ROADS AND DEVELOPMENT SUB-COMMITTEE ITEM 16
11TH JUNE 1990
DEVELOPMENT AT BLACKBUSHE AIRPORT: CONSULTATIONS AND COUNTY MATTER
APPLICATION (APPLICATION NOS. HDC 19128, 19129, 19130, 19131)
REPORT OF THE COUNTY PLANNING OFFICER AND COUNTY SURVEYOR
1. Four applications have been submitted by ADT Auctions for a
package of development and redevelopment at Blackbushe Airport
involving expansion of vehicle auction facilities and improvement of
air terminal facilities. The proposals are in detail and comprise:
(i) reconstruction of existing air terminal building for
airport related use (HDC 19131).
(ii) demolition of existing commercial vehicle auction
building and erection of a vehicle entry control
centre and additional car parking (HDC 19130);
(iii) construction of a new headquarters office building
for the ADT Auction Group (HDC 19128); and
(iv) expansion of auction operations onto 4.47 hectares of
land within Eversley Common Quarry, involving the
erection of a new commercial vehicle auction hall and
vehicle storage area, and 1,200 additional car
parking spaces (HDC 19129).
A map of the proposed development locations is attached and copies
of the application plans will be displayed at the meeting.
2. The County Council has been consulted by Hart District
Council for its strategic planning and highways views on three of
these applications ((i), (ii) and (iii) above). The fourth
application is for new development and land restoration within a
part of the Eversley Common mineral working area and is, therefore,
a County Matter application. (The proposal requires backfilling of
the worked areas to raise the land level before new building can
take place, and this is a major departure from the permitted
restoration scheme.)
The Development Proposals
3. ADT's proposals at Blackbushe amount to a major restructuring
of the company's operations on site and a significant extension of
the existing auction complex into an area of open countryside
currently being worked for sand and gravel. The company has been
operating car, commercial vehicle and plant auctions at the site
since May 1986 following the granting of planning permission on
appeal to the former operators British Car Auctions. Business and
the number of vehicles handled here have increased significantly
over the years and ADT is seeking through the current proposals to
overcome existing congestion problems within the site and relocate
its existing headquarters from Hindhead in Surrey to Blackbushe.
4. The proposals for reconstruction of the existing air terminal
building (HDC 19131) are not directly related to the development
proposals at the auction complex. The existing two-storey aviation
building was erected in the 1940's and is now in an extremely
dilapidated condition. ADT owns the western part of the building
and the eastern half is owned by the County Council.
5. ADT's proposal, in effect, results in a new building of
mainly four-storey height with a control tower creating a fifth
storey in the central section. A total floorspace of 3,800 square
metres is proposed, including reception areas, coffee shop and fire
services on the ground floor, and floorspace for airport related
uses on the three upper floors. The development is significantly
larger than the existing building (approximately 1,250 square
metres). An unusual design feature is provided by the second and
third storeys which project out significantly beyond the footprint
of the building at ground floor level.
6. The demolition of the existing auction building (HDC 19130)
and replacement by a smaller vehicle entry control building (440
square metres) would ease congestion in this area and free up a
substantial area to be utilised as a transporter loading and
unloading area. This would remove congestion and obstructions
caused by transporters loading/ unloading on the inner approach
road.
7. The proposed new headquarters building (HDC 19128) is located
on a site of just under one hectare in the south west corner of the
airport complex, currently in use for caravan storage and sales. A
new three-storey office complex is proposed, comprising a total of
5,640 square metres of floorspace in two main blocks, linked by a
circular reception facility and courtyard. The company considers
its existing offices at Hindhead, employing 184 personnel, provide
inadequate space standards and its building there cannot be
extended. Centralisation of offices at Blackbushe would enable the
company to combine its existing car auction administration and
headquarters management under one roof and streamline its computer
systems to serve the whole organisation.
8. The application to expand commercial vehicle auction
operations (HDC 19129) into the quarry is for:
(i) erection of a new commercial vehicle auction hall of
1,040 square metres, comprising sales area,
administration offices, reception area, auction room
and a mezzanine storage area, together with 200
spaces for customer parking;
(ii) an open area for parking commercial vehicles; and
(iii) additional operational car parking for 1,000 cars.
The new auction building is required to replace the existing
building, which is to be demolished and replaced by a new vehicle
entry control building within the current auction complex. ADT
state that the existing 2,320 square metre building is unsuitable
for commercial vehicle auctions and is sited too close to the car
auction building, causing conflict between commercial and passenger
car circulation arrangements.
Planning Policies
9. Blackbushe Airfield is in the open countryside and is subject
to the countryside conservation policies of the North East Hampshire
Structure Plan: Second Alteration. There is no strategic policy
concerning the development of aviation facilities at the Airfield.
However, any proposed operational changes would have to have regard
to environmental and land-use considerations.
10. The Airfield is situated in an extensive flat open landscape
of lowland heath which has great nature conservation interest. East
of the Airfield is Yateley Common, an SSSI, and in the north west is
Castle Bottom SSSI. The following Structure Plan Policies are,
therefore, particularly relevant to the current proposals:
"Policy E3 Development which adversely affects the scenic
quality of the landscape will not normally be
permitted."
"Policy E4 Habitats of value to nature conservation will be
safeguarded. Development in accordance with the
appropriate policies and proposals of this plan will
be permitted provided that it would not adversely
affect the natural history interest of nature
reserves, Sites of Special Scientific Interest and
land of particular value to nature conservation.
11. The employment policies of the Structure Plan aim to direct
major office development into the town centres of Basingstoke,
Aldershot, Fleet, Farnborough and Yateley, where substantial
development commitments are still to be implemented between 1990 and
2001.
12. Policy OFF8 of the Hart District Local Plan: First Alteration
states that office development will not normally be permitted in the
countryside, while Policy ENV17 relates specifically to Blackbushe
Airfield:
"At Blackbushe Airfield expansion of commercial uses outside
the areas allocated, and the introduction of other uses will
not normally be permitted. The situation at Blackbushe
Airfield will be carefully monitored by the District Council,
and this proposal will be modified as appropriate in
accordance with other proposals of this plan relating to the
countryside."
County Planning Officer's Comments
13. I propose to consider the planning issues in this section of
the report under two separate sub-headings:
(A) the three planning applications on which the County
Council is being consulted by the District Council;
(B) the County Matter application (HDC 19129).
(A) THE STRATEGIC CONSULTATIONS
14. I consider that the planning considerations relevant to the
reconstruction of the air terminal building can be judged in
isolation from the remainder of ADT's development proposals, since
there is no direct link with the vehicle auction operation. In
principle, there is no strategic objection to the replacement of the
existing unsatisfactory building, provided that the scale of the
replacement is acceptable in the context of the extensive open
landscape character of the heathland. However, the proposal is for
a substantially enlarged aviation building presenting much greater
bulk and height than the existing low-rise building, and providing
about three times the existing floorspace. The applicant has not
offered any justification for a building on this scale.
15. I am concerned about the potential landscape impact of this
proposal and consider that the four-storey building would be
particularly visible from the A30 and from the north. There is no
effective screening from the north, since the northern part of the
airfield is flat open heathland and acid grassland. From the east
it would be possible to see the upper storeys of the building,
although existing trees would provide an effective screen to the
lower storeys.
16. Notwithstanding these concerns, I do not believe that a
strategic landscape objection could be substantiated to this
proposal. Nevertheless, the proposed four-storey building would
have serious impact on the local landscape and appears to be an
over-development of the existing low-rise terminal building.
17. I have no strategic objection to the proposed vehicle entry
control centre (HDC 19130) as this is a redevelopment within the
existing auction area permitted by the 1985 appeal decision.
18. Turning to the proposed new headquarters building, Structure
Plan policies are to resist large commercial office development in
rural areas, and these policies are reinforced by Policy OFF8 of the
Local Plan. In essence, there has been no change in planning
policies since 1985 when the Secretary of State dismissed an appeal
on the caravan sales site for a smaller office development of
two-storeys with a total floorspace of 3,160 square metres. At the
time of this appeal, British Car Auctions Limited (the appellant)
similarly maintained that the administrative offices were intended
to replace the company's headquarters, then located at Farnham. The
Inspector noted in his report that the proposed headquarters was to
serve all the auction centres operated by British Car Auctions and
that it was not ancillary to the Blackbushe proposal. He concluded
that "the company might well find it convenient to have their
headquarters in a rural area alongside the airfield and flagship
auction site, but I do not think a convincing case has been made for
departing from policy in respect of the office use".
19. ADT has suggested that the office building be restricted
solely for its own use. In support of the proposal, it has
indicated that about 190 jobs would be transferred from the existing
Hindhead office. Most workers currently live within 20 miles of
Blackbushe, and the company consider that few would be likely to
move house due to the relocation. A further 50 to 60 employees
would be accommodated in the new headquarters; about 20 would be new
recruitment, the remainder are existing employees at the Blackbushe
car auction site. I am satisfied that the proposal would not
generate unacceptable levels of demand for housing in Hampshire.
20. The headquarters building would be a substantial structure,
13 metres above existing ground levels. The top of the building
would be visible above the existing trees when viewed from the land
to the north and west.
21. The operational advantages to the company of a relocated
headquarters must be weighed against the established planning policy
objections to the introduction of new commercial office uses at
Blackbushe. The current proposal is significantly larger than the
earlier scheme which was dismissed at appeal. Furthermore, I am
concerned, in view of the company's continued business expansion,
that the establishment of a new office use at Blackbushe might lead
to pressure for additional developments within the current auction
complex and on adjoining land. I consider that strategic policies
provide opportunities for the company to expand its office functions
in established office centres relatively close to the Blackbushe
auction complex. I do not consider that the operational advantages
are sufficient to outweigh the strategic policy objection to the
introduction of office uses at Blackbushe.
(B) COUNTY MATTER - HDC 19129
Consultations
22. Thames Water, Yateley Town Council and Hawley Parish Council
have no objections. The National Rivers Authority has no objections
subject to conditions.
23. The Nature Conservancy Council objects to the application
unless there are no deleterious effects on the Site of Special
Scientific Interest, and are also concerned at the loss of forestry
land and potential heathland.
24. The County Surveyor (Highways) is concerned at the traffic
generation implications of the present proposal, although
insufficient details have been submitted to enable this to be
accurately assessed (see paragraph 33).
25. The County Recreation Officer comments that the application
represents a further encroachment onto the existing bridleway and a
diversion order would be required.
26. Eversley Parish Council objects to the proposal as it is an
intrusion into the Eversley Common Forest, contrary to Local Plans,
and would also obstruct Welsh Drive Bridleway.
District Council's Comments
27. Hart District Council will consider this application at its
meeting on 27th June 1990.
County Planning Officer's Comments
28. I am concerned that the applicant has not provided details
which are necessary to assess this application fully. In
particular, the proposal would involve the infilling of the site to
bring it up to the levels of the adjacent land. No details are
provided on the amount of fill material needed, the source of the
material or the method of tipping. I recognise that consultants
have been engaged to provide this information, and I understand that
it is likely that suitable material would be available from the
adjacent quarry.
29. I support the concerns expressed by the Nature Conservancy
Council about the potential pollution and drainage problems; which
would have a serious detrimental impact on the Castle Bottom Site of
Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). It is essential that this
important SSSI is not adversely affected by the surrounding land
uses. The application does not provide any details about the
drainage from the site, or measures to prevent pollution from the
site. However, I recognise that the applicant has engaged
consultants to assess the impact and recommend measures to overcome
potential problems. I will report orally any further details
submitted following the preparation of this report.
30. The other main issue concerns the extension of the commercial
activities and buildings into the countryside. This development is
clearly not related to agriculture or forestry and would not be an
appropriate use in the countryside. The adjacent landscape is very
attractive and has amenity importance. The mineral working is
intrusive but is a temporary use with the provision for restoration
to forestry. In contrast this proposal would result in a permanent
loss of countryside and extend the intrusiveness of Blackbushe
Airport. It would also be contrary to the aims of the Forest of
Eversley Countryside Heritage Project. The proposal would obstruct
the Welsh Drive which is a public right of way. (A formal diversion
would be required.)
31. I am concerned that it may be the intention to extend further
into the quarry at a later date should, planning permission be
granted, as an area is shown on the plan for future expansion. The
applicant has stated that he has no current plans for future
expansion onto adjacent land. The existing perimeter road provides
a firm, logical boundary which contains the existing commercial
activities. There is no such firm boundary for this proposal.
32. To conclude, I consider that the extension of vehicle auction
activities beyond Blackbushe Airport would introduce an extensive
and intrusive alien feature into the countryside, and would be
contrary to the County Council's policies for the area. I recognise
that this application forms part of the overall proposals for
Blackbushe Airport, but consider that the possible benefits do not
justify an exception to the policies protecting the countryside from
inappropriate development.
County Surveyor's Comments
33. Collectively these four proposals are likely to result in
additional traffic turning onto the A30. Furthermore, the proposal
for a new control centre is likely to intensify use of the existing
substandard junction with A30 in the south east corner of the site.
No traffic information has been submitted with the proposal. In the
absence of this, and with the concern about additional vehicles
turning on the A30, a highway objection should apply.
RECOMMENDATION
34. We recommend that:
(1) Subject to the views of Hart District Council, Planning
Application No. HDC 19129 be refused for the following
reasons:
(i) the proposal is contrary to Policy E1 of the North
East Hampshire Structure Plan 1989, in that it is not
development which is appropriate in the countryside;
(ii) the proposal is contrary to Policy E3 of the North
East Hampshire Structure Plan 1989, in that the
proposal will have an adverse effect on the quality
of the landscape;
(iii) the proposal is contrary to Policy E4 of the North
East Hampshire Structure Plan 1989, in that it has
not been demonstrated that the proposal would not
have an adverse effect on Castle Bottom SSSI;
(iv) the proposal is contrary to Policy E10 of the North
East Hampshire Structure Plan 1989, in that it would
not be satisfactory in scale or design, and detracts
from its surroundings and does not enhance the
environment;
(v) the proposal is contrary to Policy ENV17 of the Hart
District Local Plan: First Alteration, in that it
would constitute an expansion of commercial uses
outside the areas allocated into the countryside;
(vi) the application lacks information considered
necessary to ensure that the proposed development
would be carried out in an environmentally acceptable
manner;
(vii) the proposal is contrary to Policy 24 of the
Hampshire Minerals Local Plan, in that it prejudices
the satisfactory restoration of the mineral working
site;
(viii) in the absence of information to the contrary, the
proposed development is likely to result in
additional vehicles turning onto A30, thereby
affecting the safety and free flow of traffic on this
busy Class 1 route;
(ix) the proposed development would destroy the potential
of the site for restoration to heathland.
(2) Hart District Council be informed that:
(i) the County Council has no strategic planning
objections to HDC 19130 and HDC 19131;
(ii) the County Council considers that application HDC
19128 is contrary to approved Structure and Local
Plan policies, and recommends that it be refused on
the grounds that it is contrary to strategic policies
which aim to resist major new business development
(offices) in rural areas;
(iii) in the absence of detailed traffic information, the
County Council objects to applications HDC 19128, HDC
19130 and HDC 19131 on highway grounds as the
proposed developments are likely to result in
additional vehicles turning onto A30, thereby
affecting the safety and free flow of traffic on this
busy Class 1 route;
(iv) notwithstanding the objections noted above, the
County Council is concerned about the visual
intrusion that would result from the implementation
of proposals HDC 19128 and HDC 19131.
0173/JS(CPO)
Top of this page
Hantsweb Homepage