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, 2.4 MB) sets out our work programme up until 2019.

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. We assessed all of the sites against our Site Selection Methodology (PDF, 1.5MB).

View our initial sites assessment (DOCX, 1.3MB).

Read about the 9 potential sites we are considering as options for allocation in the Mineral Sites Plan (PDF, 31.1MB).

Following a public consultation on the site options, we are now carrying out detailed technical assessment work to help decide which sites should be included in the draft plan to be submitted to the Secretary of State later on in 2018.

You can view all documents relating to the preparation of the Mineral Sites Plan in the documents library.

Read some Frequently Asked Questions about the Mineral Sites Plan (PDF, 604KB).

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.

Read about the early partial review and what it will entail for the KMWLP.

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).