Minerals Local Plan Background
Document
Ensuring adequate and steady
supply of Industrial and Energy
Minerals
Worcestershire County Council: 15th April 2015
Consultation Document
Document Details
Date: 15th April 2015
Document Location: www.worcestershire.gov.uk/mineralsbackground
Contact: Minerals Planning Policy, Worcestershire County Council, Business,
Environment and Communities, Minerals Planning, County Hall, Worcester, WR5
2NP; Email: [email protected]; Tel: 01905 766374
1. Executive Summary
1.1.
This is a consultation document which is aims to establish an
appropriate approach to ensuring adequate provision of industrial and
energy minerals. It is intended to promote discussion and at this stage it
does not make recommendations relating to which options the council will
pursue.
1.2.
We would like you to consider the following questions in preparing your
comments on this document:
Data quality:
 Is the information on supply, demand and imports and exports
of minerals the best available?
 Are you aware of any more robust or up-to-date data which
could be used for making projections about future provision?
 Can you provide any specific information about production
and/or sales of industrial or energy minerals in
Worcestershire?
If you aware of any better information please include details.
Methods used:
 Do you agree with the methods that have been used to
estimate the level of provision required for each mineral? If
you favour an alternative approach please specify why.
 Are there any other alternatives or evidence we should have
considered?
 Do you think that the 'required level of future provision' is
realistic for Worcestershire?
1.3.
A draft of this report was sent directly to mineral operators and their
representative bodies, members of the West Midlands Regional Aggregate
Working Party and all Mineral Planning Authorities within 45km of
Worcestershire. It was also available on
www.worcestershire.gov.uk/minerals from a period of 12 weeks between
9th October 2012 and 11th January 2013. This version contains a small
number of revisions and updates as a result.
1.4.
A separate report has been prepared to set out how the Council will
approach the issue of the steady and adequate supply of aggregate
minerals.
Approach to estimating required level of future provision for
industrial and energy minerals from Worcestershire
1.5.
In most cases the NPPF does not set out the provision that Mineral
Planning Authorities should make for industrial or energy minerals through
the development plan. The council's approach to estimating required
levels of future provision for industrial and energy minerals from
Worcestershire varies depending on the mineral, but based on the
information the Council is currently aware of:
2





There is no robust methodology for determining need for silica
sand.
Although some types of minerals used in cement manufacturing
are found in Worcestershire, they are not of the necessary quality
to be commercially viable.
Based on the 37 year landbank of existing sites in the County no
specific provision is needed in the Minerals Local Plan for brick
clay.
Brine is not likely to be workable in Worcestershire.
There are limited energy minerals in Worcestershire and with no
national targets or limits set for the provision of coal, oil or gas it
would not be appropriate to set local targets or limits.
3
Contents
1.
Executive Summary ...................................................................................... 2
Approach to estimating required level of future provision for industrial and
energy minerals from Worcestershire ............................................................... 2
2.
Introduction and purpose of the report .......................................................... 6
Purpose of the report ........................................................................................ 6
General approach ............................................................................................. 6
The structure of the report ................................................................................ 6
Consultation questions ..................................................................................... 6
Consultation activities ....................................................................................... 7
3.
Industrial minerals: context ........................................................................... 9
Imports and exports ........................................................................................ 10
4.
Industrial minerals: Provision for silica sand ................................................ 11
Sales of silica sand in Worcestershire ............................................................ 11
Sales from Wildmoor quarry ........................................................................ 12
Sales from Veolia site ................................................................................. 13
Average sales of Silica sand in Worcestershire over the last 10 years........ 13
Approach to estimating required level of future provision for silica sand from
Worcestershire ............................................................................................... 13
5.
Industrial minerals: Provision for cement manufacturing ............................. 14
6.
Industrial minerals: Provision for brick clay ................................................. 15
Supply ............................................................................................................ 15
Approach to estimating required level of future provision for brick clay from
Worcestershire ............................................................................................... 15
7.
Industrial minerals: Provision for salt/brine .................................................. 17
Approach to estimating required level of future provision for salt/brine from
Worcestershire ............................................................................................... 17
8.
Energy Minerals: Context ............................................................................ 18
Imports and exports ........................................................................................ 18
9.
Energy Minerals: Coal ................................................................................. 19
Supply ............................................................................................................ 20
Approach to estimating future requirements for coal ...................................... 20
10.
Energy Minerals: Oil................................................................................. 21
Supply ............................................................................................................ 21
Approach to estimating required level of future provision for oil from
Worcestershire ............................................................................................... 21
11.
Energy Minerals: Gas .............................................................................. 22
Supply ............................................................................................................ 22
Methods for estimating future requirements.................................................... 22
4
Underground Gas and Carbon Storage .......................................................... 23
12.
Conclusion ............................................................................................... 24
5
2. Introduction and purpose of the report
Purpose of the report
2.1.
"Minerals are essential to support sustainable economic growth and our
quality of life. It is therefore important that there is sufficient supply of
material to provide the infrastructure, buildings, energy and goods that the
country needs. However, since minerals are a finite natural resource, and
can only be worked where they are found, it is important to make best use
of them to secure their long-term conservation." (National Planning Policy
Framework, paragraph 142).
2.2.
The purpose of this report is to consider the available evidence in order to
establish the level of provision that should be made for industrial and
energy minerals in the Minerals Local Plan for Worcestershire.
General approach
2.3.
The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) expects Mineral
Planning Authorities to participate with neighbouring authorities in
determining this provision. However no clear mechanism currently exists
to do this.
2.4.
Historically the role of the Regional Aggregate Working Party (RAWP) has
been limited to dealing with aggregate minerals and no equivalent
coordinating body currently operates in the West Midlands for industrial or
energy minerals.
2.5.
It is not clear at present whether any mechanisms will develop in the
future. This report therefore sets out the approaches which could be
pursued by Worcestershire in making provision for industrial minerals
through the Minerals Local Plan.
The structure of the report
2.6.
Sections 3 to 0 of this report consider each of the industrial minerals found
in Worcestershire in turn, outlining past sales data and making projections
about the levels of provision which should be made in the Minerals Local
Plan. Where there are alternative methods that could be used these are
considered and the merits and limitations are outlined.
2.7.
Sections 8 to 0 take a similar approach to energy minerals.
Consultation questions
2.8.
The responses we receive to this document will inform the levels of
provision made for industrial and energy minerals in the emerging
Minerals Local Plan. All comments will be taken into account in developing
a methodology for an "Industrial and Energy Mineral Assessment" for
Worcestershire. It has not yet been decided if this will be for
6
Worcestershire alone or whether this will be undertaken with other
authorities through a co-operative process.
2.9.
The final assessment will need to set out the level of provision that the
Minerals Local Plan will need to make in order to ensure that the County
makes an appropriate contribution to the steady and adequate provision of
industrial and energy minerals for national need.
2.10. We welcome any comments on this document but would specifically like
you to consider the following questions in preparing your comments:
Data quality:
 Is the information on supply, demand and imports and exports
of minerals the best available?
 Are you aware of any more robust or up-to-date data which
could be used for making projections about future provision?
 Can you provide any specific information about production
and/or sales of industrial or energy minerals in
Worcestershire?
If you aware of any better information please include details.
Methods used:
 Do you agree with the methods that have been used to
estimate the level of provision required for each mineral? If
you favour an alternative approach please specify why.
 Are there any other alternatives or evidence we should have
considered?
 Do you think that the 'required level of future provision' is
realistic for Worcestershire?
Consultation activities
2.11.
A draft of this report was sent directly to mineral operators and their
representative bodies and all Mineral Planning Authorities within 45km of
Worcestershire1. It was also made available in parallel to the First Stage
consultation on the new Minerals Local Plan on
www.worcestershire.gov.uk/mineralsbackground for over 12 weeks
between 9th October 2012 and 11th January 2013. This version reflects
comments received and changes in national policy since then.
2.12. All comments should be sent to [email protected] or
addressed to Minerals and Waste Planning Policy, Worcestershire County
Council, Business, Environment and Communities, Minerals Planning,
County Hall, Worcester, WR5 2NP.
1
It is estimated by the Mineral Products Association that it is not economic to transport most
aggregates more that 38km. To reflect the potential influence of market forces a 45km
catchment is considered a reasonable distance of consideration. The Council has no
evidence to suggest that aggregates in the County are being imported or exported from
specific sub-regions beyond this catchment or information on the movement of the industrial
minerals produced in the county.
7
2.13. For further details or to request copies of this document please contact
Rebecca Schofield, 01905 766733 or [email protected]
8
3. Industrial minerals: context
3.1.
Industrial minerals have very varied uses as illustrated in Figure 3.1.
Figure 3.1. Classification of the use of industrial minerals by major market
sector
Source: ODPM BGS (2004): industrial minerals: issues for planning
3.2.
Subtle differences in the properties of industrial minerals can make the
performance of minerals from one deposit quite different from another,
limiting the potential sources of supply for different industrial uses.
3.3.
In addition the intrinsic properties of industrial minerals are often changed
irreversibly in the manufacturing process and therefore minerals that are
valued for their chemical properties can be difficult to recycle. There are
however some exceptions to this; for example all of the ingredients of
glass (silica, soda, lime) are reusable. There are other cases where
natural ingredients are replaceable, for example desulphogypsum from
coal powered fire stations has entirely replaced natural gypsum in
plasterboard manufacture, however there are often wider implications
which need to be considered and this example requires the use of large
quantities of high purity limestone in manufacturing and transfers demand
from one mineral to another.
3.4.
Figure 3.2 shows the relative value of different types of industrial minerals
in England.
9
Figure 3.2 Relative Value of Industrial Minerals in England 2002
Source: ODPM BGS (2004): industrial minerals: issues for planning
3.5.
The following industrial minerals are found in Worcestershire:




silica sand,
minerals for cement manufacturing,
brick clay, and
salt/brine.
Imports and exports
3.6.
Unlike aggregate minerals, many industrial minerals compete in a global
market with either exports being the main market (e.g. kaolin, ball clay and
potash) or domestic production competing with imports (e.g. fluorspar and
cement).
10
4. Industrial minerals: Provision for silica sand
Sales of silica sand in Worcestershire
4.1.
There is very limited data for sales of silica sand in Worcestershire; any
information has been withheld to avoid disclosure of confidential data. 2
However some figures have been published by the Office for National
Statistics (ONS), in the PA 10073 series for sales of Silica sand for
foundry uses. Some of the data is for Worcestershire and Herefordshire
combined. This is the only published official data for Silica sand sales in
these counties. It shows a significant decline, with sales figures in 2010
being over 80% lower than those in 1999.
4
Table 1. Industrial sand (Moulding sand for foundry uses) sales in Herefordshire and
Worcestershire
Sales in Herefordshire and
Worcestershire combined5
17,000t
3,000t
3,000t
Sales in Worcestershire
Not released
2,000t
Year
19996
20107
20118
20129
201310
4.2.
This decline is in line with patterns nationally. Iron founding and
steelmaking have significantly declined in the UK over the last 30 years.
In addition, changes in the specification of the sand needed have
significantly affected demand for silica sand from Worcestershire, as the
2
Mineral extraction in Great Britain 2012 (ONS February 2014)
Annual " Mineral extraction in Great Britain" PA 1007 publication by the Office for National
Statistics
4
This is the only category for which sales of industrial sand are recorded for Worcestershire,
alone or in combination with other counties.
5
In order to protect commercial confidentiality the Office for National Statistics and
Aggregates Working Parties have combined sales figures for some kinds of minerals from the
two counties for many years.
3
6
http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/pa1007/mineral-extraction-in-great-britain/1999/index.html
table 1
7
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/43442/Mineral_
extraction_2010.pdf table 1
8
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/138294/Mineral
_extraction_in_Great_Britain_2011.pdf table 1
9
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/285128/Mineral
_extraction_in_Great_Britain_2012_-_Business_Monitor_PA1007.pdf
10
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/407761/Mineral
_extraction_in_Great_Britain_2013.pdf
11
properties of the silica sand from the Wildmoor Sandstone Formation
cannot be controlled as easily as synthetic foundry sand made by
combining other materials with chemical binders.11
4.3.
Silica sand is currently worked and sold as foundry sand at two sites in
the county12; namely Wildmoor Quarry (formerly John Williams Cinetic
Sand) and Veolia (formerly Stanley N. Evans Ltd) both off the A491
Sandy Lane, Bromsgrove. Although most of the material at these sites is
sold as aggregate (mortar and construction sand)13 one of these sites,
Wildmoor Quarry, states that it sells Silica sand for non-aggregate uses
other than for Foundry sand. Although the Annual Mineral Sales in Great
Britain PA 1007 reports include sales of "Industrial Sand" for "other
industrial uses" and for "agricultural, horticultural and leisure uses" there
is no published data for these sales in Worcestershire.
Sales from Wildmoor quarry
4.4.
An application for planning permission to extend Wildmoor Quarry
(formerly John Williams Cinetic Sand) in 1993 showed a significant
decline in Silica sand sales from 104,940t in 1970 to approximately
25,000t in 1987, and sales remained at this level until 1993.14
Correspondence with the operator in 2014 shows further decline but
indicates that there is still some market demand for the material:
"Silica sand (sales are) about 5-10,000 tonnes per year and supplies as you
can imagine many small individual foundries. We are the only source of
foundry sand for many of these foundry sand in Britain and support many
many jobs. Foundries are using often only 1 pallet a month so that gives
you a feel of the amount of business we support. The remainder of our
sales are building sand mainly to builders merchants and we supply every
builder's merchants in Worcestershire just about. Tonnages of building sand
per Annum vary between 50.000 and 130,000 tonnes depending on the
economy. We also produce cable sands15 and crusher run16 sands as
required for localised use." 17
4.5.
11
The site still has significant unworked permitted reserves but there is no
publicly available information about their scale.
Mineral Resource Information for Development Plans, Herefordshire and Worcestershire:
Resources and Constraints BGS/DETR 1999 page16
12
Although the ONS links the 2 counties, the council is not aware of any sites which sell
silica sand in Herefordshire; no deposits of Wildmoor Sandstone or Kidderminster Formation
are known to exist in the county. No sites or members are listed in Herefordshire in the Silica
Sand Association website.
13
Applications for planning permission John Williams Cinetic Sand Ltd 407328 (B41/05) and
403642 (B5913) and Stanley N Evans Ltd 407219 (B41/02)
14
Application 407328 (B41/05) 1993.02.09
15
Cable Sand is an ‘as dug’ material and commonly used for blinding and laying cable and
water pipes (a non-aggregate use).
16 Crusher run is the common name for dense graded aggregate or DGA, a grade of material
generally used as a base under asphalt, roads, and concrete or interlocking walls (these are
all aggregate uses)
17 Correspondence Richard Parton 2014.11.20
12
Sales from Veolia site
4.6.
There are significant permitted reserves of silica sand at the Veolia site
but there is no publicly available information about sales or the scale of
reserves at this site.
Average sales of Silica sand in Worcestershire over the last 10 years
4.7.
Data on sales of sand and gravel is collected by the West Midlands
Aggregates Working Party (AWP) and collated and published in Annual
Monitoring Reports. The published data does not specifically identify sales
of Silica sand.
4.8.
Recently in Worcestershire no more than two sites have produced sand
for non-aggregate purposes at any one time, however in the last 10 years
five sites have recorded sales of sand for non-aggregate purposes and it
is therefore not considered that publishing the average annual sales data
would breach this confidentiality agreement.
4.9.
Over the last 10 years average sales were 10,500 tonnes per annum18.
Approach to estimating required level of future provision for
silica sand from Worcestershire
4.10. The NPPF does not set out the provision that Mineral Planning Authorities
should make for industrial minerals through the development plan.
4.11. It does however prescribe that Minerals Planning Authorities should
provide a stock of permitted reserves to support the level of actual and
proposed investment required for new or existing plant and the
maintenance and improvement of existing plant and equipment, of at least
10 years for individual silica sand sites and at least 15 years for silica sand
sites where significant new capital is required. However this appears to
relate to individual sites or networks of feeder sites and is not something
which could easily be applied to a whole County.
4.12. The Council does not have publicly available information about the current
landbank for silica sand or the levels of proposed or actual investment in
new or existing plant and equipment. The operators at Wildmoor and
Veolia quarries have been asked twice for details of anticipated demand
for silica sand from their site up to 2030, neither has replied.
4.13. The Council is not aware of any robust methodology for determining need
for silica sand. If you are aware of any please make the Council aware of
this through your response to the consultation.
18 Annual average 2001 – 2010 rounded to the nearest 500 tonnes.
13
5. Industrial minerals: Provision for cement
manufacturing
5.1.
The NPPF sets out that the Minerals Planning Authorities should provide a
stock of permitted reserves to support the level of actual and proposed
investment required for new or existing plant: For the maintenance and
improvement of existing plant and equipment this should be at least 15
years for primary cement materials (chalk and limestone) and secondary
cement materials (clay and shale), to support a new kiln this should be 25
years. However this appears to relate to individual sites or networks of
feeder sites and is not something which could easily be applied to a whole
County.
5.2.
Although some types of minerals used in cement manufacturing are found
in Worcestershire and lime was produced locally until the 20th century. No
applications for planning permission to manufacture lime or cement have
ever been made in the county. It appears that the minerals in
Worcestershire do not have the necessary qualities or properties to meet
current specifications. If you disagree with this statement please contact
us with information to support your stance.
14
6. Industrial minerals: Provision for brick clay
6.1.
Clay is extensively distributed in Worcestershire and has been widely
worked in the past. Evidence of this is shown by the large number of
historic clay workings across the county. Nationally the brick industry is
now dominated by a number of large producers tending to work on large
scales utilising heavily capitalised processes, generally close to the
sources of clay. Only one brick manufacturer remains in production in
Worcestershire.
Supply
6.2.
Clay is currently worked at two sites in the county. Both of these are in the
Hartlebury area; New House farm and Waresley, both owned by
Wienerberger. The company is the largest brick and tile producer in the
country, the two Worcestershire plants are its largest in the UK. Together
these sites are capable of producing over 2 million bricks per week.
6.3.
Based on information provided by the operator it is estimated that the
average life of these two sites is 37 years. A more detailed breakdown is
given in Table 6.1.
Table 6.1 Estimated clay production Worcestershire (2011)
Site
Waresley
Hartlebury
Permitted
Reserves
8,700,000 tonnes
3,500,000 tonnes
Annual usage
Site life
180,000 tonnes
150,000 tonnes
48 years
23 years
st
Source: Correspondence with Martin Rose (Weinerberger) 1 November 2011.
6.4.
Further information regarding clay in the county is set out in
Worcestershire Minerals Local Plan Background Document: Clay.
Approach to estimating required level of future provision for
brick clay from Worcestershire
6.5.
The NPPF does not set out the provision that Mineral Planning Authorities
should make for industrial minerals through the development plan. With
regard to clay, the NPPF sets out that Minerals Planning Authorities
should:
 provide a stock of permitted reserves to support the level of actual
and proposed investment required for new or existing plant and the
maintenance and improvement of existing plant and equipment, of
at least 25 years.
 take account of the need for the provision of brick clay from a
number of different sources to enable appropriate blends to be
made.
These considerations appear to relate to individual sites or networks of
feeder sites, rather than setting out the provision which should be made in
the development plan. However they are current national policy. There is
currently a 37 year landbank at existing sites in the County and on this
15
basis the council believes that no specific provision is needed for more
brick clay extraction sites over the plan period.
6.6.
However there may be merit in making provision for future supply through
the Minerals Local Plan in order not to stifle competition, particularly
because both sites in the county are operated by the same company. This
will be an issue which needs to be considered through consultation during
the development of the new Minerals Local Plan.
6.7.
The Council is not aware of any other robust methodology which could be
used for determining need for brick clay. If you are aware of any
alternatives please make the Council aware of this through your response
to the consultation.
16
7. Industrial minerals: Provision for salt/brine
7.1.
The main salt deposits in Worcestershire are located in the
Bromsgrove/Droitwich area and extraction ceased many years ago but the
effects of working them are still observable in the form of subsidence in
and around Droitwich.
Approach to estimating required level of future provision for
salt/brine from Worcestershire
7.2.
The NPPF does not set out the provision that Mineral Planning Authorities
should make for industrial minerals through the development plan.
7.3.
Although there is some evidence that the naturally occurring surface brine
stream around Stoke Prior which had previously dried up following
extensive extraction is beginning to reach the surface in the area, at
present it is considered that Brine is not likely to be workable in
Worcestershire. At present it is therefore not considered appropriate to
make specific provision for salt or brine extraction in Worcestershire
through the Minerals Local Plan. If you disagree with this approach please
make the Council aware of this through your response to the consultation.
7.4.
Further information regarding salt in the county is set out in
Worcestershire Minerals Local Plan Background Document: Salt and
brine.
17
8. Energy Minerals: Context
8.1.
Energy minerals include shallow and deep-mined coal, oil and gas, as well
as unconventional hydrocarbons such as coalbed methane and shale gas.
8.2.
The only energy mineral in Worcestershire that the Council is aware exists
is coal.
Imports and exports
8.3.
19
20
Around 71% of the UK coal market is supplied by imports19, and the UK is
a net importer of oil and gas20.
British Geological Survey Mineral Planning Factsheets: Coal
British Geological Survey Mineral Planning Factsheets: Onshore oil and gas
18
9. Energy Minerals: Coal
9.1.
There are two small areas of Worcestershire that lie within coal fields, both
to the north of the county. A small area of Worcestershire (to the north of
Bromsgrove) lies at the southern end of the South Staffordshire Coalfield.
Productive coal measures in this area are covered by 400m of barren coal
measures and it is not considered economically viable to mine.
9.2.
Another, comparatively small area of Worcestershire to the north and west
of Kidderminster lies at the southern end of the Wyre Forest Coalfield.
This area had coal workings as recently as the 1970s and included a deep
mine. The coal found in these areas is linked to other coalfields that are
been actively exploited. However the BGS considers that the coalfields in
Worcestershire "are unlikely to attract any further opencast interest"21.
CoalPro and the Coal Authority have confirmed that there is no surface
coal resource in any meaningful sense in Worcestershire,22 and that they
have no interest in developing new coal mines in the county. They have
also confirmed that they are not aware that there are any other minerals
that might be viable to extract in association with the coal strata.
Figure 9.1 Coal Resources in Worcestershire and the surrounding area
21
British Geological Survey (1999) Mineral resource Information for Development Plans:
Phase One Herefordshire and Worcestershire: Resources and Constraints. Technical report
WF99/4, Page 22
22
th
At a meeting with WCC Planning Officers at County Hall, Worcester on 13 August 2013
the Coal Authority and CoalPro stated that although the BGS geological maps do show coal
to be present, in the precise sense that identifiable strata exist within current operational
horizons they consider the deposits in Worcestershire to be thin to the point of fragmentary
and of no commercial value.
19
Supply
9.3.
Coal was worked at the surface and underground in historic times in
Worcestershire and the geological memoir of 1961 identifies 22 shafts
between Highley and Abberley alone23. The Wyre Forest coalfield was
worked underground at Mamble End and Bayton up until the 1940s.
Applications for open cast working in this area were made in the 1980s but
deemed refused by the county council when the applicants refused to
submit environmental statements. Most of the Wyre Forest Coalfield lies
outside Worcestershire and production from the whole coalfield was
always very modest, accounting for only about 5% of the West Midlands
total production in 196524.
Approach to estimating future requirements for coal
9.4.
It is not possible to make any local estimate of future coal requirements.
Coal is a flexible energy source that remains important to the UK
economy, providing 14.2% of the total UK energy supply in 2009. The
level of national demand for coal in future is likely to depend on the future
balance of energy provision and on successful implementation of carbon
capture and storage schemes, without which old coal power stations with
high emissions may be forced to close.
9.5. The NPPF does not set out the provision that Mineral Planning Authorities
should make for energy minerals through the development plan. In relation
to coal and the restoration of such working the National Planning Policy
Framework also sets out that25:

9.6.
23
The default stance in national planning policy is against coal mine
creation unless the advantages the mine creates can justify its
creation, it states "Permission should not be given for the extraction
of coal unless the proposal is environmentally acceptable, or can be
made so by planning conditions or obligations". If not then the
advantages of having the coal mine provided to the national,
regional or local community must outweigh the impacts.26……
There are no national targets or limits set for the provision of coal, and it
would therefore not be appropriate to set local targets or limits. If you
disagree with this statement please contact us with information to support
your stance.
"Geology of the country around Droitwich, Abberley and Kidderminster" Dept of Scientific
and Industrial Research, Geological Survey of Great Britain. HMSO 1961
24
rd
British regional geology: Central England 3 Edition NERC HMSO 1969 p104
25
“National Planning Policy Framework,” Comunitees and Local Government, 2012.
26
National Planning Policy Framework Paragraph 149
20
10. Energy Minerals: Oil
10.1. Oil is found trapped in porous and permeable rocks. The British
Geological Survey (BGS) assessment of the potential for oil in
Worcestershire is that "the prospects for discovery of oil and gas
in...Worcestershire are very low" 27.
10.2. One exploration well was drilled in Worcestershire at Netherton in 1974.
This, together with other boreholes drilled around the county, indicated
that source rocks which may contain oil are not present in the county.
Supply
10.3. There is no record of oil production in Worcestershire and there has not
been any interest in exploration for oil in the county since the 1990's.
Approach to estimating required level of future provision for
oil from Worcestershire
10.4. We are not aware of any evidence that suggests that there are
commercially viable oil resources in the county28. The NPPF does not set
out the provision that Mineral Planning Authorities should make for
industrial minerals through the development plan. There are no national
targets or limits set for the provision of oil and we consider that it would not
be appropriate to set local targets or limits in the Minerals Local Plan.
10.5. If you disagree with this statement please contact us with information to
support your stance.
27
British geological Survey Mineral resource Information for Development Plans: Phase One
Herefordshire and Worcestershire: Resources and Constraints. Technical report WF99/4
Page 22
28
See Worcestershire Minerals Local Plan Background Document: Conventional and
Unconventional Hydrocarbons (Oil and Gas; excluding Coal)
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11. Energy Minerals: Gas
11.1. On the basis of the BGS's current evidence, Worcestershire is not likely to
be suitable for the production of coalbed methane.
11.2. The exposed coalfields of Wyre Forest and South Staffordshire are
considered to have low methane potential. Some exploration licences
have been taken out in parts of the South Staffordshire and Wyre Forest
Coalfields that extend into the northern parts of Herefordshire and
Worcestershire, evidence from other parts of the West Midlands suggests
that these rocks are unlikely to contain coalbed methane in commercial
quantities.
11.3. No information is available on the methane potential of the concealed coal
measures which lie between these two coalfields. The Carboniferous
rocks of the Forest of Dean coalfield to the south west of the county are
low in methane. Two licenses were nonetheless granted for coalbed gas
exploration in the 1990s but the British Geological Survey's interpretation
is that the Forest of Dean, to the south west of the county has no
significant coalbed methane potential.
11.4. Recent developments elsewhere have led the Environment Agency to
state that they consider it is possible to produce gas safely and
commercially from Shale deposits, emergent technologies might make it
possible to produce it in Worcestershire in the future from appropriate
strata.
11.5. Though previous BGS data indicated that the Worcester Basin does not
contain appropriate source rocks for oil and gas development, the
geological requirements for unconventional development may be different
from conventional onshore operations and the Worcester Basin was
included in the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) 14th
Landward (Onshore Oil and Gas) Licensing round29. The licensing round
closed on 28th July 2014 and no licences have been issued for exploration
within Worcestershire.
Supply
11.6. There is no record of gas production in Worcestershire and there has not
been any interest in exploration for oil in the county since the 1990's.
Methods for estimating future requirements
11.7.
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We are not aware of any evidence that suggests that there are
commercially viable gas resources in the county. The NPPF does not set
out the provision that Mineral Planning Authorities should make for energy
minerals through the development plan. There are no national targets or
limits set for the provision of gas and we consider that it would not be
appropriate to set local targets or limits in the Minerals Local Plan.
https://www.gov.uk/oil-and-gas-licensing-rounds
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11.8. If you disagree with this statement please contact us with information to
support your stance.
Underground Gas and Carbon Storage
11.9. The NPPF encourages underground gas and carbon storage and
associated infrastructure if local geological circumstances indicate its
feasibility. There is no evidence that local geological conditions are
suitable and we do not consider it appropriate to propose any such
storage in the Minerals Local Plan.
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12. Conclusion
12.1. The Council would like to establish an appropriate approach to ensuring
adequate provision of industrial and energy minerals. However, in most
cases the NPPF does not set out the provision that Mineral Planning
Authorities should make for industrial or energy minerals through the
development plan.
12.2. Based on the information the Council is currently aware of:
 There is no robust methodology for determining need for silica
sand.
 Although some types of minerals used in cement manufacturing
are found in Worcestershire, they are not of the necessary quality.
 Based on the 37 year landbank of existing sites in the County no
specific provision is needed in the Minerals Local Plan for brick
clay.
 Brine is not likely to be workable in Worcestershire.
 There are no national targets or limits set for the provision of coal,
oil or gas. We are not aware of any evidence that suggests that
there are oil or gas resources in the county or geological
circumstances which would indicate the feasibility of underground
gas and carbon storage and we consider that it would not be
appropriate to set local targets or limits for these in the Minerals
Local Plan.
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