About Minerals and Waste Service

Our minerals and waste service

Minerals and waste planning is the control of mineral extraction and waste management developments through forward planning, determining planning applications, monitoring and enforcement.

The minerals and waste planning service for the Central Bedfordshire and Bedford Borough areas is a shared service, hosted by us. The service is responsible for the determination of minerals and waste planning applications within Bedford Borough and Central Bedfordshire. The shared service, on behalf of Luton Borough as well as Central Bedfordshire and Bedford Borough, is also responsible for producing Minerals and Waste Local Plans and monitoring minerals and waste sites.

Planning for mineral extraction and waste disposal sites is recognised as a discipline that requires specialist skills not normally associated with day-to-day town and country planning. This is reflected in the distinct legal and policy requirements that govern and guide such development and the range of technical inputs required to ensure that development takes place in a way that can be sustained by the environment. Compared to most other forms of development, a relatively high proportion of minerals and waste proposals are subject to Environmental Impact Assessment. This reflects the fact that minerals and waste operations have a high potential for adverse impact on the environment and local communities. Mineral extraction and waste disposal sites are unusual within the planning system in terms of the continuous process of phased development, which can proceed over several years and even decades. This process includes a 5-year aftercare programme following completion of restoration (where the after-use is agriculture, forestry or amenity) and in some cases, the period of recuperative management is extended by legal agreement where the establishment of the after-use needs long term care.