Sand and gravel extraction in Wiltshire

Wiltshire and Swindon Councils have produced a plan for the continued mining of aggregates in the geographical area. The Development Plan Document is called the "Proposed Submission Draft Aggregate Minerals Site Allocation". It was approved by WC on June 26th, and will now go off to be examined by a government inspector.

The amount of extraction is declining, partly because of the wrecked economy but also because the reserve of suitable material is running out. Most of the extraction currently takes place in the upper Thames valley around the Cotswold Water Park on the Gloucestershire borders, and a number of new sites in the area will allow the industry to continue. There are also smaller amounts of sand and gravel taken from the Calne area, and the extreme south of the county in the Avon valley.

Government Civil Servants have decreed that Wiltshire should provide 1.41 million tonnes of aggregate per annum. However the planners are assuming a more realistic figure of 1.2 million tonnes. This figure takes account of the amount required by industry and the comparable figures for past years.

The document itself should eventually appear on the WC website. Meanwhile a report on the background is in the Wiltshire Council agenda at item 8.

Here is the consultation draft document. (The consultation has now closed).