Archived decisions

Contact: Neil Chester, ext 6496

1. Summary

1.1 Planning permission is sought to renew a temporary permission at the Waste Transfer Station, Casbrook Park, Bunny Lane, Timsbury. Temporary permission was originally granted in 1992 and has been renewed once before in 1997. Planning permission would enable the company to plan for the future with increased certainty. The continued operation will result in further lorry movements along the lane and, therefore, a financial contribution is being sought for its repair and maintenance. There is concern that the permission should only be renewed on a temporary basis to ensure future monitoring of the site, but this could be addressed through conditions.

1.2 Accordingly, it is recommended that permission be granted, subject to conditions and a financial contribution towards highway maintenance, secured through a legal agreement.

2. Site and Proposal

2.1 The application site, illustrated on the attached plan, is approximately 0.1 hectare and is part of a two hectare industrial site, located off Bunny Lane, Timsbury. The site has had varying but continuous industrial use for over 100 years and was originally granted planning permission in 1992. Permission was renewed in 1997 and the site became operational only in 1999.

2.2 The waste transfer station has handled between 30,000 and 55,000 cubic metres of construction waste each year since opening. This manual sorting and handpicking operation, aided by various plant, employs six people between the hours of 0600 and 1800 Monday to Friday and between 0600 and 1300 on Saturday.

2.3 The applicant is applying for a permanent planning permission for the waste transfer station to enable the company to plan for the future of the site. At present it is not the applicant's intention to increase the throughput of the site and it is not anticipated that the volume of traffic will increase.

3. Development Plan

3.1 Hampshire County Structure Plan 1996-2011 (Review) (adopted March 2000) Policy MW2 concerns the impact of waste development (see attached appendix).

3.2 Hampshire, Portsmouth and Southampton Minerals and Waste Local Plan (adopted December 1998) Policy 44 concerns existing transfer stations and Policy 46 waste transfer facilities.

4. Consultations

4.1 Michelmersh Parish Council and Braishfield Parish Council raise no objections to the proposal, subject to the current number of traffic movements not being increased.

4.2 The Environment Agency raises no objections to the proposal.

4.3 Test Valley Borough Council's Environmental Health Officer's views are awaited.

4.4 The County Council (Highways) has concerns about the impact of lorry traffic on Bunny Lane but does not object, subject to a financial contribution being secured towards the long-term maintenance of the highway in the locality. A contribution of up to £50,000 has been requested for highway repair and maintenance works.

4.5 Test Valley Borough Council has no objection to the proposal, subject to the permission being continued on a temporary basis to enable further monitoring of the site.

5. Representations

5.1 The local Member, Councillor Woodhall, has been informed of the proposal.

5.2 The adjacent local Member, Councillor Dowden, has been informed of the proposal.

5.3 Three local residents have written to the County Council to express their views on the application. Whilst there has been no objection to the proposal, local residents are against any potential increased mechanisation of the site.

6. Officer's Comments

6.1 The application is to renew the temporary planning permission for the existing waste transfer station. The applicant is seeking a permanent consent allowing the company to plan for the future with more security.

6.2 Test Valley Borough Council has not objected to the application, subject to a temporary consent being issued to allow further monitoring of the site. However, the site has operated with little incident or complaint since becoming operational in 1999. Conditions could be attached to any planning permission to facilitate effective monitoring of the site. It is not reasonable, therefore, to withhold planning permission on this basis.

6.3 The letters received from local residents refer to the increased mechanisation of the site, which they believe will lead to increased noise and dust impact. This application is not concerned with increased mechanisation and these views would not constitute material objections.

6.4 There is concern about the amount of lorry traffic currently using Bunny Lane. Financial contributions have been previously sought from developers in this area towards the costs of repairs and improvements to the carriageway and verge along Bunny Lane. Estimated lorry movements generated by this site are between 2,000 and 6,874 per annum. The application of financial contributions previously secured from other operators along the Lane would suggest a contribution of up to £50,000 towards the future maintenance of the local highway network, which would be secured through a legal agreement between the County Council and the applicant.

6.5 On balance, it is considered that the need for ongoing monitoring can be satisfied by conditions and, therefore, there are no material objections to this proposal. Accordingly, it is recommended that permission be granted, subject to conditions and securing a financial contribution of up to £50,000 through a legal agreement.

Recommendation

That, subject to a legal agreement securing a financial contribution for highway purposes, planning permission for the renewal of temporary planning permission for a waste transfer station at Casbrook Park, Timsbury (Application No. TVS 02799/22) be granted, subject to the following conditions:

(1) Not later than six months from the cessation of use as a transfer station or such other date as the Waste Planning Authority may agree in writing that they are no longer required in connection with planning permission TVS02799/22, whichever is sooner, all plant and machinery, foundations, hardstandings and access roads no longer required in connection with the transfer station shall be removed from the site.

Reason: In the interests of the amenity of the area.

(2) The development hereby approved shall be carried out in accordance with the details submitted with the application and identified within this certificate as the "plans and particulars" subject to the following conditions, unless otherwise agreed by the Local Planning Authority in writing.

Reason: For the avoidance of doubt and to ensure that the development is carried out in accordance with the approved plans and details.

(3) No scrap or materials shall be stacked or deposited to a total height exceeding five metres within the site shown on the approved plan.

Reason: In the interests of the amenities of the area.

(4) All tanks containing liquid waste shall be sited on a concrete base surrounded by bund walls capable of retaining at least 110% of the tank's volume and any spillages from fill or draw pipes. The bund walls shall be built and subsequently maintained in a condition such as to satisfy this condition in respect of the reason stated.

Reason: To prevent pollution of watercourses and ground water.

(5) The surface water drainage system shall be provided with a petrol/oil interceptor.

Reason: To avoid environmental pollution.

(6) No sewage or trade effluent (including vehicle wash or vehicle steam cleaning waters) shall be discharged to any surface water drainage system.

Reason: To avoid environmental pollution.

(7) No material other than inert, non-toxic material shall be imported to the site for processing and stockpiling without the approval of the Local Planning Authority in writing.

Reason: In the interests of the amenity of the area.

(8) No waste skips or containers shall be stored on site without the prior approval of the Local Planning Authority in writing.

Reason: To minimise the visual intrusion of the development.

(9) The trees and shrubs existing on the boundaries of the site shall be retained and protected.

Reason: To ensure the enhancement of the development by the retention of natural features.

7525/NC

APPENDIX

HAMPSHIRE COUNTY STRUCTURE PLAN 1996-2001 (REVIEW) (ADOPTED 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.

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

Policy 44

The Waste Planning Authorities will normally seek to safeguard the following sites for waste recycling, storage, transfer or processing uses:

(i) the sites listed in Policy 43;

(ii) the existing waste recycling, storage, transfer and processing sites listed in Appendix 7; and

(iii) any sites where planning permission is granted for waste recycling, storage, transfer or processing.

The Waste Planning Authorities will normally oppose proposals for development within or in proximity to any of these sites where the proposed development would prevent or prejudice the use of the site for waste recycling, storage, transfer or processing.

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.