Opencast Coal (Hansard, 31 March 1999)

§ Mr. Macdonald

The Government's planning policy for opencast coal is being published today in National Planning Policy Guideline 16: Opencast Coal and Related Minerals. This NPPG, which replaces NPPG 4: Land for Mineral Working as the relevant guidance for opencast coal and related minerals, indicates the considerations which planning authorities should take into account in framing development plan policies and in determining planning applications for the extraction of opencase coal and related minerals. NPPG 4 continues to provide policy guidance for all other minerals.

The new guidance takes account of the Ten Point Plan prepared by the Government before the Election, the outcome of the Energy Fuels Review and the responses made to consultation on the draft revised guidance which I announced to the House on 22 October 1998. The guidance ensures that a robust framework is in place to protect communities and the environment from any 798W potential harm caused by proposed opencase coal developments. It will ensure that all proposals are subjected to tough scrutiny and if consent is granted the highest environmental standards will apply.

As a result of the new guidance, planning authorities will need to review existing development plan policies for controlling opencase coal and related mineral extraction. To ensure early action, the Secretary of State is issuing a direction requiring all the relevant planning authorities to prepare and submit an alteration to their structure plan policies to bring them into line with the guidance. The Direction relating to the notification of certain applications to the Secretary of State, issued on 22 October 1998, remains in force, although it will be reviewed once the new guidance is reflected in planning authorities' structure plans.

The Government do not envisage a prohibition on the working of opencast coal. However, NPPG 15 properly puts concern for communities and the environment at the heart of decision making by seeking to apply a sustainable approach in determining where extraction may take place. Full weight should be given 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 benefits of the development proposal to the community would out-weigh the potential harm. The Government look to planning authorities to steer proposals to environmentally acceptable sites and, where necessary, to refuse consent where they judge such developments would not be in the overall best interests of the affected local communities and environment.

A copy of the guidance is being placed in the House Library. Copies are also being widely circulated to those with an interest including planning authorities, the industry and environmental interests.

From 1 July 1999 this will be a matter for the Scottish Parliament.