Agenda item

The Committee considered the installation of a kiosk to house control equipment for sewage treatment upgrades and associated infrastructure (part-retrospective) at Alvechurch Sewage Treatment Works, Redditch Road, Alvechurch, Worcestershire.

The report set out the background of the proposal, the proposal itself, the relevant planning policy and details of the site, consultations and representations.

The report set out the Head of Planning and Transport Planning’s comments in relation to Green Belt, Location of the development, Residential amenity, visual impact and landscape character, Historic environment, Traffic and highway safety, Water environment, Ecology and biodiversity, Other Matters - Access for Fire Service vehicles, Human Rights Act 1998, and Obligations under the Equality Act 2010.

The Head of Planning and Transport Planning concluded that in accordance with paragraph 11 c) of the NPPF, development proposal that accorded with an up-to-date Development Plan should be approved without delay and taking in to account the provisions of the Development Plan and in particular Policies WCS 1, WCS 3, WCS 6, WCS 8, WCS 9, WCS 10, WCS 11, WCS 12, WCS 13, WCS 14, and WCS 15 of the adopted Worcestershire Waste Core Strategy, Policies BDP1, BDP4, BDP16, BDP19, BDP20, BDP21, BDP23, and BDP24 of the adopted Bromsgrove District Plan, and Policies HDNE 1, HDNE 2, HDNE 3, HDNE 4, HDNE 6, GAT 1 and GAT 3 of the made Alvechurch Parish Neighbourhood Plan, it was considered the proposal would not cause demonstrable harm to the interests intended to be protected by these policies.

The representative of the Head of Planning and Transport Planning introduced the report and commented that

In the ensuing debate, the following points were made:

·         The improvement to this sewage treatment facility was welcomed given the need to reduce the levels of pollutants entering the local water courses

·         What extra capacity had been built into this facility to deal with the future expansion of the surrounding area? The representative of the Head of Planning and Transport Planning responded that the application and the Environmental Permit included the capacity to deal with any future expansion of growth albeit he could not confirm to what scale

·         In response to a query, the representative of the Head of Planning and Transport Planning indicated that Bromsgrove District Council had an adopted local plan. However, there was nothing in the public domain regarding site allocation. Focus was currently on the revision of the plan and the District Council had indicated that there would be a slight delay to its release as more evidence was being gathered. Therefore, it was not possible to comment on future development until the plan was released probably in 2023

·         It was requested that the design of these kiosks be improved for future applications. 

RESOLVED that planning permission be granted for the installation of a kiosk to house control equipment for sewage upgrades and associated infrastructure (Part-Retrospective) at Alvechurch Sewage Treatment Works, Redditch Road, Alvechurch, Worcestershire, subject to the following conditions:

Approved Plans

1)    The development hereby approved shall be carried out in accordance with the details shown on the following approved drawings, except where otherwise stipulated by conditions attached to this permission:

·         610035-GTE-ZZ-ZZ-DR-T-0002, titled: ‘Planning Drawings Proposed Site Layout’, dated 26 January 2022;

·         610035-GTE-ZZ-ZZ-DR-T-0003, titled: ‘Tertiary Solids Removal Plant Control Kiosk, Proposed GA and Elevations’, dated 26 January 2022;

·         610035 GTE-ZZ-ZZ-DR-T-ZZ-DR-T-0006, titled: ‘Site Location Plan’, dated 26 January 2022;

·         610035-GTE-ZZ-ZZ-DR-T-0007, titled: ‘Planning Drawings Existing Site Layout’, dated February 2022.

Construction and Working Hours

2)        Construction works shall only be carried out on the site between 07:00 to 17:00 hours on Mondays to Fridays inclusive, with no construction work on Saturdays, Sundays, Bank Holidays or Public Holidays.

3)        Within 6 months of date of this permission, a Habitat Enhancement Plan shall be submitted to the County Planning Authority for approval in writing. The Habitat Enhancement Plan shall include a Biodiversity Metric Assessment and specify the nature, extent, target condition, number and location of any enhancement measures, such as habitats, bird or bat boxes or hedgehog or invertebrate refuges. For semi-natural habitats specified, prescriptions for their creation and management through establishment to a selected period by which they should reach an intended target condition must be specified. Thereafter, Habitat Enhancement Plan shall be implemented in accordance with the approved details and measures maintained for a period of at least 5 years. On completion of the implementation of the Habitat Enhancement Plan, a Statement of Conformity shall be drafted by a suitably qualified ecologist and submitted to the County Planning Authority and Worcestershire Biological Record Centre.

Lighting

4)     Details of any new lighting to be installed at the site shall be submitted to the County Planning Authority for approval in writing prior to being erected. The details shall include details of the height of all lighting, the intensity of lighting (specified in Lux levels), spread of light, including approximate light spillage levels (in metres), the times when the lighting would be illuminated, any measures proposed to mitigate impact of the lighting or disturbance through glare and upon protected species and habitats. Thereafter, the development shall be carried out in accordance with the approved details.

Contaminated Land

5)     In the event that contamination is found at any time when carrying out the development hereby approved that was not previously identified, it must be reported immediately to the County Planning Authority. The applicant is advised to immediately seek the advice of an independent geo-environmental consultant experienced in contaminated land risk assessment, including intrusive investigations and remediation. No further works shall be undertaken in the areas of suspected contamination, other than that work required to be carried out as part of an approved remediation scheme, until requirements a. to d. below have been complied with:

a.    Detailed site investigation and risk assessment must be undertaken by competent persons in accordance with the Environment Agency's 'Land Contamination: Risk Management' guidance and a written report of the findings produced. The risk assessment must be designed to assess the nature and extent of suspected contamination and approved by the County Planning Authority prior to any further development taking place;

b.    Where identified as necessary, a detailed remediation scheme to bring the site to a condition suitable for the intended use by removing unacceptable risks to identified receptors must be prepared and is subject to the approval of the County Planning Authority in advance of undertaking. The remediation scheme must ensure that the site will not qualify as Contaminated Land under Part 2A Environmental Protection Act 1990 in relation to the intended use of the land after remediation;

c.    The approved remediation scheme must be carried out in accordance with its terms prior to the re-commencement of any site works in the areas of suspected contamination, other than that work required to carry out remediation; and

d.    Following completion of measures identified in the approved remediation scheme a verification report that demonstrates the effectiveness of the remediation carried out must be produced and is subject to the approval of the County Planning Authority prior to the development being brought into use.