Quarrying and Reserves - Environmental aspects

Resource management

It must be remembered that access to mineral resources can be blocked by other forms of development. It is in societies interest that the extraction of raw materials is combined with other forms of development. Extraction is largely regulated by the mineral planning system, therefore we have to pay due regard to:

• Overall need to incorporate economic, environmental and social considerations in the planning process,
   
• Knowledge of the mineral resource base,
   
• Adequacy and quality of mineral supply,
   
• Development of an integrated approach to managing conservation of resources,
   
• Incorporation of long-term planning strategies, including security of supply,
   
• Incorporation of land use and other sustainable objectives in the planning process,
   
• Incorporation of influence and feedback of mineral issues within all levels of administration.

The management of resources is fundamental to a manufacturing industry. However, this responsibility is also shared by Government. Our industry is prepared to invest if there is certainty about the raw material supply. Ideally the planning process should allow for the consideration of three levels of projection: long-term possibilities (25 years and over),   medium-term probabilities (12 – 25 years),   and short-term confirmed (1-12 years).

Therefore it is important that specific clay brick and tile issues are addressed at the European and national level in order to:

• Ensure that development plans take account of specific issues related to clay bricks and tiles,
   
• Ensure that development plan policies provide a sustainable long-medium-short term security of clay supply and are informed by dialogue between the relevant parties,
   
• Take account of geographical changes in the economic importance of clay resources, manufacturing centres and markets,
   
• Ensure a diverse raw material supply to provide a range of products that reflect design requirements,
   
• Take account of the transport of raw materials and products and the growth in the import/export of clay and other materials across administrative boundaries.

If these issues are faced and resolved by both manufacturers and regulators, then there will be a sound basis on which to justify investment in this industry – itself a fundamental requirement of sustainability and in the interest of those that need housing in the future.

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