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Norfolk Minerals and Waste Local Plan Review

We are preparing a Norfolk Minerals and Waste Local Plan, to consolidate the three adopted DPDs into one Local Plan, ensure that the policies within them remain up-to-date and to extend the plan period to the end of 2038.

The national Planning Practice Guidance states that most local plans are likely to require updating in whole or in part at least every five years. The requirement for a planned five-yearly review was incorporated into the adopted Minerals and Waste Core Strategy.

The current adopted plan period is up to the end of 2026; the review will extend this plan period up to the end of 2038 to ensure consistency with the other plans being developed by the Local Planning Authorities in Norfolk.

Once adopted, the Norfolk Minerals and Waste Local Plan will contain the policies used to determine planning applications for mineral extraction and associated development and waste management facilities in Norfolk.

The Minerals and Waste Local Plan process will take place in stages. The following stages have already taken place:

  • Initial Consultation (Regulation 18): July - August 2018
  • Preferred options public consultation (Regulation 18): September - October 2019
  • Pre-Submission publication representations period (Regulation 19): September - December 2022
  • Submission to the Secretary of State (Regulation 22) - December 2023

The remaining stages are:

  • Examination Hearings (Regulation 24)
  • Adoption (Regulation 26)

The proposed timetable for these remaining stages are detailed on the Minerals and Waste Development Scheme page.

Latest news

We submitted the Norfolk Minerals and Waste Local Plan to the Planning Inspectorate for independent examination on 20 December 2023. Read further information about the Norfolk Minerals and Waste Local Plan Examination.

Previous stages

Publication stage

The publication document was open for a period of representations between 9am on 28 September until 5pm on 19 December 2022. Representations received before or after these dates will not be considered. The representations period was extended to 5pm on 19 December 2022 because two background evidence documents (the Statement of Consultation and the Waste Management Capacity Assessment) were not available on the consultation website at the start of the representations period.

The responses received have all been published online and can be viewed via our Minerals and Waste Local Plan: Pre-Submission Publication and Background documents pages. The Pre-Submission version of the Minerals and Waste Local Plan, relevant background documents and the representations received will all be submitted to the Secretary of State for public examination by a Planning Inspector in 2023.

View the downloadable version of the Minerals and Waste Local Plan Publication document (PDF) [12MB]

View the publication document

The background documents relevant to the publication stage on the Minerals and Waste Local Plan are:

  • Policies Map (illustrates the policies contained in the NM&WLP)
  • Sustainability Appraisal Scoping Report (focuses on the environmental, social and economic issues relevant to the NM&WLP)
  • Sustainability Appraisal Report and non-technical summary (shows social, environmental and economic impacts of the NM&WLP)
  • Habitats Regulations Assessment Task 1 (of impacts on the UK National site network)
  • Waste Management Capacity Assessment (contains data on current waste management capacity, waste movements, existing and forecast waste arising in Norfolk)
  • Equality Impact Assessment (enables us to consider the likely impact of the NM&WLP on different groups of people)
  • Statement of Common Ground (to confirm an understanding to support effective joint working with key partners)
  • Statement of Consultation (contains how and who we consult, and a summary of the main issues raised)

View the background documents

View the interactive version of the publication Policies Map

View a downloadable and printable representation form including the Statement of Representations procedure

The draft publication document was taken to Norfolk County Council's Cabinet meeting on 4 July 2022 with a recommendation for the document to be published for a formal representations period to take place on the Minerals and Waste Local Plan in September and October 2022.

Preferred Options consultation 2019

The public consultation took place over six weeks from 18 September until 5pm on 30 October 2019.

The responses received will be retained by us and have all been published online

View the Preferred Options Consultation document

The background documents relevant to the Preferred Options Consultation on the Minerals and Waste Local Plan Review are:

  • Draft Habitats Regulations Assessment - Test of Likely Significant Effects (2019)
  • Silica sands AOS E and SIL 02 - Historic Environment Impact Assessment - Designated Heritage Assets (April 2019)
  • Waste Management Capacity Assessment 2017
  • Sustainability Appraisal Part A - Scoping
  • Draft Sustainability Appraisal report - Part B

View the Preferred Options Consultation background documents

Initial Consultation 2018

A public consultation on the first stage of the Minerals and Waste Local Plan Review, called the 'Initial Consultation' took place over six weeks from 29 June to 13 August 2018.

View the Initial Consultation document

The background documents relevant to the Initial Consultation on the Minerals and Waste Local Plan Review are:

  • Draft Habitats Regulations Assessment - Test of Likely Significant Effects
  • Waste Management Capacity Assessment
  • Sustainability Appraisal Report - Part A - Scoping
  • Initial Sustainability Appraisal Report

View the Initial Consultation background documents

    Call for waste management sites

    The 'call for waste management sites' took place for six weeks, from 14 January to 25 February 2019.  We asked for proposals for potential specific site allocations for waste treatment facilities in the period up to 2036 as part of our Minerals and Waste Local Plan Review process.

    Only new permanent sites larger than one hectare, proposed for waste treatment with an estimated annual throughput of at least 50,000 tonnes, will be considered for allocation.

    Call for mineral extraction sites 2017

    A 'call for mineral extraction sites' took place from 26 June to 4 August 2017.  We asked for proposals for potential specific site allocations for carstone, sand and gravel, or silica sand extraction in the period up to 2036 as part of our Minerals and Waste Local Plan Review process.  We are not seeking proposals for the extraction of any other minerals.

    Only sites with an estimated resource of at least 500,000 tonnes will be considered for allocation, unless the site will be operated as an extension to an existing permitted site.

    We asked for information about the proposed site and the area surrounding it, including:

    • A map of the site location and proposed HGV access route
    • Landowner willingness for the site to be included as a mineral extraction site allocation
    • Borehole data and a statement as to the quality, quantity and extent of the mineral resource which is of commercial interest
    • Information on planning constraints relevant to the proposed site location (including environmental designations, landscape, the historic environment, agricultural land, amenity and infrastructure)