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(Department for Communities and Local Government, November 2006) sets out Government’s key overarching policies and principles for minerals planning in England. Annex 1 of MPS-1 focuses on aggregates, and within this the following statement is made with respect to marine sand and gravel supply:
‘It is Government policy to encourage the supply of marine-dredged sand and gravel to the extent that environmentally acceptable sources can be identified and exploited within the principles of sustainable development. ‘Environmentally acceptable’ in this context is in terms of both the natural and historic environments. Subject to this overriding consideration, it is assumed that marine dredging of sand and gravel is likely to continue to meeting part of the national and regional demand for aggregates at a proportion no lower than that of the recent past, currently about 8% of total demand for primary aggregates.’
 Minerals Policy Statement 1: Planning and Minerals (MPS-1)
(Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, July 2002) describes the policies and procedures for marine minerals dredging in English waters. It provides guidance to regulators, their scientific advisors, industry and wider stakeholders as to how marine minerals extraction should be undertaken so that it is consistent with the principles of sustainable development.
Marine Mineral Guidance Note 1: Guidance on the Extraction by Dredging of Sand, Gravel and Other Minerals from the English Seabed (MMG1)
(Defra, May 2007) explains the statutory procedures contained in the Environmental Impact Assessment and Natural Habitats (Extraction of Minerals by Marine Dredging) (England and Northern Ireland) Regulations 2007 (the 2007 Regulations) and defines the procedures that are followed in making decisions on marine minerals dredging. The Regulations transpose into UK law in relation to British waters the requirements of the European Directives on the assessment of the effects of certain projects on the environment (the EIA Directive), and the conservation of natural habitats and of wild flora and fauna (the Habitats Directive) in relation to the extraction of marine minerals.
Marine Minerals Guidance Note 2: The Control of Marine Minerals Dredging from the British Seabed
(Welsh Assembly Government, November 2004) define the Welsh Assembly Government’s interim policy for marine minerals dredging in South Wales. This seeks to ensure sustainable, objective and transparent decision making to meet society’s needs for aggregates dredged from the Bristol Channel and Severn Estuary.
Interim Strategic Policy 1 states: ‘While other alternative sources of supply of suitable fine aggregates will continue to be investigated, the use of marine dredged sand and gravel will continue for the foreseeable future but only where this remains consistent with the principles of sustainable development.’
Interim Marine Aggregates Dredging Policy
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