the reuse of existing resources and support the delivery of renewable and low carbon energy and associated infrastructure. National planning policy also states that ‘Plans should take a proactive approach to mitigating and adapting to climate change, taking into account the long-term implications for flood risk, coastal change, water supply, biodiversity and landscapes, and the risk of overheating from rising temperatures'⁴⁴.

4.7 Hampshire County Council has set a target to be carbon neutral by 2050. The South Downs National Park Climate Change Adaption Plan assesses the current and predicted impacts of climate change in relation to the National Park’s purposes and statutory functions. The Southampton City Council Green City Plan 2030 seeks to make the operations of Southampton City Council achieve net-zero carbon by 2030. Portsmouth City Council’s target is for carbon neutrality across its operations by 2030. New Forest National Park Authority is working with its partners towards the National Park being ‘net zero with nature’ by 2050. UK legislation has a target of net zero for all greenhouse gases by 2050 (The Climate Change Act 2008 (2050 Target Amendment) order 2019).

4.8 Minerals and waste proposals will need to demonstrate in their Climate Change Assessments how the development will reduce its carbon emissions over time and enable the transition to carbon neutrality by 2050. This will need to be proportional to the scale of carbon emissions the development is likely to cause. Therefore, energy developments such as oil and gas or energy from waste will have to provide a significant justification taking into account the life of the development (see ‘Oil and gas development’ and ‘Energy recovery development’ for more detail). Furthermore, in considering the impacts of the proposal, the carbon footprint of the total site and its operations must be taken into account (including the role of soils – see Policy 9 (Protection of soils)). Minerals and waste development can also provide opportunities to mitigate and adapt to the inevitable effects of climate change. These opportunities should be explored as part of the Climate Change Assessment (see ‘Implementation and Monitoring Plan’) and may include:

• reduction in greenhouse gas emissions through diverting biodegradable waste from landfill;
• generation of renewable energy (heat and power) from energy recovery facilities;
• carbon capture, including ensuring facilities are capable of retrofitting carbon capture technology in the future, in particular in terms of available adjacent land;
• more sustainable use of resources, through seeking a reduction of resources used (i.e. waste prevention) and the use of recycled and secondary aggregates in construction and support for a circular economy;
• appropriate restoration of quarries and landfill sites;
• application of nature-based solutions such as expansion of tree and woodland cover, restoration and creation of priority habitats, natural floodplain management and retrofitting blue and green infrastructure;
• supplying aggregates for use in flood and coastal defences; and
• reducing emissions from, or created by, transport by locating development adjacent to local markets, using less polluting vehicles and avoiding transport by road (i.e. water, rail or use of conveyors).

4.9 The Climate Change Assessment should demonstrate how the proposal will help meet the Climate Change Act target. The Hampshire Authorities will expect that any proposals will also adhere to any relevant Government guidance issued to support this process. In doing so, it is recognised that some proposals will go on for a significant period beyond the Plan period.

4.10 In this context, resilience means capacity for the environment to respond to such changes by resisting damage caused by climate change and, where damage does occur, recovering quickly. This can be achieved by maintaining a robust and varied network of natural environments which will allow natural processes to change and adapt without costly intervention. This will be supported through strategic scale coherent ecological networks such as those identified in the Local Nature Recovery Strategy, giving consideration to how the development will interact with environmental assets, and create and enhance linkages in and across Hampshire as well as neighbouring Authorities.

4.11 Hampshire has a low-lying coast which is vulnerable to change through variations to the climate and flooding. Many issues relating to climate change are also dealt with through other sections and policies in the Plan. These include sections on 'Restoration of minerals and waste developments', 'Flooding - risk and prevention', 'Managing traffic impacts' and 'Design, construction and operation of minerals and waste development'. Consideration should be given to the relevant policies in the South Marine Plan.

4.12 Generally, minerals and waste development should be avoided in the areas of Hampshire subject to coastal change or vulnerable to flood risk, unless appropriate adaptation measures are incorporated. Some existing developments are vulnerable in this respect. These include historic 'legacy' landfills which are located close to Portsmouth and Lymington where adaptation measures may have to be implemented retrospectively. In addition, consideration should be given to the resilience of utilities such as Waste-Water Treatment Works and any proposals will need to ensure that they have suitable adaptation measures in place to manage future climate change events and maintain operation.

4.13 It is recognised that opportunities to apply Policy 2 (Climate change- mitigation and adaption) to some minor planning applications such as extensions of time may be limited. However, it is expected that consideration would still be given in all planning applications to whether any opportunities are present and if not, the reasons why should be clearly outlined in the planning application.

Habitats and species

4.14 Hampshire and its neighbouring Authorities have a wealth of wildlife habitats including chalk grassland, heathland, ancient woodland, chalk rivers, old meadows, wetlands and coastal habitats, and species of plants and animals which are considered internationally, nationally or locally rare or important⁴⁵.

4.15 A significant proportion of these habitats and species are safeguarded by national nature conservation legislation. Designated sites that are part of the national sites network and Ramsar sites are given the highest level of statutory protection, in accordance with the Habitats Regulations⁴⁶. National planning policy protects important habitats and species at all levels of public administration requiring local authorities to 'take a strategic approach to maintaining and enhancing networks of habitats and green infrastructure; and plan for the enhancement of natural capital'⁴⁷.

4.16 Internationally important designated sites and species include:

• Special Protection Areas (SPAs) - Sites and species protected in accordance with the Habitats Regulations;
• Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) - Habitats and species protected in accordance with the Habitats Regulations;
• Ramsar sites - Protected important wetland habitats in accordance with the Ramsar convention; and,
• ‘European Protected Species’ - As listed in the EU Habitats Directive Annex IV.

4.17 SPAs, SACs and Ramsar sites are given the highest level of statutory protection, in that generally, development cannot be permitted if it may negatively affect the integrity of the sites, in accordance with the Habitats Regulations. All candidate or potential sites, and sites supporting off-site habitat for nearby SPA/SAC/Ramsar sites, are given the same protection as fully designated sites. With respect to Mottisfont Bats SAC, bat foraging and commuting habitat within a 7.5km radius of the SAC boundary require consideration as part of any proposal for minerals and waste development in this area. In relevant catchment areas, development proposals must also consider the potential for nutrient pollution (see also Policy 8(d) (Water management)).

4.18 Development which is likely to have an adverse impact upon European Protected Species can only be permitted where it is judged to have no satisfactory alternative, there are strong overriding reasons of public interest, and that the conservation status of the species can be maintained.

4.19 Nationally important designated sites and species in the Plan area include:

• Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs);
• National Nature Reserves (NNRs);
• Local Nature Reserves (LNRs) (where they correspond with SSSIs);
• Species of animal and plant listed in the schedules of the Wildlife and Countryside Act (1981) (as amended), section 41 of the Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act (2006), International Union for Conservation of Nature Red lists, and the Badger Act 1992; and,
• Ancient Woodland.

4.20 The two National Parks also have statutory purposes which include conserving and enhancing their wildlife. Relevant authorities are required to take into account any work which may affect these areas.

4.21 Authorities have a duty to protect and enhance the features for which sites are designated. The presence of such a site within or adjacent to a minerals or waste proposal may constrain the type and scale of development where the designated features of interest may be impacted. Additionally, many species are protected by legislation, from impacts such as killing and injuring, and this is a material consideration for any planning decision.

4.22 Hampshire and its neighbouring Authorities also include other sites, habitats, and species of local interest which are extremely important in maintaining a high level of biodiversity. These include (within the Plan area):

• Local wildlife sites, known within the Plan area as either Sites of Importance for Nature Conservation (SINC) or County Wildlife Sites (CWS) – identified locally and given regard under national policy.
• Habitats and species listed that are legally protected or otherwise notable within Hampshire or given regard by the Hampshire Authorities' Biodiversity Action Plans including:
  • Species or habitats with national or county rarity and scarce status; and
  • LNRS Priority Species.
• Local Nature Reserves.

4.23 These sites, habitats, and species form networks that support a robust and healthy natural environment and are recognised by local designations or by national policy. These are often essential in meeting regional and local biodiversity priorities and objectives. As a priority, such habitats should be maintained and included within the design of development unless it is deemed those measures, such as mitigation or compensation are suitable, and biodiversity net gain is achieved. Where relevant, consideration should be given to any local strategies or management plans for the area, such as Forest Plans, and local targets for biodiversity.

4.24 Hampshire’s network of green infrastructure includes an important and extensive network of wildlife rich watercourses, including rivers and streams and their corridors (‘blue infrastructure’) as well as waterbodies, such as ponds and lakes etc. This component of the area’s natural capital provides important linear features and ecological linkages that support the migration of important species.

4.25 Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) is an approach to development that leaves biodiversity in a measurably better state than beforehand. This means protecting existing habitats and ensuring that lost or degraded habitats are compensated for by enhancing or creating habitats that are of greater value to wildlife and people. Though the NPPF requires all development to deliver a net gain in biodiversity, the Environment Act⁴⁸ introduced mandatory 10% biodiversity net gain for most new development, including new infrastructure, in England. This became a requirement in spring 2024 for development under the Town and Country Planning Act 1990. BNG requires planning applicants to observe the mitigation hierarchy and, where applicable, deliver at least 10% gain in biodiversity above the current baseline which has to be maintained for a period of at least 30 years.

4.26 The Natural Environment and Rural Communities (NERC) Act 2006 included a duty on all public authorities to have regard to the conservation of biodiversity. This has been strengthened to reflect the long-term environmental targets that are set under the Environment Act 2021⁴⁹.

4.27 Local Nature Recovery Strategies (LNRSs) have also been introduced by the Environment Act. This new mandatory England-wide system of spatial strategies will establish priorities and map proposals for specific actions to drive nature’s recovery and wider environmental benefits. They are designed as tools to drive more coordinated, practical, and focussed action to help nature. LNRSs will contribute to establishing a national Nature Recovery Network, which aims to achieve a significant increase in biodiversity (and meet Environmental Improvement Plan targets) and provide a focus for a strengthened duty on all public authorities to conserve and enhance biodiversity which has been introduced by the Act. The LNRSs will also guide decision-making on BNG.

4.28 Hampshire County Council has been appointed ‘responsible authority’ for the Hampshire LNRS by the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and therefore is currently preparing the Strategy for the Plan area. The County Council is engaging with its ‘supporting authorities’, landowners and managers, communities and other stakeholders (including agencies/responsible authorities in neighbouring counties) to develop the strategy which, following publication, will be subject to regular review and republishing.

4.29 In a small number of instances, minerals and waste development may result in significant impacts on biodiversity, both directly and indirectly, including through habitat fragmentation, hydrological changes, physical disturbance of important species, and air and water pollution, or there may be a loss of habitat which cannot be avoided or mitigated. In these instances, compensatory habitats will need to be secured in advance of harmful impact arisings to ensure that there is no overall net loss, extent, quality, connectivity or ecological function of habitats or the species which rely on these habitats. Where these habitats form part of a wider network, the compensatory habitats that are provided should be high quality or better habitat of the same type. These should be located within or close to the proposed development to ensure maximum local benefit from these protections. If significant harm cannot be avoided, mitigated against, or adequately compensated for, planning permission will be refused if the need for the development does not outweigh the biodiversity interests at the site. Compensation measures with respect to the National Sites Network and Ramsar sites, and decision making with respect to impacts to these sites, must be considered through the Habitats Regulations Assessment process. Further detail on Habitats Regulations Assessment is set out in ‘Appendix C: Implementation and Monitoring Plan’.

4.30 The Hampshire Authorities will take a consistent approach to its application of the Biodiversity Metric in ensuring Biodiversity Net Gain through minerals and waste development. It is recognised that many quarry restoration developments already achieve a significant exceedance of statutory 10% BNG. As such, the Hampshire Authorities will expect operators to engage at an early pre-application stage to determine if statutory BNG is applicable and what level of BNG can be achieved, which in appropriate circumstances may provide the opportunity for provision of additional biodiversity units that can be traded as off-site BNG for other developments. The early delivery of biodiversity enhancements prior to development taking place is encouraged to ensure there is no overall net loss, extent, quality, connectivity or ecological function of habitats. Relevant guidance should be applied, where available, particularly in relation to minerals development and the application of the Metric. The restoration of quarries and waste developments is considered in more detail in the section on 'Restoration of minerals and waste developments'.

4.31 Impacts can be both positive and negative as well as being short, medium, or long-term, all of which are important in the consideration of the overall impact of a development. For example, minerals development may have a short-term negative impact as the mineral is extracted. On the other hand, it may have a positive impact in the long-term through providing a restoration scheme that makes a positive contribution to overall biodiversity, and local landscape strategies such as Forest Plans. Development should be located or designed to avoid impacts on protected species, habitats, and sites. In addition, the design and restoration of sites may give opportunities for the creation or enhancement of habitats, or the species which rely on these habitats, particularly where these can be linked to climate resilience. Habitats and species should be maintained and included within the design of development unless it is deemed those other measures such as mitigation or compensation are suitable. This is considered in more detail in the section on 'Design, construction and operation of minerals and waste development'.

4.32 It is important that decisions concerning minerals and waste development should consider all potential impacts (including in combination, impacts with other plans, programmes, or projects) on habitats and species both within and outside Hampshire and measures should be taken to avoid, mitigate, or compensate any impacts identified. Consideration should be given to the resilience of habitat features and protected species to future climate scenarios as well as River Basin Management Plans and relevant policies in the South Marine Plan, where relevant. Reference should also be made to Mitigation Strategies prepared by Local Planning Authorities dealing with recreational displacement, such as the Solent Recreation Mitigation Strategy.

Landscape and countryside

4.33 There is a diverse range of landscapes in Hampshire. Hampshire’s landscape and countryside is exceptional in terms of the national significance of its built, natural, and historic environment. National planning policy requires Local Planning Authorities to protect and enhance valued landscapes and maintain the ‘character of the undeveloped coast, while improving public access to it where appropriate'⁵⁰.

Nationally protected landscapes

4.34 The term “nationally protected landscapes” refers collectively to National Parks and National Landscapes (formerly referred to as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONBs)). National planning policy gives great weight 'to conserving and enhancing landscape and scenic beauty in National Parks, the Broads and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty which have the highest status of protection in relation to these issues’⁵¹.

4.35 The New Forest and South Downs National Parks are the most recent National Parks to receive designation in England. The three National Landscapes in the Plan area are Chichester Harbour, Cranborne Chase and West Wiltshire Downs, and the North Wessex Downs National Landscapes⁵². Together, these nationally protected landscapes cover nearly 40% of the Plan area.

4.36 The National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949 and the Countryside and Rights of Way (CRoW) Act 2000, as amended by Section 245 of the Levelling Up and Regeneration Act (LURA) 2023, require all relevant authorities (including statutory undertakers, decision makers and other public bodies) to seek to further the purposes of the National Parks and National Landscapes, respectively.

4.37 The primary purposes of National Park designation are:

• Purpose 1: To conserve and enhance the natural beauty, wildlife and cultural heritage of the area.
• Purpose 2: To promote opportunities for the understanding and enjoyment of the special qualities of the National Parks by the public.

4.38 If there is a conflict between the two purposes, then the first takes precedence as per the Sandford Principle⁵³. In pursuit of these purposes, the Government has also placed a corresponding duty upon National Park Authorities to seek to foster the economic and social wellbeing of the local communities within the National Park.

4.39 The primary purpose of National Landscape designation is conserving and enhancing the natural beauty of the area.

4.40 The statutory purposes of nationally protected landscapes will be upheld when considering minerals and waste developments. In addition, the findings and proposals of the Glover Review⁵⁴ will be taken into account when assessing minerals and waste developments and their potential for impact on National Parks and National Landscapes.

4.41 Minerals can only be worked where they are found. In Hampshire, some of the most important minerals (such as oil and gas and soft sand) are found in nationally protected landscapes. Accordingly, major minerals and waste development (as referenced in Policy 4 (2 and 3)) in these areas will be rigorously examined and should only take place when it can be sufficiently demonstrated that there are exceptional circumstances and the need for the development is in the public interest. If sufficiently demonstrated, the scale and extent of development should be limited to what can be successfully integrated within the landscape and deliver opportunities for the recovery of landscape character.

4.42 All minerals and waste development is defined by the Town and Country Planning (Development Management Procedure) Order 2015 as major development. This includes small-scale waste management facilities, although these facilities may not be considered strategic for the purpose of Policy 26 (Safeguarding – waste infrastructure).

4.43 In nationally protected landscapes – and when implementing Policy 4 (2 and 3) - it will need to be determined whether development would constitute “major development” for the purposes of Paragraph 183 and footnote 64 of the 2023 NPPF. This will include considerations in relation to the character, nature, scale, and setting of development, and whether development could have a potential significant adverse impact on the purposes for which the National Park or National Landscape has been designated or defined. In terms of a National Park, this relates to its natural beauty, wildlife, cultural heritage, and recreational opportunities; and for a National Landscape, this relates to its natural beauty (including wildlife and cultural heritage), distinctive character, and remote and tranquil nature. The potential for significant impacts on the National Parks and National Landscapes will be dependent on the individual characteristics of each case and should be clearly addressed in the Major Development Assessment – see ‘Appendix C - Implementation and Monitoring Plan’.

4.44 The impact of minerals and waste development on the landscape of National Parks and National Landscapes will need to be assessed, and this assessment will need to be undertaken in accordance with the Guidelines for Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment (GLVIA)⁵⁵ to determine potential landscape and visual effects, and appropriate mitigation. Consideration must be given to relevant National Character Areas (NCAs) and their profiles⁵⁶, the Landscape Character Assessments (LCAs) for the nationally protected landscapes, and any local LCAs which have been prepared by Local Planning Authorities (LPAs) and other relevant bodies in and adjacent to Hampshire. These have been complemented by the Hampshire Integrated Character Assessment⁵⁷, which provides a strategic overview. Furthermore, consideration should be given to important views of, from, and within nationally protected landscapes when assessing any potential impacts and any local designations.

4.45 Development in nationally protected landscapes may also be defined as being within the countryside, and so Policy 5 (Protection of the countryside and valued landscapes) will need to be considered in conjunction with Policy 4, as appropriate.

Countryside and valued landscapes

4.46 The landscape outside the defined settlement boundaries is defined as countryside, and those areas of countryside which are not protected by national landscape designations can also be locally important and highly valued⁵⁸, i.e. Areas of Special Landscape Quality. Although “valued landscapes” are not defined by national policy, the value of a landscape can be determined through the considerations of landscape quality (condition), scenic quality, rarity, representativeness, conservation interests, recreational value, role in separating / protecting the identity of individual settlements, and perceptual aspects and associations⁵⁹. “Valued landscapes” can also be identified within nationally protected landscapes. For local designations, the valued attributes may not be called ‘special qualities’ and are more likely to be found within landscape studies which form part of a local plan evidence base or within a local plan.

4.47 It is important that development proposals within the countryside respect the distinctive qualities of local landscape character types and areas. As with Policy 4 (Nationally Protected Landscapes), consideration must be given to relevant NCAs and their profiles and any local LCAs which have been prepared by LPAs and other relevant bodies in and adjacent to Hampshire. These have been complemented by the Hampshire Integrated Character Assessment which provides a strategic overview. National policy states that the intrinsic character and beauty of the countryside should be recognised, alongside the wider benefits from natural capital and ecosystems⁶⁰.

4.48 Minerals and waste developments, even though they may be temporary, can have negative landscape and visual impacts on the proposed development site, its surroundings, and the routes to the site.

4.49 Development should be assessed as part of a Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment (LVIA) or a Landscape Appraisal⁶¹ to ensure potential negative impacts on the wider countryside setting are understood and appropriately addressed or mitigated.

4.50 Most mineral developments are tied to countryside locations as this is where most unsterilised viable mineral deposits are available. Other activities essential for supplying minerals are also located in the countryside including on-shore oil and gas fields and brickworks with their associated clay workings.

4.51 Some waste uses, such as large-scale facilities requiring an open site are difficult to accommodate in urban areas. Waste uses and other minerals developments that are not specifically linked to the natural occurrence of a mineral should be located in urban areas. However, this is not always feasible on amenity grounds.

4.52 Appropriately managed minerals and waste development is important to support employment and provision of services in rural areas (including more sustainable energy supplies). However, it is recognised that the design and operation of a development will need to minimise noise and light pollution, especially in tranquil and dark sky locations (see ‘Protecting public health, safety amenity and well-being’).

4.53 The countryside⁶² is an important resource for public access and recreation for Hampshire’s communities, as well as surrounding communities and can play an important role in supporting natural capital and ecosystem services. Minerals and waste development can be related to some countryside activities. For example, it can be associated with exploiting or processing a source of material derived from the countryside or agricultural activities. The development may provide benefits for rural communities such as enhanced public access and recreational opportunities, especially as part of the restoration of minerals or waste developments.

4.54 Public rights of way, common land, and access land can significantly contribute to the well-being of society and provide significant access to nature and to the countryside. Where minerals or waste developments are located close to or would directly impact a statutory public right of way, measures should be put in place to protect and enhance the network. Where diversions are necessary, to ameliorate visual and environmental disbenefits, the route (for a temporary or permanent period, as appropriate) should provide mitigation for potential adverse effects (for example, planted buffer strips).

4.55 Where minerals and waste sites are located close to, or would directly impact upon, a permissive path the use of this route for public access should be considered as part of any planning application together with proportionate mitigation measures. Permissive paths do not carry the same weight as definitive public rights of way.

4.56 Some minerals and waste developments in Hampshire have specific restoration conditions associated with their planning permissions to ensure that the site is restored in the event of its closure or at the end of minerals and waste activities. This is to ensure ‘non-conforming’ developments or developments that may contaminate the land (or both) are not left for future generations to deal with. This includes Hampshire’s three energy recovery facilities. The restoration of minerals and waste developments can lead to enhanced public access and additional recreation uses, providing benefits for rural communities. In particular, the restoration stage of developments can lead to enhanced public access and recreational opportunities. The restoration of quarries and waste developments is considered in the section on 'Restoration of minerals and waste developments'.

4.57 The design of minerals and waste development is considered in more detail in the section on ‘Design, construction and operation of minerals and waste development'.

4.58 Specific consideration will also be given to accessible and historic landscapes including:

• parks and gardens open to the public, country parks, National Trust or English Heritage land and properties, Woodland Trust or Forestry Commission woodland, rights of ways, access land and common land; and
• heritage assets and their settings, such as Registered Parks and Gardens, assets on the Hampshire Gardens Trust register, Listed Buildings and Scheduled Monuments.

4.59 Any relevant local plan policies, local or community landscape character assessments or community-led planning initiatives (i.e., neighbourhood development plans and/or village design statements) and Mitigation Strategies dealing with recreational displacement should be considered when determining the potential impacts of minerals and waste developments.

South West Hampshire Green Belt

4.60 There are a number of largely undeveloped open areas between settlements in Hampshire which help protect the distinctness of urban areas. Hampshire has one Green Belt, located in the south-west of the county (the South West Hampshire Green Belt). This has been designated to contain development pressures from the Bournemouth urban area⁶³. There is a history of mineral working and waste developments located in the Green Belt.

4.61 In addition, there are a number of Strategic and Local Gaps designated in Local Development Plans for their role in providing for the separation of settlements. These areas are often located in sensitive landscapes important to the setting of settlements.

4.62 National planning policy requires Local Planning Authorities 'to plan positively to enhance their beneficial use, such as looking for opportunities to provide access; to provide opportunities for outdoor sport and recreation; to retain and enhance landscapes, visual amenity and biodiversity; or to improve damaged and derelict land'⁶⁴.

4.63 Mineral extraction is not considered to be inappropriate in the Green Belt provided that it preserves the openness of the Green Belt and does not conflict with the purposes of including land in the Green Belt. This is because it is a temporary use and should continue to contribute to the separation of settlements and should not conflict with the purposes of including land in the Green Belt⁶⁵.

4.64 National planning policy also recognises the particular locational needs of some types of waste management facilities when defining detailed Green Belt boundaries and in determining planning applications⁶⁶. It indicates that these locational needs, together with the wider environmental and economic benefits of sustainable waste management, are material considerations that should be given significant weight in determining whether proposals should be given planning permission.

4.65 Limited infilling or the partial or complete redevelopment of previously developed land, whether redundant or in continuing use (excluding temporary buildings), which would not have a greater impact on the openness of the Green Belt than the existing development⁶⁷ and do not conflict with the purposes of including the land within it⁶⁸, may be permitted where the openness and the purposes of the Green Belt are not greatly impacted.

4.66 The disposal of waste can play a part in the restoration of mineral workings and may therefore be acceptable in the Green Belt. Restoration may provide opportunities to enhance beneficial use of the Green Belt. Restoration is considered in more detail in the section on 'Restoration of minerals and waste developments'.

4.67 The development of permanent waste facilities would be judged on the locational needs of the development. This, together with the wider environmental and economic benefits of sustainable waste management, are material considerations that should be given significant weight in determining whether proposals should be given planning permission. The same approach is also adopted for mineral workings and permanent waste development in Strategic or Local Gaps, where appropriate.

4.68 Planning Practice Guidance outlines the factors which need to be taken into consideration when determining the potential impact of development on the openness of the Green Belt⁶⁹. This include, but are not limited to:

• ‘openness is capable of having both spatial and visual aspects – in other words, the visual impact of the proposal may be relevant, as could its volume;
• the duration of the development, and its remediation – taking into account any provisions to return land to its original state or to an equivalent (or improved) state of openness; and
• the degree of activity likely to be generated, such as traffic generation.’

4.69 It is recognised that there are particular locational needs for some types of waste management uses which may lead to the need to locate such facilities in the Green Belt. In such instances, these locational requirements need to be given significant weight together with wider environmental and economic factors. The construction of new permanent minerals or waste buildings is not considered to be appropriate within the Green Belt.

Historic environment and heritage assets

4.70 Minerals and waste development can play a positive role in promoting archaeological investigations and protecting heritage assets including the record of historically or architecturally significant buildings.

4.71 Hampshire has a rich and diverse historic environment. Its heritage assets range from conservation areas and individual artefacts to historic sites, buildings, settlements, landscapes, parks, and gardens. The Plan area includes designated heritage assets (such as listed buildings, conservation areas, scheduled monuments and historic parks and gardens) and non-designated heritage assets. Collectively, they contribute significantly to a sense of place and local identity and are irreplaceable. It is important to conserve all heritage assets in a manner appropriate to their significance and to ensure that an adequate record is made of any asset or site that is by necessity, destroyed, damaged, or altered, and to ensure that archaeological knowledge is preserved for future generations.

4.72 The historic environment covers all aspects of the environment resulting from the interaction between people and places through time, including all surviving physical remains of past human activity, whether visible, buried or submerged as well as landscaped and planted or managed flora.

4.73 Information on non-designated heritage assets can be found on the Historic Environment Record (HER) held by the relevant Local Planning Authority and via any local lists they maintain.

4.74 However, it is also recognised that minerals and waste developments can have an adverse impact, whether damaging or in the case of extraction of archaeological remains, more fully destructive. Where the public benefits of development outweigh the significance of the heritage assets, archaeological recording is required to record and make available the results of archaeological excavation and study, through the Historic Environmental Record and other public arenas, as appropriate, as a public good.

4.75 National planning policy identifies the conservation of such heritage assets as one of the core land-use planning principles that underpin both plan-making and decision-taking; it states that heritage assets should be conserved in a manner appropriate to their significance, so that they can be enjoyed for their contribution to the quality of life by existing and future generations⁷⁰.

4.76 Any decision on planning applications for minerals and waste development should be informed by an assessment, proportionate to the circumstances, of any impacts on the historic environment. This should include an appropriate level of field investigation if necessary. Where relevant, consideration should be given to policies in the South Marine Plan.

4.77 There may be previously unidentified archaeological deposits and features present in proposed minerals and waste sites. Further archaeological investigations will be required in areas of interest prior to development. Heritage issues that need to be considered may require prior investigation (including pre-determination evaluation fieldwork) and mitigation measures before and during development, including methods of working and/or the design of the scheme, which take these into account. Minerals or waste developments will be considered on their merits, assessing the suitability of the proposal, taking into account any suggested mitigation measures, including the potential benefits of mineral development for archaeology (such as through the preservation of identified remains).

4.78 Nationally important heritage assets located or discovered on sites proposed for minerals and waste development should be preserved as part of the development, other than in wholly exceptional circumstances.

4.79 Minerals and waste proposals should take into account impacts of extraction on the water table and the potential to impact heritage assets such as water-logged archaeological remains (see section on ‘Water management’).

4.80 The restoration of quarries and waste developments can be used to improve accessibility to the historic environment but can also assist in maintaining or improving the setting of heritage assets (such as a scheduled monument, listed building or designed landscape). This may include circumstances where the setting requires repairing historic landscape character. Also, restoration schemes may include further work linked with the interpretation of finds from archaeological investigations, improved access to historic sites, and / or publicising the results of archaeological investigations. This is considered in more detail in the section on 'Restoration of minerals and waste developments'.

Water management

4.81 Hampshire is heavily influenced by its water sources and there are many streams, rivers, lakes and reservoirs throughout the Plan area.

4.82 Many of the area’s rivers are associated with extensive reaches of gravel and sand bed material associated with a dynamic, meandering, or divided channel and active erosion and sediment deposition features.

4.83 Hampshire is also heavily dependent on its groundwater for water supply. The area benefits from a number of main river catchments including some that are of international nature conservation and cultural value. Hampshire chalk streams and rivers are a unique and rare worldwide. They need to be protected from the risk of low water flow when water is abstracted for waste processes. Water in aquifers is also limited and needs to be protected from over abstraction and contamination. High levels of nitrogen and phosphorus in the water environment are significant challenges to address.

4.84 In 2016, 82% of water in the Plan area’s rivers, streams and lakes failed to reach ‘good’ ecological status (as defined by the EU Water Framework Directive) compared with 86% in the UK. To ensure compliance with the Water Framework Directive, minerals and waste development must not cause any adverse impact on local water bodies.

4.85 The Water Framework Directive (2000/60/EC) (WFD) provides the framework for ensuring surface and ground water is protected and to achieve good qualitative and quantitative status for all water bodies. Mineral development can have significant impacts on not only flooding and water quality but also water quantity. To ensure compliance with the WFD, development must not cause any unacceptable impact on water resources.

4.86 Planning applications should be supported by a Hydrological and Hydrogeological Risk Assessment which evaluates the impact on surface and groundwater from the proposed operations. Modelling may be required to support a new quarry proposal or extension to satisfy Environment Agency requirements. A management scheme will need to be agreed for the construction, operation and restoration phases of development

4.87 Proposals for mineral development must take into account the need to protect water resources. In assessing proposals, the Authorities will consider the risk of flooding (Policy 12 (Flood risk and prevention)) and, where relevant, surface water and groundwater issues. All development must consider the need to protect the flow and quality of surface and groundwater resources. Developments will only be permitted if they are unlikely to have an unacceptable impact on water resources. Dewatering may require prior approval through the issuing of an Environment Agency abstraction licence. The impacts of de-watering on heritage assets should also be taken into account (see section on ‘Historic environment and heritage assets’).

4.88 An undeveloped 8 metres (Southern Region Land Drainage and Sea Defence Bylaws)⁷¹ is required on both sides of a main river⁷². This will help promote strong and resilient ecosystems, green and blue infrastructure links, water quality standards and human health and well-being (pleasant amenity space).

4.89 Proposals within the Bedhampton Springs to Havant Karstic Zone, as defined by the Source Protection Zone 1 and 1C, will need to undertake specific assessment in relation to water quality and infiltration due to the risks associated with karstic features. This should be undertaken in consultation with Portsmouth Water and the Environment Agency. Consideration will also need to be given to achieving nutrient neutrality where relevant minerals and waste development proposals are located within catchments identified by Natural England, as these may disturb and mobilise nutrients locked within the soil or add to nutrient levels through construction and operational processes. Therefore, development should ensure that impacts of nutrients on designated sites are assessed and avoided/mitigated where appropriate (see Policy 3 (Protecting habitats and species) and section ‘Liquid waste and waste-water management’).

4.90 Planning applications should be supported by a risk assessment which evaluates the impact to surface and groundwater from the proposed operations. This should include consideration of local karst features in the chalk, the potential enhanced fracture connectivity to local groundwater abstractions and impacts on groundwater quality. Modelling may be required to support a new quarry proposal or extension to satisfy Environment Agency requirements. A management scheme will need to be agreed for the construction, operation and restoration of the proposals.

4.91 All minerals and waste proposals must include measures to ensure the achievement of both no deterioration and improved ecological status of all waterbodies within the site and/or hydrologically connected to the site. This should include consideration of the ecological health of affected riverine, riparian and aquifer water bodies. Where relevant a Hydrogeological/Hydrological Risk Assessment will be required to demonstrate the effects of the proposed development on the groundwater environment and how these may be mitigated to an acceptable level. Such assessments should include a consideration of impacts on near-by abstraction licences; risk to the principal aquifer; cumulative impacts of the neighbouring quarry sites; groundwater quality in relation to impacts on neighbouring potable abstractions and adjacent waste sites; and monitoring. Where relevant, consideration should also be given to the policies in the South Marine Plan.

Soils

4.92 Hampshire’s rich and diverse range of soils has developed over the last 10,000 years, influenced by the gradual evolution of land management practices. Most of Hampshire’s soil resources are associated with agricultural land and almost 60% of graded agricultural land in Hampshire is considered to be ‘best and most versatile (BMV) agricultural land’⁷³. Soils with a lower economic value can have a high value for biodiversity. The soils associated with ancient woodland, heathland and meadow grassland are extremely valuable. They all perform a range of essential functions which underpin Hampshire’s environment, society and economy.

4.93 Soils are an important resource not least for their carbon capture potential. They are vulnerable to various modern-day pressures which can destroy them in relatively short periods of time. National planning policy states that plans, and decision should recognise the wider benefits from natural capital and ecosystem services which soils provide including the ‘economic and other benefits of the best and most versatile agricultural land’⁷⁴. That guidance is supported by the Department of environment, food and rural affairs (Defra) Soil Strategy⁷⁵ which identifies three main threats to soil quality – erosion by wind and rain, compaction and organic matter decline. Additionally, soil loss can occur through development including minerals and waste development. It is important that there is no net loss in the quality of Hampshire’s soils, so the Defra Code of Practice for Soils Use on Construction Sites⁷⁶ and the Institute for Quarrying’s Good Practice Guide for Handling Soils in Mineral Workings⁷⁷ should be applied to all development proposals.

4.94 Soil issues are particularly relevant for mineral development as extraction usually involves disturbing land and soils over large areas. Minerals and waste development can also provide opportunities for the protection, recycling, recovery or enhancement of soils or soil substitutes. For example, the production of recycled and secondary aggregate can reduce the need to extract land-won aggregates thus reducing the potential impact on soils. In addition, waste developments such as composting and anaerobic digestion may provide opportunities to produce a product which may help to enhance soils.

4.95 Where it is necessary for minerals and waste development to be located on agricultural land, or other land with soil resources, it will be expected that proposals submit an Agricultural Land Classification Assessment and, wherever possible, the development should be located on poorer quality agricultural land. If time-limited development has to be located on BMV agricultural land:

• the affected land should be restored to BMV agricultural land if possible, and at least the grade it had before the development; or
• where possible, an equivalent area of land must be upgraded to BMV agricultural land.

4.96 Minerals and waste development should not result in the needless loss of BMV agricultural land or other quality soil resources. Soils displaced for minerals development must be adequately protected and maintained throughout the life of the development, particularly if a site comprises land that qualifies as BMV agricultural land (agricultural land classification grades 1, 2 and 3a). Minerals and waste development should safeguard the long-term potential of BMV agricultural land and secure the sustainable use of soils as a resource for the future recognising that achieving the required land quality can take time. Monitoring of soils may be necessary to ensure the final quality is attained. The protection of soils will need to be considered in detail for restoration and aftercare schemes on agricultural land.

4.97 Protection and management of soils will also have a key role in the restoration of habitats removed or disturbed during development. Mitigation must aim to minimise soil disturbance and to retain as many ecosystem services as possible through careful soil management during the construction process and appropriate soil re-use. Careful consideration of the soil profile (including the substrate), the reuse of existing soils, and the potential use of waste products such as silt or clay, particularly where heathland creation is proposed, is critical to successful delivery of restoration objectives (see Policy 10 (Restoration of minerals and waste developments)). Further detail is set out in ‘Appendix C: Implementation and Monitoring Plan’.

4.98 Soils also form a critical part in adapting to and mitigation of climate change. It both emits carbon dioxide into the atmosphere and absorbs it from the atmosphere (see section on 'Climate change'). The restoration of minerals and waste development, and the contribution it can make to mitigating climate change, is considered in more detail in the section on 'Restoration of minerals and waste developments'. Aggregates and soils contribute to the construction, demolition, and excavation waste stream in Hampshire. Recycling of soils is encouraged, and this is considered in the section on 'Construction, demolition and excavation wastes'.

Restoration of minerals and waste developments

4.99 Effective restoration and long-term aftercare of minerals and waste development is integral to all mineral extraction and landfill development in Hampshire. Extracting minerals and landfilling are long-term land uses, but they are only temporary developments. It is critical that restoration and aftercare of the site is carefully planned and maintained to ensure that local communities and the environment receive maximum benefit after the development has been completed. This approach is reinforced in national planning policy which states that Local Planning Authorities should 'provide for restoration and aftercare at the earliest opportunity to be carried out to high environmental standards, through the application of appropriate conditions'⁷⁸.

4.100 Once mineral extraction and landfilling have been completed, a site may be returned to the former land use or to a number of different 'after-uses'. The restoration of minerals and waste sites will usually involve the removal of buildings, plant and equipment and may include the decontamination of land prior to restoration, depending on the type of development. The Hampshire Authorities will continue to ensure that all mineral extraction sites and landfill sites are restored to beneficial after-uses which are in keeping with the local area’s historic environment, biodiversity, landscape, communities and provide net gains for biodiversity.

4.101 Restoration is a key area where positive benefits can be achieved through minerals and waste development. Hampshire already has a number of good examples of former minerals and landfill sites which have been successfully restored for the benefit of the wider environment, local communities and the local economy. They include the Ringwood and Frith End quarries, which both won restoration awards recognising the restoration of the sites for nature conservation and their contribution to biodiversity⁷⁹.

4.102 The restoration of other minerals and waste developments must also be considered. This includes the restoration of time-limited minerals and waste sites which include built infrastructure following the completion of their use. This will include development such as energy recovery facilities and landfill gas utilisation or leachate treatment systems. The restoration of mineral extraction sites and waste sites can provide benefits for local communities by creating leisure and amenity opportunities, as well as greater public access to the natural environment and historic environment⁸⁰.

4.103 The nature of restoration activity depends on the choice of after-use, which is influenced by a variety of factors including:

• the aspirations of the landowner(s) and the local community;
• the present characteristics of the site and its environs;
• area strategies (such as biodiversity priorities, nature improvement strategies, green and blue infrastructure strategies, river basin management plans and any landscape planning guidance);
• the nature, scale and duration of the proposed development; and
• the availability and quality of soil resources.

4.104 Restoration, aftercare and after-use will usually seek to assure that the land is restored to a level of quality at least equivalent to that which it was prior to development commencing. Restoration schemes should provide for:

• Net environmental gain through the enhancement of the quality, connectivity, and character of the landscape, local environment or the setting of historic assets to the benefit of the local or wider community; and
• Measures to achieve biodiversity net gain, in accordance with relevant legislation, policy, and guidance, and which is for the avoidance of doubt over and above those measures designed to mitigate or compensate for negative effects will be required by a planning application, whatever the proposed after-use of the site; and
• Opportunities for recovery as set out in relevant Local Nature Recovery Strategies.

4.105 The restoration of mineral extraction and landfill sites should, alongside the provision of net gains for biodiversity (considered in more detail under Policy 3 (Protection of habitats and species)), include at least one of the following aims subject to its financial viability and the suitability and deliverability of the site to incorporate restoration aims:

• Improved public access to the natural environment through the creation of enhanced access as well as leisure and amenity opportunities. This may include the creation of green spaces (such as parks, woods, etc), improvements to the Public Highway network including provision of additional footways and cycle routes, provision of sites for other recreational uses and the provision of environmental education facilities.
• Creation of habitats for wildlife and enhanced biodiversity to improve the natural environment, improve biodiversity and habitat connectivity and deliver biodiversity gains to degraded habitats and deliver biodiversity gains to help reverse habitat degradation, as appropriate, taking into account the need for climate resilience measures, which may include consideration of:
  • relevant Local Nature Recovery Strategies;
  • the provision of green infrastructure;
  • designated site conservation objectives;
  • Nature Improvement Areas (NIAs);
  • Biodiversity Opportunity Areas (BOAs and Ecological Network sites); and
  • any other local biodiversity targets linked to ongoing management.
• Contribute to relevant local objectives such as:
  • National Park and National Landscape Management Plans;
  • Forest Plans;
  • Recreation Management Strategies; and
  • Species Conservation Strategies.
• Reinstatement, restoration, or enhancement of the landscape character of the area. Restoration must be in keeping with the landscape character of the wider areas as well as the setting. Restoration schemes should contribute to the purposes of the New Forest and South Downs National Parks, where appropriate.
• Improve accessibility of the historic environment by interpreting finds from archaeological investigations, improved access to historic sites, and / or publicising the results of archaeological investigations. Restoration can also provide opportunities to enhance areas of the historic environment in some instances, by improving the setting of buildings and monuments.
• Provide for adaptation or mitigation of impacts of climate change including opportunities for water storage and management, flood water storage, the creation of new areas of vegetation and habitats to absorb carbon, peat restoration and mitigate the impacts of sea level rise and the provision of green spaces to help with ‘urban cooling’. Improvement to habitats and biodiversity may allow for the creation of green corridors which can help link important habitats whilst also playing a role in mitigating and adapting to climate change. Mitigation and adaptation should be incorporated into restoration schemes wherever possible - see section on 'Climate change'.
• Management of water resources including provision of agricultural reservoirs, public water storage and flood water storage. These may also provide opportunities to mitigate and adapt to climate change.
• Returning the site to agricultural and forestry land to improve the quality of agricultural land and soils in some instances. There will be a preference against restoration to other non-agricultural uses when sites are located on agricultural land, to ensure that Hampshire’s important agricultural land is protected and is not permanently lost.
• Use of the land for grazing, including back-up or amenity grazing.

4.106 Opportunities for the multiple use of restored sites and cross-cutting benefits will be supported, where the multiple uses do not conflict or reduce the effectiveness of other uses, especially those required to meet legal obligations (such as restoring a site to improve biodiversity whilst simultaneously providing recreational use for the public).

4.107 Following the restoration of some minerals or landfill sites there may be instances where the site is developed for other built developments. This may include the provision of open space as part of a wider (non-minerals and waste) development, housing, renewable energy provision (such as West Solar Solent) or other forms of non-minerals and waste development.

4.108 The restoration of minerals and landfill sites should be considered at all stages of the development process and should commence at the earliest opportunity. It should be completed within an acceptable timescale, as set out by the relevant planning permission. The Hampshire Authorities expect phased restoration to take place on all mineral extraction and landfill sites unless it can be effectively demonstrated that this is not appropriate. Phased restoration allows worked land to be restored as extraction or landfilling progresses in other parts of the site. It can also help to offset any impacts of the development on biodiversity and the landscape, as well as helping to enhance local distinctiveness during the life of the development. Where early restoration is not appropriate, all restoration works should commence immediately following the completion of extraction or landfilling. Progress and effectiveness of the restoration will be monitored.

4.109 In a small number of instances, minerals and waste development may result in significant impacts on habitats or there may be a loss of habitat which cannot be avoided or mitigated. In these instances, the provision of new areas of like-for-like habitats as compensatory habitats will be required to ensure that there is no overall net loss of habitats. These should be located either within or close to the proposed development. If significant harm cannot be avoided, mitigated against, or adequately compensated for, planning permission could be refused if the needs for the development do not outweigh the biodiversity interests at the site. The creation and long-term management (aftercare) of compensatory habitats developed as a result of minerals or waste developments will need to be considered as part of the restoration and aftercare schemes for minerals and waste developments, as appropriate. Specific consideration is required on the ability to re-create habitats, and this is an important consideration which must be addressed during the formation of restoration and aftercare schemes. For example, ancient woodland cannot be re-created and there is a presumption against its loss, and habitats such as heathland which are difficult to create and manage long-term. Provision of compensatory habitats is also considered in the section on 'Habitats and species'.

4.110 Where minerals or landfill sites are located close to or affect a public right of way, restoration of minerals and waste sites will need to ensure their protection and take opportunities to enhance the network. This is considered in the section on 'Landscape and countryside'. Consideration should also be given to providing alternative space for recreation and where displacement may impact designated sites (see Policy 3 (Protection of habitats and species) and 4 (Nationally protected landscapes)).

4.111 Some minerals and waste developments in Hampshire have specific planning conditions which ensure that sites are restored in the event of their closure or upon the cessation of minerals and waste activities. This includes Hampshire’s energy recovery facilities. The restoration of other non-conforming developments in the countryside is considered in more detail in the section on 'Landscape and countryside'.

4.112 The restoration of minerals and waste sites within the South West Hampshire Green Belt should take into account beneficial uses of the site. This is considered in more detail in the section on 'South West Hampshire Green Belt'.

4.113 The issue of risk to aircraft from bird-strike is an important consideration which may restrict the location of workings and/or affect the design of restoration schemes. Some areas of open water may be created but careful use of inert fill and other design and engineering techniques can lead to creation of wetland habitats that offer lower bird-strike risk and are also of greater value for biodiversity. Where mineral and waste sites are located in 'bird-strike' zones, their restoration will need to take this into account. This is considered in the section on 'Protecting public health, safety and amenity'. This is of particular importance when designing restoration schemes for biodiversity after-uses. For example, restoration and aftercare at sites located within bird-strike zones should take account of the need for progressive working and restoration to prevent open water bodies becoming bird roosts.

4.114 The restoration and aftercare of quarries and waste sites is also an important part of ensuring high-quality design of minerals and waste developments. The design of minerals and waste developments is considered in more detail in the section on 'Design, construction and operation of minerals and waste development'.

4.115