Report

The Woodsmith Project - S73 Project Amendments : Planning Statement

Development Plan. Strategic Policy K notes that development will be supported where it fosters the economic and social well-being of communities within the National Park. Policy M22 of the North Yorkshire Minerals and Waste Joint Plan supports the extraction of potash associated with the Woodsmith Project, with Policy S03 seeking to ensure the long-term availability of mineral rights at the Woodsmith mine (and potash mining more generally), reflecting its importance to the local economy. In Redcar and Cleveland, Policy LS4 sets out objectives relating to the economy, connectivity and the environment in the area. Policy objective “m.” confirms the council and its partners will aim to support development related to the Woodsmith Project (referred to in the document as the ‘North Yorkshire Polyhalite project’). The Tees Valley Joint Minerals and Waste Core Strategy DPD sets out the approach to maintaining a reliable minerals supply while safeguarding key resources in the Tees Valley. It places emphasis on ensuring that minerals and waste operations uphold high standards of environmental protection, design, management and site restoration, and safeguard public amenity and natural, historic and cultural assets. Chapter 12 of the SES assesses whether the amendments to the previously approved development are likely to result in significantly different socio-economic impacts to those identified in the 2014 Environmental Statement. During construction, the assessment describes how the Project is expected to support an average workforce of approximately 1,530 full-time equivalent (FTE) jobs , with a peak of around 2,654 workers over an estimated 10-year construction period . Monitoring since 2018 indicates that 60–75% of workers are home-based within the Woodsmith Mine Commuting Zone (WMCZ), substantially exceeding the local employment assumptions used in the 2014 ES. At peak, home-based employment would represent approximately 1% of the working-age population within the WMCZ. The increased workforce and higher level of local recruitment mean that the direct employment effects of construction are now assessed as temporary, medium-term and moderate beneficial, representing an increase in the scale of local economic benefits compared with the 2014 ES. Construction expenditure will also generate substantial indirect employment through the supply chain and induced employment through increased household spending. The amendments to the approved development are expected to increase the total indirect and induced employment supported by construction activity to approximately 2,840 FTE jobs . These impacts are assessed as temporary, medium-term and moderate beneficial at regional and sub-regional levels. Since construction commenced the project has added £1.94 billion to the regional economy of Yorkshire and the North-east. It is estimated to generate an additional £1.7 billion to the regional economy for the remainder of construction. During operation, the development is expected to support approximately 1,150 direct operational jobs at full production. These employment effects remain major beneficial at NYMNP and district levels, moderate beneficial within the wider commuting zone, and minor beneficial at the regional level, consistent with the conclusions of the 2014 ES.

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