Agenda and minutes

To disclose any pecuniary, other registerable or personal interest as set out in the adopted Code of Conduct. In making their disclosure councillors are asked to state the agenda item, the nature of the interest and any action they propose to take as part of their declaration.

If required, further advice should be sought from the Monitoring Officer in advance of the meeting.

No declarations of disclosable pecuniary interests were made at the meeting.

To receive questions or statements on the business of the committee from town and parish councils and members of the public.

Public speaking has been suspended for virtual committee meetings during the Covid-19 crisis and public participation will be dealt with through written submissions only.

Members of the public who live, work or represent an organisation within the Dorset Council area, may submit up to two questions or a statement of up to a maximum of 450 words.  All submissions must be sent electronically to elaine.tibble@dorsetcouncil.gov.uk  by the deadline set out below.  When submitting a question please indicate who the question is for and include your name, address and contact details.  Questions and statements received in line with the council’s rules for public participation will be published as a supplement to the agenda.

Questions will be read out by an officer of the council and a response given by the appropriate officer at the meeting.  All questions, statements and responses will be published in full within the minutes of the meeting.  The deadline for submission of the full text of a question or statement is 8.30am on Monday 24 May 2021.

There were no public or Town and Parish Council statements or questions.

This report considers Hampshire County Council's consultation on the proposed development of a quarry at the Purple Haze site south of Verwood.  It identifies the key issues associated with the proposed development, including those potentially affecting Dorset, and sets out further information received from specialist consultees within Dorset Council.  It recommends that Dorset Council objects on the grounds that the Environmental Impact Assessment has not adequately addressed all likely impacts, and does not set out satisfactory mitigation based on robust evidence.

The Lead Project Officer (Minerals and Waste) presented the report which sought consultation on Hampshire County Council's proposed development of a quarry at the Purple Haze site south of Verwood, which is allocated in the adopted Hampshire Minerals and Waste Plan. The report identified the key issues associated with the proposed development, including those potentially affecting Dorset, and set out further information received from specialist consultees within Dorset Council. The report recommended that Dorset Council objected on the grounds that the Environmental Impact Assessment has not adequately addressed all likely impacts, and did not set out satisfactory mitigation based on robust evidence

The Lead Project Officer (Minerals and Waste) highlighted the main headlines in the report and 9 key issues/potential impacts, identified in 1.9 of the report that needed to be carefully addressed.

Cllr Spencer Flower addressed the committee as one of the Ward Members for Verwood.  A copy of his statement is attached as an appendix to these minutes.

Members discussed their response and voiced their concerns relating to the SSSI, pressures on the local habitat, the mitigation of ecological and hydrological concerns, the loss of functionality and the possibility of the site being repurposed for land fill.   As Dorset Council had declared a climate and ecological emergency it was felt that the concerns of the committee should be highlighted robustly to Hampshire County Council in relation to the potential for adverse impacts upon protected habitats.

Cllr Jespersen asked for an amendment to be added to the consultation response to ensure that robust wording detailed the committee’s grave concerns that Hampshire County Council may not be able to overcome these substantial issues which may therefore call into question the principle of the development.

It was proposed by Cllr Rideout and seconded by Cllr Jespersen that the Officer’s recommended response be approved with the addition of the concerns discussed.  These included the need to address general environmental impact on residents, the climate and ecological emergency and highways issues.

Decision: That the Head of Planning be delegated to formulate the response to Hampshire Council in consultation of the Chairman of the Strategic Planning Committee.

To consider any items of business which the Chairman has had prior notification and considers to be urgent pursuant to section 100B (4) b) of the Local Government Act 1972. The reason for the urgency shall be recorded in the minutes.

There were no urgent items.

To move the exclusion of the press and the public for the following item in view of the likely disclosure of exempt information within the meaning of paragraph 3 of schedule 12 A to the Local Government Act 1972 (as amended).

The public and the press will be asked to leave the meeting whilst the item of business is considered.

There was no exempt business.