Archived decisions

Hampshire County Council

Regulatory Committee

9 April 2003

Applicant: SITA Extension of southern elevation of recycling centre to house a heavy goods vehicle workshop at Wallington Waste Recycling Centre, Military Road, Wallington (Application No. P/03/0173/CC) (County Council Ref. FA064)

Report of the Chief Planning Adviser to the Regulatory Committee

Item 10

Contact: Julia Davey, ext 6732

1. Summary

1.1 This report considers a proposal to extend the southern elevation of the existing recycling centre building at Wallington Depot, Fareham to create a heavy goods vehicle (HGV) workshop. The recommendation is to grant permission, subject to conditions.

2. Site

2.1 The site, illustrated on the attached plan, covers an area of 0.05 hectares on the south-west corner of the existing waste transfer and recycling building at Wallington Depot. The depot is currently the subject of two further applications being processed, comprising the construction of walls and a canopy to the northern elevation of the building and an extension of time for the existing portacabins on the site.

2.2 The site is accessed from Standard Way.

3. The Proposal

3.1 Planning permission is sought to extend the southern elevation of the existing waste transfer building at Wallington Depot, to create an HGV workshop. The walls would be red brick beneath grey and brown steel profile sheets, and the roof would also be grey steel profile sheets.

3.2 The extension would be 6 metres high to the eaves and 8 metres to the ridge.

3.3 The applicant states that the existing permission will incorporate the parking of vehicles associated with the facility. The workshop would operate the same fleet of vehicles as those based at the site. SITA states that presently approximately 36 HGVs are parked at Wallington Depot overnight, and it is this fleet that will be serviced and repaired in the workshop.

4. Development Plan

4.1 Hampshire County Structure Plan 1996-2011 (Review) (adopted March 2000) Policy MW2 concerns the need for waste development (see attached appendix).

4.2 Hampshire, Portsmouth and Southampton Minerals and Waste Local Plan (adopted 1998) Policy 53 concerns buildings and plant ancillary to existing waste development (see attached appendix).

5. Consultations

5.1 Fareham Borough Council has not responded to the consultation.

5.2 The Wallington Village Community Association has no objections to the application provided that:

(i) the number of vehicles to be maintained does not exceed the total of 36, declared by SITA as being only those vehicles directly linked to the operation of the Wallington Waste Recycling Depot. On no account should this maintenance operation be allowed to expand to encompass other HGV fleets whether operated by SITA or any other operator;

(ii) all maintenance operations should, where possible, be conducted behind closed doors to reduce noise;

(iii) all HGVs should enter and depart via Standard Way only; and

(iv) all oils, liquids and materials associated with HGV maintenance are stored and disposed of properly, and not allowed to accumulate on the site.

5.3 The Association adds that even if the above conditions were adhered to it is concerned that operations on the site are gradually moving away from the clear conditions and guidelines for allowing the development following the public inquiry in 1997.

5.4 Discovery of an illegally sited telephone mast at the site meeting on 11 February 2003 does not give the Association any confidence in the County Council or Borough Council with regard to monitoring.

5.5 The Fareham Society has not responded to the consultation.

5.6 The Highways Agency has not responded to the application.

5.7 The Environment Agency has no objection in principle, subject to conditions.

5.8 Fareham Borough Council's Environmental Health Officer raises no objection to the application subject to conditions.

5.9 The County Council (Highways) raises no objection to the proposal.

6. Representations

6.1 The local Member, Councillor Ellis, objects strongly to the proposed development because housing an HGV workshop near a residential area will result in more heavy traffic. If however permission were to be granted there should be strict planning conditions laid down, similar to those resulting from the public inquiry in June 1997. There should be no increase in the number of HGVs based on the site and only the site owner's vehicles should be maintained. In addition, night work should not be permitted and strict control kept to ensure that no oil spillage occurs (which would have a major impact on the quality of the water in the river) and there is no additional dirt on surrounding roads. There should be strict and regular monitoring.

6.2 Two letters of objection to the development have been received on grounds of noise, increase in traffic and attraction of other business to the development over time because of the workshop, if planning permission is granted.

6.3 A letter has also been received from the Woodlands Trust stating it has no objection to the development in principle but a number of matters should be addressed:

(i) there should be no change to Inquiry conditions;

(ii) no increase in HGVs based at the site and movements to and from the site;

(iii) maintenance should only be carried out on owner's vehicles;

(iv) no increase in noise or dust levels; and

(v) pollution protection measurers to protect the River Wallington.

7. Chief Planning Adviser's Comments

7.1 The principle of the development accords with development plan policy because it would support permitted on-site waste activities.

7.2 It is considered that any permission granted could be adequately controlled by conditions, including noise, specific purpose of building and pollution control measures.

7.3 The objections raised by Councillor Ellis relating to traffic, night working, pollution control, and the need for conditions and monitoring are noted. However the County Council's (Highways) adviser and the Environmental Health Officer raise no objection to the proposal. Conditions would be attached to any consent granted controlling hours of working and maintenance use for site based permitted waste related vehicles only, pollution control and noise. The issue of the telephone mast constructed on the site is currently being investigated by the Borough Council's enforcement section.

Recommendation

That planning permission for an extension to the southern elevation of the existing recycling centre to house a heavy goods vehicle workshop at Wallington Waste Recycling Centre, Military Road, Wallington (Application No. P/03/0173/CC) be granted, subject to the following conditions:

Time Commencement

(1) The development to which this permission relates shall commence no later than two years beginning with the date of this permission. Written notification of the date of commencement shall be sent to the Waste Planning Authority within 14 days of such commencement.

Reason: To comply with Section 91 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990.

Drainage and Pollution Control

(2) No development shall commence until an external drainage scheme, addressing the need to amend the currently approved plans, has been implemented to the satisfaction of the Waste Planning Authority.

Reason: To avoid water ingress into the building and control the flow of water surrounding the development.

(3) During construction, any facilities for the storage of fuels shall be sited on impervious bases and surrounded by impervious bund walls. The bund capacity shall give 110% of the total volume for single and hydraulically linked tanks. If there is multiple tankage, the bund capacity shall be 110% of the largest tank or 25% of the total capacity of all tanks, whichever is the greatest. All filling points, vents, gauges and sight glasses and overflow pipes shall be located within the bund. There shall be no outlet connecting the bund to any drain, sewer or watercourse or discharging onto the ground. Associated pipework shall be located above ground where possible and protected from accidental damage.