Aggregate Minerals (AM) surveys, normally undertaken at four-yearly intervals since 1973, but at five yearly intervals for the current and previous survey, provide an in-depth and up-to-date understanding of national and sub-national sales, inter-regional flows, transportation, consumption and permitted reserves of primary aggregates. The AM survey aims to provide comprehensive data for monitoring and facilitating aggregates provision at local, regional and national level. The output is used mainly by the Government, MPAs, industry and environmental interest groups. The surveys are used to inform the development of minerals policy in respect to the production, movement and consumption of aggregates. The data are made publicly available.
This report is the collation of the data for primary aggregates for 2019. In addition to presenting information on regional and national sales, consumption, and permitted reserves of primary aggregates, the AM2019 report also presents data on the movement and consumption of primary aggregates by sub-region. Information is also presented on the quantity of aggregate minerals granted and refused planning permission and planning applications withdrawn between 2015 and 2019. In addition, information is presented on the quantity of aggregate minerals within planning applications submitted between 2015 and 2019 which were awaiting a decision at 31 December 2019.
The information is presented for England and Wales, for individual regions and, where relevant, sub-regions. It was collected from aggregate producers (reserves, sales and sales by destination) and Mineral Planning Authorities (MPAs) (planning permissions) using standard survey forms. The information submitted via these forms was collated by the British Geological Survey (BGS) on behalf of the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) and the Welsh Government. Similar information was published by the then Department of the Environment for 1973, 1977, 1985, 1989 and 1993, the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions for 1997, the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister for 2001, the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) and the Welsh Assembly Government for 2005 and 2009 and DCLG and the Welsh Government for 2014 (Appendix H). Comparisons of sales, consumption and permitted reserves for these years and 2019 are provided in Tables D1 to D3