There will be no open call for research submissions under the Sustainable Land-won and Marine Dredged Aggregate Minerals Programme for 2007-08.
Please refer to the MIST Programme at www.mi-st.org.uk

Mineral Safeguarding for Sustainable Communities
British Geological Survey, Keyworth, Nottingham, NG12 5GG

A free, half day event on the 27th March at BGS, Keyworth, to disseminate findings from the "Safeguarding Aggregates and the Environment (Mineral Consultation Areas)" project, which is funded by the Aggregate Levy Sustainability Fund.
Research and consultation has been carried out by the British Geological Survey and partners. Many of the survey outcomes have been incorporated into the newly published Minerals Policy Statement 1 (Nov 2006), which has introduced a new obligation to define Mineral Safeguarding Areas (MSAs).
Results of this project, including clear and relevant guidance to all levels of planners on how to go about delineating MSAs and the processes involved in applying them, will be provided at our dissemination event. It will be of relevance to planners in all types of authorities, to potential developers and other interested parties. For further information, please see the Information Flyer.

The Gloucester Geoconservation Trust (GGT) held a launch event for The Geodiversity Audit and Local Geodiversity Action Plan (LGAP) for the Gloucestershire Cotswolds at The Tithe Barn, Brockworth, on the 7th October. The launch of the LGAP marked the successful completion of the SAMP funded project 2.34 “Geodiversity on the Cotswolds” and will help to both promote and protect the nationally important geodiversity in the Gloucestershire Cotswolds. Three excellent talks were given by Mark Campbell (GGT Chairman), David Glenn (Managing Director, Huntsmans Quarries Ltd) and Adrian Phillips (Gloucestershire Environmental Trust Co.) and displays were shown by Cotswolds AONB, Huntsmans Quarries Ltd, The Geology Trusts, Gloucestershire Geoconservation Trust, Capita Symonds and the Cotswold Hills Geopark.

A copy of the LGAP can be downloaded from the Research area of this site or from www.glosgeotrust.org.uk. For a hard copy or further information on this project please contact:
Claire Reid at Gloucestershire Geoconservation Trust on 01452 864438, or
Claire@glosgeotrust.org.uk.

In March 2005 the ODPM commissioned a research project to investigate the impact of the first phase of the Sustainable Land-Won and Marine Dredged Aggregate Minerals Programme (SAMP) 2002 – 2004. The research project takes the form of a survey of aggregates industry stakeholders which assess the impact of SAMP by ascertaining stakeholder awareness, evaluates the influence of the research on industry practice and establishes to what degree the programme has contributed to the minerals planning process. In addition to investigating the impact on stakeholders the survey seeks to obtain recommendations from stakeholders on how the dissemination process could be improved, what further research would be welcomed and how future research could be better managed and co-ordinated. To view this report.  click here