Mineral Resources for Sustainable Communities
The Scottish Government offered the British Geological Survey (BGS) grant of £135,000 in 2007-08 for a project to enhance the sustainability of mineral resources in Scotland by providing a comprehensive, relevant and accessible information base, facilitating the conservation and safeguarding of non-renewable mineral resources for future generations. BGS co-funded this project through its Sustainable Mineral Solutions project.
A key aspect of sustainable development is the conservation and safeguarding of non-renewable resources, such as minerals, for future generations. The UK is endowed with a wide range of indigenous minerals. However, these resources are finite and they can only be worked where they occur. These indigenous minerals play a fundamental role in underpinning the growth of many sectors of the UK economy and in contributing to the UK's high standard of living. It is, therefore, important to know where these minerals are in order to help ensure an adequate and steady supply of minerals into the future.
In Phase 1 mineral resource maps for North Lanarkshire and East Ayrshire were compiled and entered into a GIS based mineral information system. Phase 2 was a half day consultation workshop on June 6 2007 at the BGS office in Edinburgh - which obtained the views of stakeholders on the type and detail of mineral information required and how this should be disseminated to achieve the highest impact and uptake. Approximately 45 delegates attended from a wide variety of sectors, including local planners, government officers, environmental organisations, industry and trade associations.
The feedback obtained was used in Phase 3 to ensure that the deliverables were effective and informative using the resources available. As a result four mineral resource maps, a digital dataset and webGIS were collated. A "guide to minerals information within the central belt of Scotland" was also produced, creating a concise source of information about issues surrounding the supply of mineral resource, with pointers directing users to useful sources of more detailed information. Data were grouped into one of five map areas broadly adhering to Strategic Development Plan regions, giving a strategic overview of the mineral resources within the study area. Meetings were held with planners from several local authorities across central Scotland, the Quarry Products Association Scotland, Planning Aid for Scotland and the Scottish Government.
Phase 4 was a dissemination event on March 12 2008 in Edinburgh. Feedback and recommendations for further work were obtained during this event, which attracted 32 stakeholders from varying sectors. The project and its deliverables were very well received and the project was acknowledged as worthwhile and of benefit to the attendees and mineral planning community. The information produced was thought to be useful as part of the strategic planning process and could be routinely used as a strategic tool to help avoid sterilisation of mineral resources.
See this page for the mineral resource maps for Ayrshire, Strathclyde, the Lothians, Clackmannanshire, Fife and Falkirk.
Within its one year time span, this project helped highlight issues surrounding the supply of mineral resources in Scotland. Mineral resource information was provided for 18 local authorities in the central belt of Scotland. The information from this project can be used by stakeholders to assist debate, to promote planning and decision-making in the supply and conservation (such as building stones) of mineral resources or to identify areas where land use conflict potentially may occur before more detailed analysis is undertaken.
The mineral resource information for sustainable communities project succeeded in providing information to enable better quality engagement, consultation and debate and help promote sustainable decision making within the central belt of Scotland. It provided the opportunity for stakeholders to discuss issues surrounding the sustainable supply of mineral resources and contribute to the final project deliverables, ensuring that they are useful and informative. Mineral information was collated to enhance knowledge and understanding of mineral resources and issues surrounding their supply. Consequently this information base can now be used to help improve the effectiveness of planning and decision making on mineral issues in accordance with key objectives of Scottish Planning Policy 4: Planning for Minerals.
Further information, including the webGIS, can be found on the BGS MineralsUK website www.bgs.ac.uk/mineralsuk. You can also read more Scottish Government information on minerals.
The British Geological Survey is a component body of the Natural Environment Research Council.
For more information, please contact BGS Enquiries at:
Enquiries
British Geological Survey
Keyworth
Nottingham
NG12 5GG
E-mail: enquiries@bgs.ac.uk
Telephone: 0115 936 3143
Fax: 0115 936 3276