(SG) Supplementary Guidance : Minerals (Including Restoration Bonds)

NB: This consultation is now closed.

It was agreed at a meeting of the Development and Transport Policy Development and Scrutiny Panel on 20 June 2019 to consult on new Supplementary Guidance regulating minerals development in West Lothian (including restoration bonds).

Previous Supplementary Planning Guidance (SPG) on the subject of minerals supported the West Lothian Local Plan (now superceded) but guidance now requires to be replaced as the new West Lothian Local Development Plan (LDP) was adopted in September 2018.

Minerals make an important contribution to the economy, providing materials for construction, energy supply and other uses and supporting employment. Minerals may be required as construction materials to support diversification of the energy mix and Planning authorities are required to safeguard mineral resources and facilitate their responsible use.

Given that West Lothian contains minerals resources such as coal, silica sand and secondary aggregate in the form of discarded oil shale in bings which provide an economic resource it is important that the minerals guidance for operators remains up-to-date to respond to proposals for their extraction and after-care of sites.

Supplementary Guidance (SG) is produced by the council in order to explain how particular development plan policies should be applied in practice.

Policy 4 of the Strategic Development Plan (SDP1) for Edinburgh and South East Scotland provides the strategic policy context and supports the references to minerals development in the LDP, specifically policies MRW 1 - MRW 4.

Once approved it is intended that the SG will form part of the statutory supplementary guidance supporting the LDP.