As part of the Examination in Public (EIP) of the Minerals Local Plan (MLP) Worcestershire County Council is consulting on proposed main modifications to the plan, consequential changes proposed to the policies map (part of the Interactive Minerals Mapping Tool), and the accompanying assessments (updated Sustainability Appraisal, Habitats Regulations Assessment, Equality Impact Assessment, and Health Impact Assessment) for a period of six weeks from Tuesday 31 August 2021 to 5pm on Tuesday 12 October 2021.
All consultation documents, together with details of how to respond, are available on the Examination Programme Officer’s website – see: http://www.hwa.uk.com/projects/worcestershire-minerals-lp-examination/
Consultation previously started on 2 August 2021, but the Council identified that the proposed modifications to the crushed rock Mineral Safeguarding Areas were not shown correctly on the draft policies map (part of the Interactive Minerals Mapping Tool due to the data having become corrupted. The crushed rock Mineral Safeguarding Areas displayed on the draft policies map therefore did not fully reflect the modifications proposed to Figure 7.1 within the Schedule of Main Modifications (see reference MM ab2 and Appendix E of the Schedule of Main Modifications). The previous consultation was therefore terminated on 10 August to ensure that representations about matters affected by the policies map would not be materially disadvantaged by being based on incorrect information.
This issue has now been rectified, and the consultation is being restarted.
It should be noted that the issue was limited to how the data supporting the Minerals Local Plan was displayed in the online interactive mapping tool and did not affect the policies or any other wording of the proposed modifications to the Minerals Local Plan, or any of the accompanying assessments.
Those representations which were submitted before the original consultation was terminated will be taken into account, unless the consultee indicates in writing that they wish to withdraw or alter their representations.