The Mineral Products Association (MPA) has said urgent action is required if the government is to deliver on its promise to build 1.5 million homes this parliament, as well as futureproof infrastructure.
This comes after the publication of the Aggregate Minerals Survey 2023 (AMS2023), a four-yearly study prepared by the British Geological Survey (BGS) for the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. It assesses the national supply and demand of aggregate to inform future mineral planning policy.
AMS2023 found:
According to AM2023, permitted aggregate reserves in Great Britain fell by 46% between 2001 and 2023. This has been described as "worrying" by Britain's aggregate producers, represented by the MPA. The body said that proposed changes to the planning system, intended to speed up housing approvals, "will do little to halt the decline in permitted reserves of the materials needed to build them – for foundations, floors, walls, roof tiles, driveways, associated services and amenities".
Highlighting that aggregates represent the largest material flow in the British economy and are the only bulk material sourced almost entirely domestically, the MPA called for the government to renew its commitment to the long-established Managed Aggregate Supply System, which aims to ensure a steady and adequate supply of aggregates for construction and industry. It argued that despite years of warnings from the minerals industry, consecutive governments have taken aggregate supply for granted while reserves dwindled.
Mark Russell, Executive Director for Mineral resources at the MPA, said: "Failure to respond to the findings of AM2023 would create a serious and costly risk not just to the minerals sector but also to the construction industry and the wider national economy, especially given that up to half of all aggregates are procured, directly and indirectly, by the government".
"As it stands, areas such as the South East of England rely heavily on imports of materials from other regions in the country. The long-term planning for these supplies and the transport and infrastructure needed to deliver them, is vital to economic development. Britain is blessed with a diverse geology and while we understand the government’s focus on ‘critical’ minerals over recent years, it has undoubtedly taken its finger off the pulse regarding the bread-and-butter minerals that the economy, and in particular the construction sector, relies upon. We hope the government will heed the message from the AM2023 report, that the decline in permitted reserves must be urgently addressed to support investment in UK plc".
The MPA added that while government policy assumes that mineral products such as aggregates are in plentiful supply, and Britain does have an abundance of mineral resources in the ground, securing the permitted reserves to meet demand will require long-term planning, monitoring and continual management. This is something that successive governments have failed to deliver.
It also noted that the National and Sub-National Guidelines on Future Aggregate Provision, which provide national and regional forecasts of need, have not been renewed since 2009, with the latest guidelines having expired in 2020. The body urged the government to provide more support and stronger planning policy for the mineral planning system.
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