Minerals and waste planning policy

As the minerals and waste planning authority for Kent, we have to plan for waste management capacity and mineral provision.

This includes allocating land for future development and ensuring that this development happens in the right place at the right time. The plans and policies which enable this form part of the Development Plan for Kent, alongside district/borough local plans, neighbourhood plans and national planning policy.

Our Development Scheme (PDF, 3.6 MB) sets out our work programme up until 2020. View the updated 2018 timetable.

Our Statement of Community Involvement (PDF, 2.75MB) explains how we will engage with Kent’s communities throughout the Local Plan preparation process.

Our privacy notice explains how we will use your personal information throughout the Local Plan preparation process.

To contact our team, call 03000 422370 or email mwlp@kent.gov.uk.

Find out how to submit a planning application for minerals or waste development

Minerals and Waste Local Plan 2013-30 (KMWLP)

The Kent Minerals and Waste Local Plan 2013-30 (KMWLP) was adopted in July 2016 and sets out the vision and strategy for waste management and mineral provision up until the year 2030.

It also contains a number of development management policies for evaluating minerals and waste planning applications.

Read the Kent Minerals and Waste Local Plan 2013-30 (PDF, 71MB).

The maps below accompany policy CSM 5, which is contained within the KMWLP and safeguards economic mineral deposits within Kent:

Mineral safeguarding maps

You can also view the Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) PDF, 2.1MB on minerals and waste safeguarding.

To view all documents relating to the submission, examination and adoption of the KMWLP, visit the examination documents library.

Mineral Sites Plan

How we decide which sites will be developed.

Our Mineral Sites Plan will allocate specific sites within Kent for mineral extraction to ensure that Kent has enough permitted mineral reserves over the plan period (until 2030).

A 'Call for Sites' exercise was undertaken in January 2017, where landowners and mineral operators with interests in Kent were invited to promote sites for allocation.

In late 2017, a public consultation was undertaken on 9 sites which were considered potential options for allocation within the Mineral Sites Plan. Following this consultation, detailed technical assessment work was carried out on these sites to further assess their suitability for allocation.

Read the summarised report of the outcome of this work.

This work has enabled the council to produce a draft Sites Plan. The draft sites plan was reported to the full Council Committee on the 13 December 2018.

View the reports from the committee meeting.

Read some frequently asked questions about the Mineral Sites Plan (PDF, 604KB).

Kent Mineral Sites Plan Independent Examination

In October 2019, the Kent Mineral Sites Plan (KMSP) was subject to Independent Examination by Planning Inspector Nicholas Palmer BA (Hons) BPI MRTPI. During the course of the examination, a number of main modifications to the KMSP were discussed with the Inspector. These modifications seek to address potential soundness and legal compliance issues. We are also proposing a number of minor changes. Whilst these additional (minor) modifications do not affect overall soundness and legal compliance, we are keen to improve the clarity of the plans.

We are now inviting comments on the proposed main modifications and the accompanying sustainability appraisal. Written representations on the plan received within the public consultation period will be sent to the Planning Inspector for consideration alongside the modified plans.

The consultation will run for an 8 week period from 9am on Tuesday 19 November 2019 to midnight on 14 January 2020.

View the proposed modifications.

Comments are to be made on the representation form (PDF, 158.6 KB).

Before you complete the representation form, you are strongly advised to read the representation guidance notes (PDF, 167.6 KB) and the Statement of Representations Procedure guidance notes (PDF, 174.2 KB) on the availability of documents and making representations.

For all documents related to the submission and examination of the Kent Mineral Sites Plan, including the full evidence base, visit the examination documents library.

If you have any queries you may either email mwlp@kent.gov.uk or call 03000 42 23 70.

Early Partial Review of the KMWLP

Following the adoption of the Kent Minerals and Waste Local Plan 2013-30 (KMWLP) in July 2016, further assessments suggest that the level of waste management capacity required to maintain net self-sufficiency is different to what was originally thought. We are therefore undertaking an early partial review of the KMWLP to amend several of the policies relating to waste management. This is to ensure that Kent benefits from an up-to-date strategy for waste management capacity and will also inform whether a Waste Sites Plan is needed.

As part of the early partial review of the plan, we are trying to make the policies relating to minerals and waste safeguarding clearer to improve their effectiveness when used in practice.

We have recently undertaken a consultation on the decision to undertake a partial review and the evidence that backs this decision.

Following the consultation, the Early Partial Review work was reported to the full Council Committee on the 13 December 2018.

View the reports from the committee meeting.

Kent Minerals and Waste Local Plan Early Partial Review Independent Examination

In October 2019, the Early Partial Review (EPR) was subject to Independent Examination by Planning Inspector Nicholas Palmer BA (Hons) BPI MRTPI. During the course of the examination, a number of main modifications to the EPR were discussed with the Inspector. These modifications seek to address potential soundness and legal compliance issues. We are also proposing a number of minor changes. Whilst these additional (minor) modifications do not affect overall soundness and legal compliance, we are keen to improve the clarity of the plans.

The consultation will run for an 8 week period from 9am on Tuesday 19 November 2019 to midnight on 14 January 2020.

View the proposed modifications.

Comments are to be made on the representation form (PDF, 157.5 KB).

Before you complete the representation form, you are strongly advised to read the representation guidance notes and the Statement of Representations Procedure guidance notes (PDF, 174.2 KB) on the availability of documents and making representations.

For all documents related to the submission and examination of the Early Partial Review, including the full evidence base, see the examination documents library.

If you have any queries, please contact a member of the team at mwlp@kent.gov.uk or 03000 42 23 70.

Monitoring and assessment

We have a responsibility to monitor Kent’s needs and activities with regard to aggregate supply and waste management capacity. This is done by the preparation of regular Local Aggregate Assessments (LAA) and Annual Monitoring Reports (AMR).

Annual Monitoring Reports

Mineral and waste sites

Kent waste and mineral sites list (PDF, 2.0 MB)