§ Mr. Home RobertsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what progress he has made on preparing revised planning policy guidance on opencast coal following last year's consultation exercise; and if he will make a statement. [56678]
§ Mr. MacdonaldThe Government are publishing today a consultative draft of proposed new planning policy guidance on opencast coal for Scotland. The proposed revised guidance is intended to supersede the current guidance on opencast coal as set out in National Planning Policy Guideline 4: Land for Mineral Working.
The new guidance sets a more robust framework within which planning authorities must consider all proposals for opencast coal developments. The intention is to ensure that, in considering proposals, full weight is given, in particular, to the effect and potential disturbance on local communities as well as other environmental considerations including nature conservation and the impact on the landscape.
Where a proposal would cause demonstrable harm, the guidance is clear that permission should not be granted except where the benefit of the development proposal to the community clearly outweighs the potential harm.
1166WThe highest environmental standards are expected for all opencast and related mineral operations including timely and sensitive restoration and aftercare of sites. A key feature of the policy is to introduce realistic separation distances between communities and sites for opencast extraction.
To re-inforce this policy, the Secretary of State has today directed that, where planning authorities are minded to grant consent, they should notify him of proposals which fall into a number of defined circumstances. In addition, it is the Secretary of State's intention, once the policy guidance has been finalised, to issue a direction requiring those local authorities where proposals for opencast coal and related minerals occur to review their development plan policies and to report on the action taken within a set timetable.
We believe that the proposals set out in the guidance represent a significantly stronger framework which will ensure that the consideration of opencast coal proposals is consistent with the Government's pre-Election commitments. We look to planning authorities and the opencast industry to work within this new policy context in promoting and approving only environmentally acceptable sites.
A copy of the guidance is being placed in the House Library. Copies are being widely circulated to planning authorities, industry and environmental interests. The proposals are open for consultation until 11 December. We will then take steps to ensure that final guidance is in place early in the new year and well ahead of the elections for the new Scottish Parliament. In the meantime, the Secretary of State expects planning authorities to treat the draft guidance as a material consideration in their assessment of all current and future applications.