Agenda item

The Committee considered a County Matter planning application made under Section 73 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 (as amended) to vary condition 1 of planning permission: 13/000053/CM to allow for continued use of the site for importation and stockpiling of hardcore and road planings for off-site distribution until the completion of the landfill site in 15 years-time at Summerway Landfill site, Hillary Road, Stourport-on-Severn, 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 Strategic Infrastructure and Economy’s comments in relation to: the Waste Hierarchy, Location of the Development, Green Belt, Landscape Character and Visual Impacts, Residential Amenity (Noise, Dust and Air Quality Impacts), Traffic and Highway Safety, Water Environment and Ecology and Biodiversity.

 

The Head of Strategic Infrastructure and Economy concluded that it was expected that the landfilling operations would have been completed by now, but changes to the regulations relating to landfilling, the introduction of the Landfill Tax and changes in the way waste material was managed to ensure as much as possible was recycled and reused before any residue was disposed of by landfill had significantly reduced landfilling operations. Consequently, the site had previously not received any significant volumes of waste and the applicant had diversified his business to include operations involving the storage and recycling of waste materials. Landfilling and restoration operations continued on the site.

 

The recycling of hardcore and road planings could be considered ancillary to the landfill operations. The applicant had put forward very special circumstances for allowing the proposal to remain in this Green Belt location. However, the Head of Strategic Infrastructure and Economy considered it would be prudent to impose a condition limiting the period of time of operations for a further 5 years after which time the position with regard to the landfill operations and compatibility of ancillary uses such as the hardcore and road planings operations could be reassessed.

 

The Head of Strategic Infrastructure and Economy considered that the proposal would comply with the locational Policies WCS 3, WCS 6 and WCS 7 of the Waste Core Strategy.

 

It was considered that as the proposed development would involve collecting, recycling and reusing hardcore and road planings, it would comply with the objectives of the waste hierarchy.

 

Based on the advice of the County Landscape Officer, it was considered that the proposed development would not have an adverse or detrimental impact upon the character and appearance of the local area, subject to the imposition of appropriate extant planning conditions regarding restricting stockpile heights to prevent visual harm.

 

Based on the advice of Worcestershire Regulatory Services and the Environment Agency, it was considered that the proposal would have no adverse noise, dust or air quality impacts upon residential amenity or that of human health, subject to the imposition of the relevant extant conditions.

 

The Head of Strategic Infrastructure and Economy was satisfied that the proposal would not have an unacceptable impact upon traffic or highway safety, subject to the imposition of appropriate conditions as imposed on the extant planning permission and as recommended by the County Highways Officer.

 

Based on the advice of North Worcestershire Water Management and Severn Trent Water Limited, the Head of Strategic Infrastructure and Economy considered that there would be no adverse effects on the water environment, subject to the imposition of appropriate conditions, as imposed on the extant planning permission

 

The Head of Strategic Infrastructure and Economy considered that the proposal would not have an unacceptable adverse impact on ecology and biodiversity at the site or on the surrounding area.

 

On balance, taking into account the provisions of the Development Plan and in particular Policies WCS 1, WCS 2, WCS 3, WCS 6, WCS 7, WCS 8, WCS 9, WCS 10, WCS 11, WCS 12, WCS 13, WCS 14 and WCS 15 of the Adopted Worcestershire Waste Core Strategy and Policies DS01, CP01, CP02, CP03, CP11, CP12, CP13 and CP14 of the Adopted Wyre Forest District Council Core Strategy and Policies SAL.PFSD1, SAL.GPB1, SAL.CC1, SAL.CC2, SAL.CC4, SAL.CC7, SAL.UP1, SAL.UP5  and SAL.UP9 of the Adopted Wyre Forest District Council Site Allocations and Policies Local Plan, it was considered the proposal would not cause demonstrable harm to the interests intended to be protected by these policies or highway safety.

 

Two other applications for this site were considered at Minute numbers 1023 and 1025.

 

The representative of the Head of Strategic Infrastructure and Economy introduced the report and reminded members that Mr Copley’s comments stated under the previous application, also applied to this application.

 

In the ensuing debate, the following points were raised:

 

·         The local councillor indicated that his comments on the previous application applied to this one. He could see no reason why permission could not be granted for 15 years

·         It was argued that the Committee should be consistent in its decision-making and approve permission for 10 years

·         An amendment to condition a) to grant permission for 15 years was lost.

 

RESOLVED that planning permission be granted for the carrying-out of development pursuant to planning permission reference number 13/000053/CM, without complying with condition 1 of that permission to allow for continued use of the site for importation and stockpiling of hardcore and road planings for off-site distribution until the completion of the landfill site in 15 years-time at Summerway Landfill Site, Hillary Road, Stourport-on-Severn, Worcestershire, subject to the following conditions:

 

a)    The development hereby approved shall cease 10 years from the date of this permission or on the restoration of the landfill site whichever is the sooner;

 

b)   The development hereby permitted shall be carried out in accordance with the details shown on submitted Drawing Numbered: 19/082_01, Rev 1A, except where otherwise stipulated by conditions attached to this permission;

 

c)    The operator shall retain copies of all records associated with the import and export of all hardcore and road planings associated with the operations hereby approved. All records shall include the type, volume and destinations of all materials imported and exported from the site. All records shall be available for future inspection by authorised officers from Worcestershire County Council upon request;

 

d)   The operator shall retain records of all materials imported and disposed of on site to landfill. These records shall include the type and volume of all materials disposed of to landfill on the site. All records shall be made available for future inspection by authorised officers from Worcestershire County Council upon request;

 

e)    The development hereby approved shall only be operated by D E Talbot Transport and shall not be let to, or operated by any other person or company;

 

f)     No more than 4,000 tonnes of brick hardcore and road planings shall be stored at the site at any one time;

 

g)   No more than 30 loads per day of brick hardcore and road planings materials shall be imported to the site;

 

h)   The importation, storage and off-site distribution of road planings and brick hardcore shall only be available for use by the applicant ancillary to the surrounding landfill operation;

 

i)     Stockpiles of road planings and brick hardcore shall not exceed 5 metres in height. Within 3 months of the date of this permission an updated scheme providing a method of visually checking the stockpile height shall be submitted to and agreed in writing by the County Planning Authority and shall be implemented for the duration of the development hereby approved;

 

j)     There shall be no skips stored on the site;

 

k)    The operations hereby approved shall not be made open to the general public;

 

l)     The brick hardcore and road planings operations and movement of heavy vehicles to and from the site in connection with the development hereby approved, shall only take place between 08:00 hours and 16:00 hours Mondays to Fridays inclusive, with no operations being undertaken on Saturdays, Sundays, Bank or Public Holidays;

 

m)  Within 3 months of the date of this permission, an updated scheme for the prevention of mud and detritus being deposited on the public highway shall be submitted to the County Planning Authority for approval in writing. The approved scheme shall be implemented and complied with at all times for the duration of the development hereby approved;

 

n)   There shall be no crushing of road planings or brick hardcore on the site;

 

o)   The development hereby approved shall be carried out in accordance with the submitted Summerway Landfill Particulates Risk Assessment, Ref: ARM/DET/PRA/1.00/2018, the submitted Dust Management Plan, Revision 3.0 and submitted Noise and Vibration Management Plan, Revision 1.00, dated 2018;

 

p)   All surface water runoff generated on the site will as far as reasonably practicable be dealt with on the site and not discharged onto the public highway;

 

q)   Within 3 months of the date of this permission, details of sheltered and secure bicycle parking to comply to comply with Worcestershire County Council’s Streetscape Design Guide shall be submitted to the County Planning Authority for approval in writing. Thereafter the development shall be carried out in accordance with the approved details, and the approved cycle parking shall be kept available for the parking of bicycles only;

 

r)     The Employment Travel Plan referenced in Chapter 6 of the submitted Enviroarm Ltd Transport Statement, dated December 2018 shall be implemented and monitored in accordance with the regime contained within the Plan for the duration of the operations hereby approved. These shall include:

 

                     i.        A travel welcome pack for all employees:

                    ii.        Details of a car sharing scheme for use in accessing the site;

                   iii.        Information on walk, cycle routes to and from the site and public transport maps and information;

                   iv.        Robust targets for achieving a mode shift from private vehicle use to sustainable modes of transport at the site;

                    v.        The appointment of a Travel Plan Coordinator to implement, manage and monitor the Travel Plan and to report on its findings.

 

In the event of failing to meet the targets within the Plan a revised Plan shall be submitted to and approved in writing by the County Planning Authority to address any shortfalls, and where necessary make provision for and promote improved sustainable forms of access to and from the site. The Plan thereafter shall be implemented and updated in agreement with the County Planning Authority and thereafter implemented as amended;

 

s)    There shall be no burning of any materials on the site; and

 

t)     The landscape scheme for the site shall be maintained in accordance with the approved scheme pursuant to condition 17 on permission reference: 13/000054/CM, dated 17 February 2014.

 

Mr C Rogers asked that his vote against the decision be recorded in the Minutes.