Derek Deedman

Email to Cllr Derek Deedman from Michael Elkington, Group Manager (Local Policy) for West Sussex County Council (3/10/07)

“I am writing to update you about the current situation regarding the preparation of new planning policy documents for minerals and waste.

Following further discussions with officers from the Government Office for the South East (GOSE), the publication in August of the Panel’s Report on the draft South East Plan, and an analysis of the national and regional situation, it is considered that there are a number of problems and uncertainties that inhibit the preparation of the Minerals and Waste Core Strategy and other documents as originally intended.

Since the decision was made in March 2006 to prepare joint minerals and waste documents, the advice from Government Office for the South Easte about their preparation has changed on a regular basis. Initially, the advice was that the Core Strategy and Strategic Waste Site Allocations should be prepared in parallel. Earlier this year they advised that the work on the waste allocations should be put back until the Core Strategy was found to be ’sound’. The advice now is that ’strategic sites’ (both minerals and waste) should be brought into the Core Strategy thereby potentially negating the need for separate waste and mineral site allocation documents.

Given the current level of uncertainty, a formal decision about the preparation of the Core Strategy and other documents will be made next year through the roll-forward of the statutory management plan, the Minerals and Waste Development Scheme. This will allow us to continue to progress technical work, building upon the work already undertaken and the results of previous consultations. It will also enable us to consider the implications of draft revised Government guidance that should provide clarity about the changes to the planning system outlined in the Planning White Paper this Spring.

I would like to emphasise that the County Council is extremely frustrated by the delay which is due to the evolving ‘interpretation’, by the Government and the Planning Inspectorate, of the implementation of the new planning system. I appreciate that the delay in preparing the new documents will not be welcome news but hope that you understand the reasons behind the decision.

For information, a report about the problems and uncertainties that we face will be taken to the County Council’s Strategic Environmental Services Select Committee on 17 October 2007. The report will be available, including on the County Council’s website, one week before the meeting.

When I wrote to you in July, I outlined our intention to consult this Autumn about broad locations/areas of search for new built waste management facilities. Given the issues outlined above, the informal consultation will not take place and the work will be taken forward next year as part of wider technical working and stakeholder engagement.

I will write to you again next year when the revised programme has been established.”