Archived decisions

Contact: Tanya Davies, ext 6496

1. Site and Proposal

1.1 Planning permission is sought for the development of a waste transfer station and recycling station with associated skip and portaloo hire at Unit 1, Yokesford Hill Industrial Estate. The site, as shown on the attached plan, comprises an area of 0.94 hectares at the Yokesford Hill Industrial Estate, Belbins, on the northern outskirts of Romsey.

1.2 To the north of the application site is the remainder of the Yokesford Hill Industrial Estate; to the east is an unrestored landfill site; Wynford Industrial Park lies to the south and to the west is restored grazing land. Beyond this land is the C246 road and housing on Yokesford Hill. The nearest residential property, Wynford Cottage, is 150 metres from the site.

1.3 The applicant, Ace Liftaway, currently operates a skip hire and toilet hire business at Hawkes Farm and Pucknall Farm, Braishfield. The company's operations have outgrown these sites and it is proposed to relocate the current operations with an additional waste transfer facility at Unit 1, Yokesford Hill Industrial Estate.

1.4 Unit 1 comprises a typical `shed-style' industrial building which was last used as a carpet warehouse. The principal operation would be waste transfer within this building. The site would receive skips full of non-putrescible materials from construction, demolition, commercial, industrial and household wastes. There would be four different bays for the initial receipt of waste, each bay receiving a different broad type of waste, such as clean, inert, rubble or general construction. From here the waste would be conveyed onto a picking belt and sorted into separate skips which would be sent for recycling. All operations relating to recycling and transferring of waste would take place within the building.

1.5 Access to the site is via a private metalled road off Sandy Lane. It is estimated that the maximum volume of waste received on site would be about 200 cubic metres per day and there would be approximately 178 vehicular movements per day. These traffic movements would be predominantly skip lorries (120 movements), with the remainder being staff vehicles (26 movements), hook loader vehicles (12 movements) and others. The applicant states that this level of traffic is similar to the traffic generated by an industrial or warehousing unit of this size.

1.6 The proposed hours of operation are 0600 to 1900 Monday to Saturday. The early morning start is to enable the vehicles to leave the site gradually. However, the applicant also provides 24 hour assistance to the emergency services and therefore requires access to the site to collect and deposit skips and portaloos.

1.7 A noise assessment has been submitted which concludes that "the main noise from operations within the building will have an insignificant effect on the existing noise climate. A few events on the site may be distinguishable at the nearest properties but these will be infrequent and cannot be considered to be a significant change". The main impact will be a noticeable, but not significant, increase in weekday traffic noise levels between 0600 and 0700. The increase in traffic levels on Saturday has not been fully assessed, but the report suggests that it is likely to be significant, particularly before 0700.

1.8 The site is currently reasonably well screened from views from Yokesford Hill.

1.9 The applicant states that the company's market is based on the Test Valley Borough area, particularly Romsey, Andover, North Baddesley, Chandlers Ford, and its villages, although it also extends into Southampton, Winchester, Fareham and Brockenhurst.

2. Development Plan

2.1 Hampshire County Structure Plan (Review) 1996-2001 (Adopted March 2000) Policies MW2 and MW6 concerning waste proposals are relevant.

2.2 Hampshire, Portsmouth and Southampton Minerals and Waste Local Plan (Adopted December 1998) Policy 7 concerns waste development, and Policy 46 specifically concerns proposals for waste transfer and recycling.

2.3 The site is within the Test Valley Heritage Area as defined in the Test Valley Local Plan, adopted August 1996.

3. Consultations

3.1 The County Surveyor (Highways) raises no objections. It is stated that the junction from the estate road onto the C246 has adequate geometry and visibility splays. The applicant currently operates the business from two farms at Braishfield, both of which are served by a narrow and substandard highway network which already causes problems. From a highway point of view the Yokesford site is preferable to the existing location. The applicant's estimated vehicle movements of 178 per day are not dissimilar to those expected from a normal industrial/warehousing use of this building.

3.2 Environmental Health Officer: comments awaited.

3.3 Environment Agency: raises no objection subject to conditions to prevent pollution of the water environment.

3.4 The County Surveyor (Highways) raises no objection.

3.5 Michelmersh Parish Council: comments awaited.

3.6 Romsey Extra Parish Council: comments awaited.

3.7 Councillor Woodhall: comments awaited.

3.8 Councillor Mrs Barron: comments awaited.

4. Borough Council's Views

4.1 Test Valley Borough Council: comments awaited.

5. Representations

5.1 To date a total of 44 letters of objection has been received from local residents and one letter from a local skip company in response to the neighbour notification letters, site notice and press advertisement. One letter of support has been received from a resident of Braishfield where the applicant is currently based. The issues raised by objectors are as follows:

(i) the proposals represent a significant change of use, away from the current light industrial use;

(ii) there are already similar facilities nearby;

(iii) there is no actual need for the development;

(iv) the proposals are not appropriate in a residential area;

(v) impact on the area's predominantly rural character;

(vi) additional traffic;

(vii) concerns about the safety of pedestrians and other vehicles due to the limited visibility on Yokesford Hill;

(viii) the local roads are already constantly busy with skip lorries and heavy goods vehicles from nearby sites;

(ix) there is poor visibility at the top of Yokesford Hill;

(x) the surrounding roads are inadequate in terms of street lighting and pavements;

(xi) schoolchildren and elderly people regularly use and cross the surrounding roads;

(xii) concern that traffic numbers associated with the proposal might increase in the future;

(xiii) skip lorries are notoriously noisy in transit;

(xiv) noise from traffic and the actual waste processing;

(xv) noise at weekends;

(xvi) houses on Yokesford Hill already suffer from vibration when large vehicles pass;

(xvii) increased odour, especially from the portaloos;

(xviii) dust;

(xix) there is already a concentration of vermin within the area, which would be exacerbated by this application;

(xx) light pollution from the site in the winter months, when lighting will be required for health and safety reasons;

(xxi) possible fire hazard as the site is too far from a fire hydrant;

(xxii) potential chemical leakage from the portaloo operations; and

(xxiii) the unit is not well screened from views in winter when trees lose their leaves.

5.2 In addition 15 letters of support have been received. These are from employees of the applicant and from residents of Braishfield supporting the proposed relocation.

6. County Planning Officer's Comments

6.1 National, regional and development plan policies all encourage waste minimisation and recycling and in principle developments associated with such activities are supported. The `need' is not questioned.

6.2 Minerals and Waste Local Plan Policy 46 states that waste transfer proposals will normally be permitted subject to satisfying various criteria. This site appears to satisfy the criteria relating to proximity to markets and sources of waste, access to the Hampshire Lorry Route Network and being on an existing industrial estate.

6.3 However, other issues have to be considered which are less clear cut. Policy 46 states that the proposal must also include adequate measures to ensure that there is no unacceptable impact to nearby housing and land uses by reason of noise, fumes, smell or other causes. The proposal must also include adequate landscaping measures.

6.4 The proposal has generated concerns from local residents about noise, dust, smell, pollution control and impact on the environment. However it should be noted that the nearest houses are 150 metres from the site.

6.5 In terms of landscaping measures, the site is reasonably well screened from Yokesford Hill. Howeve, some of the existing boundary planting will need to be cleared to enable the development to be implemented. Further information has been sought from the applicant to clarify exactly which trees and shrubs would need to be cleared.

6699/TD

APPENDIX

HAMPSHIRE COUNTY STRUCTURE PLAN 1996-2011 (REVIEW) (ADOPTED 27 MARCH 2000)

Policy MW2

Permission will be granted for minerals and waste development provided the mineral/waste planning authority is satisfied that:

(i) any adverse environmental or other impacts that the development would be likely to cause are outweighed by a clearly established need for the development; and

(ii) the proposals, where applicable, include a satisfactory scheme of working and landscaping including details of lorry routeing and, in all cases, include satisfactory measures to ensure that the development would not have any unacceptable environmental, traffic or other impact; and

(iii) the proposals, where applicable, provide for the satisfactory and prompt restoration and after-care of the site to a high standard and to a landform compatible with the local landscape and suitable for an agreed beneficial after-use.

Policy MW6

Planning authorities will seek a reduction in the quantity of waste requiring treatment or disposal, including a significant reduction in the quantity of non-inert waste disposed by landfilling.

The waste planning authorities will seek, through policies and proposals in the Hampshire, Portsmouth and Southampton Minerals and Waste Local Plan and day- to-day development control, the provision of sufficient facilities to meet the need for the management of all unavoidable waste (excluding special waste) arising in Hampshire.

Having regard to Policy MW1(v), permission will be granted for:

(i) facilities for the re-use and recycling of waste, including the production of secondary and recycled aggregate materials;

(ii) facilities for composting, anaerobic digestion, incineration with energy recovery and other methods of resource recovery waste processing sufficient only to cater for unavoidable non-inert waste which is not re-used or recycled;

(iii) landfill capacity sufficient only for the disposal of unavoidable waste which is no re-used, recycled or processed; and

(iv) waste transfer stations to serve areas of local waste processing and disposal facility shortages;

provided that the development would not have unacceptable environmental, traffic or other impact.

HAMPSHIRE, PORTSMOUTH AND SOUTHAMPTON MINERALS AND WASTE LOCAL PLAN (ADOPTED 17 DECEMBER 1998)

Policy 7

The Mineral and Waste Planning Authority will grant planning permission for minerals and waste development provided they are satisfied that, where appropriate, the proposed development pays due regard to:

(i) the relationship of the proposal site to other properties and land uses (particularly residential and other environmentally sensitive properties) and the likely effects of the proposed development on the locality by reason of noise, dust, smoke, fumes, illumination or any other factor and the need for buffer zones between the development and residential and other properties;

(ii) the likely volume and nature of traffic that would be generated by the proposed development, and the suitability of the proposed access to the site and of the road network that would be affected, in terms of highway capacity and safety and environmental impact, and whether any highway improvements required could be carried out satisfactorily without causing unacceptable environment impact;

(iii) the likely visual impact of the proposed development and the need for additional planting and screening, including planting in advance of the commencement of the development;

(iv) the need to safeguard the character and amenities of individual settlements and to safeguard open gaps between settlements from permanent development which would cause long-term harm to the function of the land;

(v) the likely effects of the proposed development on and the need to protect and safeguard sites of nature conservation, geological, archaeological, historic, architectural and landscape importance and their settings;

(vi) the extent and quality of agricultural land to be taken by the proposed development and the proposals for its subsequent restoration and the likely effects of the proposals on farm structure and management;

(vii) the likely effects of the proposed development on and the need to maintain the distinctive character of the landscape; the likely effects of the proposed development on and the need to safeguard and protect individual species, habitats and landscape features, including woodland, trees and hedgerows; and the likely effects of the proposed development on forestry and woodland management;

(viii) the likely effects of the proposed development on site used for recreation and public rights of way and the need to protect or secure the satisfactory diversion of public rights of way;

(ix) the likely effects of the proposed development on and the need to safeguard the flow and quality of watercourses, water supplies, floodplains, groundwater, the drainage of the site and adjoining land on the level of the water-table in the locality and the likely effects of the proposed development on the immediate setting of any river;

(x) any potential danger to aircraft from birds being attracted to the site;

(xi) the possible amenity implications of any landfill gas that might be generated at the site and of any provisions that might need to be made to deal with it; and

(xii) the likely cumulative impact of the proposed development in combination with any other significant development taking place or permitted to take place in the locality and the need to minimise the impact of mineral extraction and waste disposal operations by securing, where appropriate, the phased release of sites and progression of working and restoration.

Policy 46

The Waste Planning Authorities will normally permit the use of land and the erection of plant and buildings for the recycling, transfer, storage and other treatment or handling of waste (excluding waste processing facilities covered by Policy 45) provided that:

(i) the proposed site is located near to the likely source(s) of waste and/or the market(s) for the recycled or recovered materials; and

(ii) the proposed site is located close to and has adequate access to the Hampshire Lorry Route Network (as shown on the proposals map), so that the development would not be likely to cause unacceptable traffic impact (including the environmental impact of traffic) on the local highway network; and

(iii) the proposed site is located:

(a) within an existing industrial site or on land which is permitted or allocated for industrial development; or

(b) within an area of land in the countryside that has already been disturbed by permanent development (a brownfield site); or

(c) at a waste disposal landfill or landraising site provided that the proposed development is connected with the waste disposal operation and is for a temporary period commensurate with the operational life of the waste disposal facility; and

(iv) the proposed site is located and the proposal includes adequate measures to ensure that no unacceptable impact would be likely to be caused to the occupants or users of houses, other residential buildings, schools, hospitals and other environmentally sensitive buildings and land uses by reason of noise, dust, fumes, smell or other cause; and

(v) the proposed site is located so as to avoid unacceptable impact on landscape, nature conservation and archaeological interests; and

(vi) the proposed site is located and the proposal includes adequate measures to ensure that there would be no significant risk of pollution or danger to public health or safety; and

(vii) the proposed site is located and, if necessary, the proposal includes landscaping measures to ensure that the development would not cause unacceptable visual intrusion.