RTPI and RICS support UK Minerals Strategy

CBI Minerals Group and MPA welcome support for strategy from two key stakeholders and urge others to do likewise

THE Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) and the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) have given their formal support to the UK Minerals Strategy.

Launched at the Living with Minerals 6 ‘Securing Minerals for the Next Generation and the UK Minerals Strategy’ conference on 10 July, the Strategy, prepared on behalf of the mineral products industry by the CBI Minerals Group (CBIMG) and the Mineral Products Association (MPA), highlights that UK demand for minerals and mineral products over the next 25 years will be at least 5 billion tonnes, most of which needs to be sourced from within the UK.

John Acres, President of the RTPI, commented: ‘This timely strategy recognizes the critical role of land-use planning in ensuring a steady and adequate supply of minerals, which are essential to realizing the Government’s ambitions for increased housing supply and infrastructure investment.

‘We support the call for proper resourcing within the sector to ensure that our members can develop mineral policies and plans, allocate sites for extraction, process applications and interface effectively with the environmental permitting regime.

‘We also welcome the call for better data to support monitoring and the forecasting of need, and will continue to work collaboratively on the important issue of recruitment, training and retention in the planning sector.’

In a statement, the RICS said: ‘The sector has been asking for greater clarity on mineral assets for some time and the CBI/MPA report is a timely reminder of their importance to our everyday lives. The ‘asks’ for a clear national policy to advise local plan-making and a fully resourced mineral planning system are warranted and should be the starting point for a conversation between the sector, the Government and the public at large.

‘RICS members are actively engaged in the UK minerals sector, as well as all areas of the built and natural environment, and would support such an effort. Given the UK’s needs for housing, infrastructure and economic growth over the next 30 years, it is imperative that there is a greater appreciation of the value of minerals and the most effective ways to plan, extract and use them in the best interests of society.’

The CBI Minerals Group (CBIMG) brings together all land-won extraction interests, including coal and the industrial and construction minerals. The MPA is represented on the group, which it currently chairs.

Nigel Jackson chief executive officer of the MPA and chair of CBIMG, said: ‘It is heartening to see important stakeholders such as the RTPI and the RICS get behind the strategy as many of their members work closely with the industry and understand the issues. We are keen for other professional organizations and key stakeholders to do likewise.’

A copy of the UK Minerals Strategy can be downloaded below.