Hanson finds Catch-22 in PPS 25
The Environment Agency (EA) is turning the thumbscrews on Hanson over its proposed Earl Barton excavation in Northamptonshire concerning its plan to use “waste” inert material to restore land.
Hanson’s sand and gravel operation sits on a flood plain and the company will need to bring in a large quantity of inert material to restore the site. However, the EA says using infill is “waste disposal” and so conflicts with the flood prevention demands of Planning Policy Statement 25 (PPS 25).
Local residents had complained about the original restoration plans, which included 20hectares of lakes. Hanson trimmed this down to five hectares. But to do so they need to bring in inert material. The whole thing is a bit of a catch-22 says Northamptonshire Development officer Phil Watson.
“There are now serious issues hanging over this application,” he told MQR. “Hanson can use over-burden from the site but this will not account for a great deal of material and leave a large expanse of lakes. But this is something residents do not want.
“Either the EA accepts that some inert is acceptable or there will be a stalemate. It is an issue that really needs to be resolved,” he said.
The site is a preferred option in Northampton’s Minerals and Waste Framework and the application is currently the longest running outstanding planning issue on the Council's books.
Ennstone has just gained permission to extract sand and gravel from a site near the Hanson application area. But as there is little infill needed in the functional floodplain the same issue hasn’t been raised.
