APPENDIX 1
Memorandum submitted by the Planning Service
(Minerals Unit), Department of the Environment, Northern Ireland
THE EFFECTS OF THE INTRODUCTION OF THE AGGREGATES
TAX LEVY ON MINERAL OPERATIONS IN NORTHERN IRELAND
1. The aggregates tax was introduced into
the minerals industry in Northern Ireland in April 2002.
2. The nature of the quarrying industry
in NI is different to that in GB. There are only a limited number
of large multi-nationals eg Tarmac extracting minerals in NI compared
to the rest of the UK. On the other hand there is a considerable
number of small family owned quarries dispersed across NI who
have been in the minerals business for many years. These quarries
on the whole are small scale compared to those in GB with outputs
between 200-300,000 tonnes per year but taken together highlight
that NI relies more heavily on the quarrying industry than other
regions in the UK. Ni quarries are primarily located in rural
areas where the density of population is greater than would be
found in the rest of GB.
3. Outlined in the table below is a summary
of the number of unauthorised quarrying sites in NI which were
brought to the attention of the Department either by members of
the public or reported through the industry.
| Financial Year |
No of Quarry Sites |
| 01/04/98-31/03/99 | 22 |
| 01/04/99-31/03/00 | 11 |
| 01/04/00-31/03/01 | 13 |
| 01/03/01-31/03/02 | 20 |
| 01/03/02-31/03/03 | 38 |
| Breach of condition and unauthorised plant/machinery are not included in these statistics.
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From the above figures it can be seen that after April 2002
when the Aggregates Tax was introduced there was a significant
increase in the number of unauthorised quarries which had opened
up in NI—some 18 sites detected over the previous financial
year 2001-02.
The only explanation Planning Service can give for this increase
is the introduction of the aggregates tax. Many, but not all of
these unauthorised sites were located in close proximity to the
international border with the Republic of Ireland.
4. Most of these unauthorised sites are being operated
by one or two men who make use of small JCB type excavators, mobile
processing plant and HGVs to transport the extracted mineral to
the consumer. At no time do these unauthorised operators gain
access to explosives to extract the minerals as these are strictly
controlled in NI by the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI).
There is an established liaison between PSNI and Planning Service
(Minerals Unit) if there is any doubt about an operator. The operators
of the unauthorised sites would not have taken any regard to Health
and Safety at quarries which is controlled by the Quarry Inspectorate
of the Health and Safety Executive (NI). Dangerous machinery,
unbunded fuel tanks, substandard vehicle access with no sight
visibility splays onto the public road, no regard for the environmental
effects of their operations on adjoining neighbours eg noise and
dust, unsafe working quarry face heights and in many cases untaxed
HGVs would not be uncommon among such operators.
5. In terms of increased workload for Minerals Unit of
Planning Service, the Unit had an enforcement resource of two
junior staff when the aggregates tax was introduced. This has
since been reduced to one member of staff at June 2003. (From
the start of July 2003 Special Studies Section has had an increase
in enforcement staff to assist in the workload). This person has
a full workload of between 150 and 175 cases to process including
breaches of planning condition and unauthorised operation of quarry
plant and machinery. Enforcement is a time-consuming process with
cases often running for one and two years before there is an outcome.
In all cases where unauthorised extraction is commenced the Department
has to assess quickly whether there is a priority need in policy
terms to take immediate enforcement action by serving Enforcement/Stop
Notices. This implies that all sites must be inspected within
a given time period of coming to the attention of the Department.
As minerals planning in NI is a headquarters function and is centrally
based in Belfast it means staff have long distances to travel
to carry out investigative work to produce a site report. Enforcement
section is therefore fully stretched to cope with an ever-increasing
workload.
6. In my opinion the number of unauthorised extraction
sites will continue to increase in the foreseeable future as powers
of enforcement are weak and resources inadequate to deal with
the situation. There is an increasing number of farmers trying
to diversify their income by other means due to the general slump
in income from agriculture. In so doing they are turning to extracting
minerals from their farm holdings hoping to sell such rock to
local builders. The builders are only too pleased to be supplied
with building material at a lower cost than it could have obtained
from the legitimate quarry operator who has had to comply with
all the rules and regulations but has had to bear the increased
aggregates tax cost.
7. CONCLUSION:
As a result of introducing the aggregates tax into NI Planning
Service would state the following conclusions can be reached from
feed back from operators and practice:
(1) Increased workload for enforcement section of Planning
Service(Minerals Unit).
(2) Unauthorised sites are being operated without regard
to regulations which are imposed and complied with by authorised
operators.
(3) Diversification of agriculture has led to an increase
in the number of unauthorised extraction sites.
(4) Limited enforcement resources causes delay in pursuing
unauthorised extraction.
(5) Authorised operators feel they are being penalised
due to slow, ineffective means of controlling the unauthorised
operations—not a level playing field.
26 August 2003
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