§ Mr. Lathamasked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he proposes to call in the National Coal Board's planning application for a new mine at Asfordby, Leicestershire.
§ Mr. KingI have decided that this application should not be called in. Accordingly, Leicestershire county council has been informed today that it may now determine the application.
In coming to my decision, I have considered the developments since March 1982 when permission to mine the north-east Leicestershire coalfield in accordance with 286W the board's original planning applications was refused. The board's revised proposals show a substantial reduction in the amount of land required for spoil disposal. In addition, working parties have been set up to examine aspects of spoil disposal for the coalfield as a whole, following the recommendations in the March 1982 decision letter concerning the need to explore the possibility of remote disposal of spoil and the question of underground disposal of waste.
While I have concluded that it would not be right either to call in this planning application or to delay a decision on 'call-in until after the working parties have reported, I must emphasise that this decision relates to the Asfordby application alone. I believe that before any planning applications are submitted for any other mines in the northeast Leicestershire coalfield, and without prejudice to the other aspects of any such applications, it is essential that there should be an agreed long-term strategy for spoil disposal. The next step in the development of that strategy will be the publication of the reports of the working parties, which is expected in July of this year. Any strategy will need to be sufficiently flexible to take account of changes in the technology or economics of colliery waste disposal that there may be over the years ahead. In relation to Asfordby, as well as any other proposed mines, I expect the board to take account of any such changes—whether arising from the studies of the working parties or otherwise—which might help to modify the environmental impact of coal mining in this area and in particular to reduce the amount of land taken out of agricultural use at any one time.