Minerals and Waste Local Plan

Overview

Surrey County Council, as the Minerals and Waste Planning Authority, are preparing a new Minerals and Waste Local Plan for Surrey to provide an up to date minerals and waste planning framework for a period of 15 years. The Minerals and Waste Local Plan will replace the existing Surrey Minerals Plan 2011 (and associated development plan documents and guidance) and the Surrey Waste Local Plan 2020.

The Minerals and Waste Local Plan will be underpinned by a positive vision and seek to deliver sustainable minerals and waste management development that provides for a steady and adequate supply of minerals and sufficient capacity to manage Surrey's waste.

In this regard, the Minerals and Waste Local Plan will provide for minerals and waste management development that mitigates against and helps Surrey adapt to climate change, combats biodiversity loss, and reflects the growing overlap between minerals development and waste management facilities from other development. The consultation also included a 'call for sites' which may be suitable for future minerals and waste management development.

Call for Sites 2023

The Minerals and Waste Planning Authority (MWPA) are currently carrying out a second 'Call for Sites' exercise. This exercise is different to the 2021 'Call for Sites' in that it is specifically seeking nominations of land which may be suitable for future waste management development. Any nomination made will be assessed by the MWPA to determine its suitability for inclusion in the Minerals and Waste Local Plan. The 2023 'Call for Sites' is now live and closes on 29 February 2024. If you wish to nominate land please use our Minerals and Waste Local Plan - Call for Sites form.

Waste Capacity Need Assessment 2023

A Waste Capacity Need Assessment (WCNA) was commissioned by Surrey County Council, undertaken by BPP consulting. This WCNA was produced in November 2023 as part of the evidence base supporting the preparation of the Minerals and Waste Local Plan for Surrey.

The WCNA seeks to identify the future need for additional waste management capacity in Surrey to 2042. Future need is assessed by quantifying the principal waste streams arising in Surrey, forecasting the amount of waste that needs to be managed, and taking into account the contribution of existing waste management facilities.

Issues and options consultation

The issues and options public consultation was the first formal stage of the plan-making process relating to the Minerals and Waste Local Plan. This consultation was held for a period of 16 weeks from 15 November 2021 to 7 March 2022. The digital consultation hub is now closed but can still be viewed for reference.

The Issues and Options consultation set out the broad issues and challenges facing future minerals and waste management development in the county and proposed various planning policy options to address those issues and challenges. It also proposed a vision, strategic objectives, and a spatial strategy for future minerals and waste management development in Surrey.

Issues and options: Summary of representations

The Issues and options summary of responses report provides a quantitative summary of and identifies general themes emerging from material representations and feedback provided by stakeholders to the issues and options public consultation.

The summary report has been structured to correspond to the relevant consultation document headings, sections, and questions. A comprehensive list of all stakeholder comments, and the initial response of the Minerals and Waste Planning Authority to these, can be found in Annex A to K listed below. Each stakeholder that made a representation or otherwise provided a response has been assigned a unique identification reference (CR = Commonplace Representation, WR = Written Representation). Whilst care has been taken to identify and attribute all representations and feedback accurately, some stakeholder contributions remain anonymous and so it is possible that some feedback has been attributed in error. The themes identified and stakeholder comments referenced throughout the report are not exhaustive.

The policy options identified, material planning matters raised by stakeholders, and site nominations made pursuant to the 'call for sites' exercise, will be considered by the Minerals and Waste Planning Authority and used to inform the preparation of the Minerals and Waste Local Plan including its vision and strategic objectives, spatial strategy, policy framework, and any site allocations/areas of search. A further public consultation will be undertaken in June 2025 relating to the Regulation 18 Draft Minerals and Waste Local Plan.

Issues and options consultation summary key documents