Chapter 3 -  The situation with Minerals Supply and Sites in Norfolk in 2006

In 2006 almost all the active sites produced sand and gravel, although there are four carstone (a type of sandstone) quarries in West Norfolk producing fill and aggregates. In addition there are two peat workings, four active chalk workings and one major silica sand operation in the County.

Sand and gravel production in 2006 was 2,449,762 tonnes (an increase of 2.85% over the 2005 figure). Production of sand and gravel continues to be well below the high levels of the late 1980s and early 1990s and below the average for the last twenty years of about 2,900,000 tonnes per annum. Carstone production in 2006 was 146,058 tonnes (a decrease of 8.4% from the 2005 figure). This is much lower than the average for the last twenty years of 266,681 tonnes and it is slightly lower than the average for the last ten years (154,955 tonnes). These figures do not provide a complete picture of actual consumption within the County as they do not include imports of material, particularly rock, or exports to other counties.

National and regional guidelines for aggregates provision in England 2001 – 2016 were published in 2003. Work was carried out by the East of England Regional Assembly on sharing out this aggregates provision (called apportionment) between mineral planning authority areas. The apportionment method is based on the production levels for sand and gravel experienced over the ten year period 1992-2001. The Draft Regional Spatial Strategy for the East of England requires Norfolk to maintain a supply of 2,980,000 tonnes of sand and gravel per annum up to 2021. In addition to apportioning the new regional guidelines for sand and gravel, a similar exercise was carried out for crushed rock. The guidelines allow for eight million tonnes over a 16 period, an annual equivalent of 500,000 tonnes in the region. In the East of England there are only two areas producing crushed rock, namely Cambridgeshire/ Peterborough (limestone) and Norfolk (carstone). Norfolk’s apportionment is 200,000 tonnes per annum up to 2021.

At 31 December 2006 Norfolk had permitted reserves of 17,509,000 tonnes of sand and gravel and 2,850,000 tonnes of carstone. Based on the annual apportionment figures, the existing permitted reserves of sand and gravel will last 5.88 years, until late 2012 and permitted carstone reserves will last 14.25 years, until early 2020.

Of the 104 proposed minerals sites contained in this document, 71 are proposed allocations and 33 are proposed areas of search. The proposed allocations are for a total of 80,568,250 tonnes of sand and gravel (27 years supply) and 2,114,000 tonnes of carstone (10.57 years supply). Therefore Norfolk should be able to meet the current annual apportionment figures up to 2021 without requiring all of the proposed mineral site allocations or areas of search.