Archived decisions

Contact: Peter Chadwick, ext 6728

1. Site and Proposal

1.1 Planning permission is sought to amend the landform and extend the time for tipping and restoration at the landfill site at Woodington Farm. In addition, retrospective planning consent is sought for a bund around poultry sheds on land adjoining the landfill site.

1.2 The sites, as shown on the attached plan, are located at Woodington Farm, with access onto the C17 Shootash to Blackhill road, via a haul road. The site adjoins Withybed Copse to the north and Wellow Golf Course to the east. The nearest houses adjoin the haul road.

1.3 Planning permission was granted for tipping in 1996. The planning conditions required that tipping should cease within 3.5 years of commencement, with restoration being completed within a further six months. The period for tipping expired on 31 August 2001. The planning application is to extend the period for tipping by a further three years.

1.4 The tipping at the site has not been in accordance with the approved plans, resulting in a different landform. The second application is to amend the restoration scheme to regularise this landform and to provide additional tipping capacity.

1.5 The third application concerns the construction of a bund around poultry houses on land adjoining the tipping site. The bund is about 10 metres wide, 5 metres high and 295 metres long. Tipping of waste started and the applicant was informed that permission was required, and that tipping should cease. A planning application was submitted, but tipping carried on. The bund has been completed and so the application is now retrospective.

1.6 A previous application to increase permitted lorry traffic was agreed, subject to a legal agreement to provide a highway contribution. The legal agreement was not completed and the application has lapsed and no payment was made.

2. Development Plan

2.1 The Hampshire, Portsmouth and Southampton Minerals and Waste Local Plan (adopted December 1998) Policy 7 concerns issues relevant to waste disposal; Policy 37 concerns landfilling and land raising proposals (see attached appendix).

3. Consultations

3.1 The County Surveyor raises no objection, subject to a legal agreement for a financial contribution of £10,000 for the protection of verges, white lining and signing, the construction of a deceleration splay at the site access and improvements to the drainage. No highway objection is raised to the bund as it is retrospective.

3.2 The Environment Agency raises no objection in principle and comments that the tipping site does not have the benefit of a waste management licence as it has been registered as an exempt site. The applicant has been investigated for breaches of the exemption by the Agency's Environmental Protection Department. Comments on the screening bund are awaited.

3.3 Wellow Parish Council raises objection on the grounds that adequate time has already been allowed for tipping. There should be sufficient material on site to complete the operations and further raising of land levels should be avoided. Comments are awaited on the bund. The Parish Council also requests a site visit.

3.4 The local Member, Councillor Woodhall, requests a site visit prior to the applications being considered.

3.5 Wellow Golf Club raises objection on the grounds that further tipping would increase the severe problems already experienced. The steep bank created has caused severe water run-off onto the golf course, causing drainage problems.

3.6 Two letters of objection have been received from local residents on the grounds that tipping has led to muddy roads, dust clouds in dry weather, the number of lorries using the site and disturbance due to noise and dust; breaches of hours of operation, removal of material from the site, and concern about drainage and highway safety.

4. Borough Council's Views

4.1 Test Valley Borough Council's views are awaited.

5. County Planning Officer's Comments

5.1 The main issues in connection with these applications are whether:

(i) there is justification for extending the time for tipping;

(ii) the proposed landform is acceptable; and

(iii) there is any justification for the 'screening' bund.

In considering these issues the impact on the landscape and adjoining land needs to be taken into account.

6811/PDC

APPENDIX

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

Policy 7

The Mineral and Waste Planning Authorities 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 environmental 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 sites 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 and 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 37

The Waste Planning Authorities will grant planning permission for waste disposal by landfilling provided they are satisfied that:

(i) the waste to be disposed of cannot practicably and reasonably be reduced, re-used, recycled or processed at a resource recovery plant and there is a proven need for the disposal of the waste by landfilling which cannot reasonably be met by other suitable existing or permitted waste disposal facilities within a reasonable distance of the source of the waste or by the preferred areas in Policy 38; and

(ii) the proposed landfilling would normally take place within a mineral working site that:

(a) is an active extraction site; or

(b) has been unsatisfactorily restored and landfilling would enable satisfactory restoration to be achieved; or

(c) has been restored below original levels and there would be an environmental benefit from the raising of levels by infilling; and

(iii) the proposed site is located near 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

(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.