PEOPLE in Wyre Forest are being encouraged to share their views to help shape future policy on minerals, which will take in where they are extracted in the future and restoration of sites.

Minerals, used in building houses, schools, hospitals and roads, occur naturally due to variations in geology.

That means they are not evenly distributed. In Worcestershire, there is sand and gravel, crushed rock, brick clay, silica sand, coal deposits and salt.

The Worcestershire County Council Minerals Local Plan will set out guidelines for the next 15 years to ensure the county has the right amounts, any developments happen in the right places and the right policies are in place to control the impacts they might have on the environment, transport or those living nearby.

The policies will also control what happens to mineral workings after all the useful material has been extracted.

A 12-week consultation was officially launched last Wednesday, giving people the opportunity to share their comments.

To give residents the full picture, background information is included in the consultation document, which is available at Worcestershire Hubs and libraries.

Alternatively, details are available at worcestershire.gov.uk/minerals, where questionnaires can be completed online. PDF versions can be downloaded and printed via the dedicated website section.

An information event is being held on Saturday, November 10, between 9.30am and noon at Worcester Woods Country Park, near County Hall.

Conservative county councillor Simon Geraghty, Deputy Leader and cabinet member for economy and infrastructure, said: "We cannot control what type of minerals we have in Worcestershire and where they might be found.

“However, what we can do is ensure we have clear policies in place so the correct sites are found and then protected, both during and after work is completed.

"We want people to give us their views now so the eventual final Minerals Local Plan is truly shaped by the people of Worcestershire.”