Abstract |
1.1 Aggregate Minerals (AM) surveys, normally undertaken at four-yearly
intervals since 1973, provide an in-depth and up-to-date understanding of
national and sub-national sales, inter-regional flows, transportation,
consumption and permitted reserves of primary aggregates. The surveys are
used to inform the development of minerals policy in respect to the
production, movement and consumption of aggregates. The data are made
publicly available.
1.2 This report is the collation of the data for primary aggregates for 2014,
therefore there has been a five year period between this and the previous
survey (AM2009). In addition to presenting information on regional and
national sales, consumption, and permitted reserves of primary aggregates,
the AM2014 report also presents data on the movement and consumption of
primary aggregates by sub-region. Information is also presented on the
quantity of aggregate minerals granted and refused planning permission and
planning permission applications withdrawn between 2010 and 2014. In
addition, information is presented on the quantity of aggregate minerals
within planning permission applications submitted between 2010 and 2014
and were awaiting a decision at 31 December 2014.
1.3 The information is presented for England and Wales and for
individual regions and was collected from aggregate producers by Mineral
Planning Authorities (MPAs) using a standard form (Appendix F). It was
subsequently collated at regional level by the relevant Aggregate Working
Party Secretary (Appendix I) or the British Geological Survey (BGS)1 and at
national level by the BGS on behalf of the Department for Communities and
Local Government (DCLG) and the Welsh Government. Similar information
was published by the then Department of the Environment for 1973, 1977,
1985, 1989 and 1993, the Department of the Environment, Transport and the
Regions for 1997, the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister for 2001 and the
Department for Communities and Local Government and the Welsh
Assembly Government for 2005 and 2009 (Appendix H). Comparisons of
sales, consumption and permitted reserves for these years and 2014 are
provided in Tables D1 to D3. |