Appendix. C Glossary of Terms and Abbreviations.
After-care: Steps necessary to bring restored land up to the required standard for the intended after-use.
After-use: The ultimate use after mineral workings are restored.
Aggregates: Sand, gravel, crushed rock and other bulk materials used by the construction industry.
Agricultural Land Classification: The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food grading system based on the degree to which soil, relief and climate impose long term limitations on agricultural land.
Ancient Woodland: An area of woodland which has had a continuous history of tree cover since at least 1600.
Ancillary Operations: Those activities associated with the winning and working of minerals eg processing plant.
Aquifer: A water bearing geological formation.
Area of High Landscape Value: Areas in County Durham where the landscape characteristics and overall appearance are considered to be of sufficient importance to the character of the County to require special recognition.
Area of Search: A broad area within which some mineral extraction may be acceptable, subject to detailed consideration.
Borrow Pit: A temporary mineral working to supply material for a specific construction project.
Bulk Fill: Filling material of low economic value used in construction projects.
Bund: Artificial embankment to screen mineral development or contain tipped materials.
Carboniferous: The period of geological time between 345 and 280 million years ago.
Concreting Sand: Angular grains of sand suitable for use in concrete manufacture.
Contaminated Land: Any land which appears to the local authority in whose area it is situated to be in such a condition, by reason of substances
in, on or under the land that: (a) significant harm is being caused or there is a possibility of such harm being caused; or
(b) pollution of controlled waters* is being, or is likely to be caused.
(* controlled waters include the sea, up to 3 miles offshore, estuaries, water contained in underground strata, and most lakes,
ponds, reservoirs, rivers and other watercourses)
County Geological Site: An area recognised by the County Council as being of importance for its geological or geomorphological features.
County Wildlife Site: An area recognised by the County Council as being of importance for its wildlife (flora and fauna).
Derelict Land: Land so damaged by industrial or other development that it is incapable of beneficial use without treatment. This covers disused or abandoned land requiring restoration works to bring it into use or to improve its appearance. It does not include land which might have a derelict appearance from natural causes such as marshland, mud flats or sand dunes, neglected woods or farmland, waste land, generally land formerly affected by development but which, with time, has blended into the landscape.
Disposal Point: Location for the loading, unloading or transhipment of minerals or mineral products on, from or between transport modes.
Dolomite (mineral): A double carbonate of calcium and magnesium (chemical formula Ca Mg (CO³)²) occurring as crystals in dolomite rock.
Dolomite (rock): Technically a rock containing in excess of 90% of mineral dolomite, but commonly applied to rock containing in excess of 15% of mineral dolomite.
Dormant Site: A site with planning permission on which mineral operations have temporarily or permanently ceased.
Environmental Assessment: The process of assessing the environmental impact of a development proposal prior to determining a planning application. It is a statutory requirement for certain forms of development, based on scale, nature and location of the proposal.
Established need: A need for a mineral when assessed against existing permitted reserves of suitable material, taking into account any sub-regional apportionments and other appropriate policy guidance.
Export Terminal: Central collection point for final distribution for oil or gas from a productive field.
Fines: Silt and clay sized fraction of a deposit finer than 60 microns.
Greenhouse Gas: Gas whose emission is considered to contribute to global warming ('the greenhouse effect').
Hard Rock: Consolidated rock such as limestone and granite.
Hectare: Metric unit of area. 1 hectare = 10,000 square metres or 2.471 acres.
High Grade Dolomite: Dolomite rock which has few impurities, particularly iron oxide, silica and alumina, so that when it is used for the production of magnesia, as a steel flux, as an iron sinter, or in the glass making industry such impurities do not impair the quality of the subsequent product.
IDO: Interim Development Order. A permission granted under the Town and Country Planning (General Interim Development) Order 1946.
Igneous: Rocks originating from a molten state which are characteristically of crystalline composition.
Landbank: A stock of mineral reserves with planning permission for their winning and working.
Local Agenda 21: grouping of interested parties aiming to promote sustainability at the local level.
Local Biodiversity Action Plan: local strategy aimed at conserving biological diversity.
Local Nature Reserve: A nature reserve designated by a local authority on land in which it has a legal interest.
MPA: Mineral planning authority.
MPG: Minerals Planning Guidance note published by the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions.
Magnesian Limestone: Technically a limestone containing between 5 and 15% of the mineral dolomite, the remaining part being largely the mineral calcite. The term is also used to identify Permian age limestone and dolomite features in eastern England.
Mineral: Rock or other material which has a commercial value for which it may be extracted (a planning not a geological definition).
Mineral Consultation Area: An area identified in order to ensure consultation between the relevant District Planning Authority, the minerals industry and the County Council before certain non-mineral planning applications made within the area are determined.
Mineral Development: Any activity related to the exploration for or winning and working of minerals, including tipping of spoil and ancillary operations such as the use of processing plant.
Mineral Working Deposit: Deposit of waste material arising from mineral extraction or processing.
Natura 2000 series: Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) and Special Protection Areas (SPAs) jointly form the Natura 2000 series.
Natural Areas: Areas of countryside identified by their unique combination of physical attributes, wildlife, land use and culture, providing a distinctive nature conservation character which should be sustained. Identification of the conservation objectives for each Natural Area allows targeted management and enhancement of nature conservation features by any land managers, operators and planners.
Opencast Working: A form of surface mining to win minerals, where the overburden is literally 'cast' from the working face to the rear as the mineral is exposed.
Overburden: Soil and other material that overlays a mineral deposit which has to be excavated and either tipped or stockpiled to gain access to the underlying mineral.
Planning Conditions: Conditions attached to a planning permission for the purpose of regulating the development.
Primary Aggregates: Naturally occurring sand, gravel and crushed rock used for construction purposes.
PPG: Planning Policy Guidance note published by the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions.
Permian: The period of geological time between 280 and 225 million years ago.
Proposed Nationally Important Nature Conservation Sites: A term used where the Government have indicated their intention to define an area as a SSSI, NNRs, etc. but have yet to complete the consultation process.
Recycled Aggregates: Aggregates produced from recycled construction waste such as crushed concrete, planings from tarmac roads, etc.
Restoration: Operations associated with the winning and working of minerals designed to return the area to an acceptable environmental state, whether for the resumption of the former land use or for a new use. Includes events which take place before and during mineral extraction, such as soil handling, and later operations such as filling and contouring or the creation of planned water areas and after-care.
Restoration Blasting: The use of blasting other than for mineral extraction in order to assist in the creation of a suitable restored landform.
RIGs: Regionally important geological/ geomorphological site (of equivalent status to County Geological Site).
Scheduled ancient monument (SAM): An archaeological site legally protected by the terms of the 1979 Ancient Monuments and Areas Act. Any proposed activity which will physically disturb such sites requires consent from the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport.
Secondary Aggregates: By-product waste, synthetic materials and soft rock used with or without processing.
Site of Nature Conservation Importance (SNCIs): A composite term including County Wildlife Sites, County Geomorphological/ Geological Sites and Regionally Important Geomorphological/Geological Sites.
Sites and Monuments Record (SMR): A listing of all known archaeological sites within the County. Maintained by the County Council Arts, Libraries and Museums Department.
SSSI: A Site of Special Scientific Interest is defined under Section 28 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 as an area of special interest by reason of any of its flora, fauna, geological or physiographical features. Notification of SSSIs is the duty of English Nature. Selection of SSSIs is a continuing process, and a review of existing sites is likely during the life of the Plan.
Special Area of Conservation: Part of a recognised network of important habitat types included in the European Union's Habitat Directive.
Special Protection Area (SPA): Sites already of SSSI designation, given special protection under the European Directive of 1979 for the Conservation of Wild Birds.
Sterilisation: When a change of use, or the development, of land prevents possible mineral exploitation in the foreseeable future.
Tonnes: Metric weight, equivalent to 1000kg, 2204 pounds or 0.984 tons.