About the Minerals and Waste Local Plan

About the Minerals and Waste Local Plan

Surrey County Council is responsible for planning for minerals and waste in Surrey. This means making sure there is a sufficient supply of minerals, such as sand and gravel, and enough facilities to manage the county's waste.

To do this, we need an up-to-date minerals and waste local plan that guides future development and planning decisions. 

In November 2021, we started preparing a Minerals and Waste Local Plan to replace the county’s existing minerals and waste planning policies. The Minerals and Waste Local Plan was originally scheduled to be published for public consultation in June 2027 and adopted in 2029.

However, in March 2026, the Government introduced a new system for preparing local plans in England, which includes the requirement for local plans to be prepared and adopted within 30-months. 

As a result, we must stop work on the old-style Minerals and Waste Local Plan and begin preparing a new-style Minerals and Waste Local Plan under the Government’s new plan-making system.

Notice of Intention to Commence

Before work on the new-style Minerals and Waste Local Plan could begin, Surrey County Council was required to: 

• publish a notice confirming its intention to prepare a new-style Minerals and Waste Local Plan 
• formally withdraw the previous version of the old-style Minerals and Waste Local Plan 
• publish a timetable setting out the key stages and expected timescales for preparing the new-style Minerals and Waste Local Plan 

These requirements had to be completed by 31 December 2026. Surrey County Council completed all three steps on 6 August 2026. This began a four-month notification period to inform stakeholders that work on the new-style Minerals and Waste Local Plan was starting. The timetable will be updated throughout the plan-making process. 

Surrey County Council has published its notice of intention to commence and timetable for the new-style Minerals and Waste Local Plan on its website, but you can also find these documents on Commonplace. 

Scoping Consultation

The first opportunity for stakeholders, including residents and businesses, to get involved in the preparation of the Minerals and Waste Local Plan will be when Surrey County Council undertakes its Scoping Consultation later this year. This public consultation will be open for six weeks between 17 December 2026 and 29 January 2027.

The purpose of the Scoping Consultation is to find out what stakeholders want to see in the Minerals and Waste Local Plan and how they want to be involved in its preparation.

Gateway 1 of the new plan-making system

The new plan-making system requires Surrey County Council to give a minimum 4-month notice period before starting preparation of the Minerals and Waste Local Plan. Preparation of the plan will formally commence on 19 March 2027 when Surrey County Council publishes its Gateway 1 Self-Assessment Summary.

Passing through Gateway 1 marks the start of the 30-month preparation period for the Minerals and Waste Local Plan. From 1 April 2027, East Surrey Council and West Surrey Council will continue preparation of the plan. Towards the end of the 30-month period, the Minerals and Waste Local Plan will be submitted to the Planning Inspectorate for examination in public so that it can be adopted by East Surrey Council and West Surrey Council in 2029.

Once the Minerals and Waste Local Plan has been adopted,  it will replace the existing planning policy framework for minerals and waste management development in Surrey. However, before the plan is adopted, the existing framework will remain relevant to making planning decisions:

• Surrey Minerals Plan Core Strategy 2011
• Surrey Primary Aggregates Development Plan Document 2011
• Surrey Minerals Site Restoration Supplementary Planning Document 2011
• Surrey Joint Aggregates Recycling Development Plan Document 2013
• Surrey Waste Local Plan 2020

Local Government Reorganisation

Surrey County Council will start the process of preparing a new-style Minerals and Waste Local Plan. 

However, from 1 April 2027, responsibility for the plan will transfer to East Surrey Council and West Surrey Council  as part of local government reorganisation in Surrey. Surrey County Council will cease to exist, and the two new councils will become the minerals and waste planning authorities for their respective areas.

The Government is encouraging Surrey County Council to progress with the Minerals and Waste Local Plan now to ensure that stakeholders have an up-to-date plan in place as soon as possible to provide certainty and deliver the homes and infrastructure the country needs.

Having an up-to-date Minerals and Waste Local Plan will direct minerals and waste management development to the most suitable places in the county and provide for the mineral resources and waste management facilities Surrey needs.

Contact the Minerals and Waste Planning Policy Team

If you wish to be kept informed about public consultations, changes to the local plan timetable and other updates relating to the preparation of the new-style MWLP, you can subscribe to our latest news mailing list on Commonplace.

If you require further information about minerals and waste management development in the county, the existing Minerals and Waste Development Framework, or other services that the Minerals and Waste Policy Team provide, you can visit our dedicated minerals and waste policy page.

If you have any queries, please contact the Minerals and Waste Planning Policy Team using the details below:

Email: mineralsandwaste.localplan@surreycc.gov.uk

Post:
Minerals and Waste Policy Team
Place, Strategic Spatial Planning
Victoria Gate
Chobham Rd
Woking
GU21 6JD

Phone: 03456 009 009