The Minerals and Waste Development Framework is the portfolio of documents that form the basis of the system that Essex County Council uses to make its planning decisions.

 

The way in which these documents work together is outlined in the Minerals and Waste Development Framework.

 

The framework is divided into several areas. The Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 introduced measures to encourage greater public involvement in planning, and the framework is part of this. The previous public consultation was the Minerals Development Document Preferred Approach Paper which ran from 9 December 2010 until 17 February 2011. The Waste Development Document Preferred Approach consultation runs from 24 November 2011 to 19 January 2012.

 

Under the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004, mineral and waste local plans are to be replaced by Minerals and Waste Development Documents respectively.

 

The Minerals Development Document (MDD) will comprise:

 

 

The Waste Development Documents (WDDs) will comprise:

 

And

 

The Minerals and Waste Development Scheme provides the timetable for each stage of the policy preparation process.  At present there will be two Waste Development Documents (Core Strategy, Development Management Policies & Strategic Sites and Non – Strategic Sites) and one Minerals Development Document comprising all three elements listed above. 

 

The Waste Local Plan will eventually be replaced by the Waste Development Document.  In the meantime, however, the Waste Local Plan continues to be used.

 

The Minerals Local Plan is the policy document that will eventually be replaced by the Mineral Development Document (MDD). In the meantime, however, the Local Mineral Plan continues to be used.

 

The Statement of Community Involvement (SCI) provides an overview of the planning process and identifies how individuals and groups can have their say not only on specific planning applications but also on the development of long term policy documents.

 

Essex County Council is required to produce an annual report outlining how it is meeting the objectives outlined in the waste and mineral plans and the SCI. It also reviews progress in the preparation of the upcoming local development documents.