FOI Request - Mineral Reserves Survey Assessment

Request 101003529859

I would appreciate if you could forward details of the following to me in regard to Moray's Council's most recent Assessment of Sand and Gravel Mineral Reserves:

1.  the date of the most recent assessment;  

2.  the conclusions drawn from that assessment in terms of the adequacy of existing Moray sand and gravel quarries and their assessed ability to meet the future ten-year strategic requirement of adequate sand and gravel reserves;  

3.  if any recent Assessment has been done, but it has not yet been fully concluded on, then can you provide the probable date of the expected assessment conclusion;  

4.  have any pre-planning applications from sand and gravel quarry operators been received by Moray Council?;  

5.  why would these pre-planning applications be ongoing when there has been no definitive conclusion reached yet by the Council in a determination of the adequacy of existing and future sand and gravel reserves over the next ten years;

6.  I note from the Moray Local Development Plan that there are over ten existing sand and gravel quarries operating in the Moray Council area. How many of those have formally indicated to Moray Council that their reserves will extinguish in the next ten years?

7.  given the above comments re the number of other established sand and gravel quarry operations and given the possible as yet unreported outcome of any assessment of  existing strategic reserves, then can I assume that the Council/Planning Committee would not approve any Pre-Planning Applications for a sand and gravel quarry proposal located in a designated CAT area (as defined and set out in Moray Local Development Plan?

Response 02-04-2024

1. December 2023.

2. There is permitted mineral reserves of sand and gravel to September 2033. This means there is currently a shortfall in the required landbank of permitted mineral reserves for sand and gravel.

3. The audit – which is an internal monitoring tool – was completed in December 2023.

4. N/A.

5. The most recent audit was completed in December 2023. Regardless of the conclusion of the audit, the public are entitled to make pre-planning enquiries to the Moray Council as Planning Authority. There is no legislative basis that would prevent submission or determination of pre-application enquiries by the public to Moray Council. Such enquiries are not binding and will be based upon the information available at the time of enquiry.

6. The audit is an internal monitoring tool that is not publicly available due to the commercial sensitivity of its contents. When engaging with operators as part of the audit process, assurances are given by the Council that the information submitted will be treated in the strictest confidence and that it would be used on an internal basis only. However, the planning permissions of all existing sand and gravel quarries – regardless whether they are exhausted or have reserves – will expire within the next ten years.

7. No, as all pre-application enquiries seek only advice and not a formal determination as a formal planning application would. Pre application enquiries would not be subject of committee determination and the circumstances of each may differ when applications are lodged. Even if subsequent formal application were to be considered against such an audit, no conclusion of a unilateral opposition could be given at the this stage in response to an FOI. Planning application cannot be pre-judged and would be assessed on their individual merits.