Aggregate supply and demand for sustainable communities : a practical approach to problem-solving [executive summary]

Adequate supply of aggregate resources is vital for developing and sustaining our modern society. However, these resources are finite and can only be extracted from where they occur. The Milton Keynes and South Midlands (MKSM) Growth Zone was first identified by the Regional Planning Guidance for the South East (RPG9, 2001). The Sustainable Communities Plan, published by the former ODPM in 2003, to help address the acute housing shortage in England a sustainable pattern of development, identified potential for up to 370 000 new homes within the Growth Zone by 2031. The Milton Keynes & South Midlands Sub- Regional Strategy (2005) provides a detailed analysis of areas with potential for development within the Growth Zone and considers factors including employment, transport links and utilities. This report presents an analysis of aggregate resource availability in and around the growth zone. It also considers past and present aggregate supply and demand, environmental factors, and transport and planning issues. It aims to establish mechanisms for supplying the resources required to develop sustainable communities in designated growth zones. The Project Area encompasses the MKSM Growth Zone and surrounding areas with potential sand and gravel resource. This executive summary provides a digest of a much more detailed technical report – ‘Aggregate supply and demand for sustainable communities: a practical approach to problem solving’ (Harrison et al., 2007). It is intended for use principally by those involved in planning and economic development.