Archived decisions

Contact: Peter Chadwick, ext 6728

1. Summary

1.1 Planning permission is sought to amend the restoration for Rabbitfield Hill. The recommendation is to grant consent.

2. Site and Proposal

2.1 The site, as shown on the attached plan, comprises an area of about 3.8 hectares adjacent to Picketts Hill. Access is via a haul road to the applicant's Grooms Farm Site on the other side of the River Slea.

2.2 The original planning permission for sand extraction was granted in 1987 on appeal. There have been subsequent permissions for variations of condition, and a small scale extension to the site granted in 2000. The most recent planning consent for Rabbitfield Hill Sand Quarry was the Review granted in 2002. The conditions require completion of extraction and restoration by 31 March 2003.

2.3 Extraction has been completed in accordance with the planning consent. However there was more unsaleable material at the site than originally envisaged. Therefore the proposal is to amend the restoration landform to accommodate this material, and to change the location of the proposed pond within the site . The principles of the restoration are unchanged. The grass seeding will be carried out this summer, with tree planting in the next planting season.

3. Development Plan

3.1 Hampshire County Structure Plan Review 1996 - 2011 (adopted March 2000) Policy MW2 concerns proposals for mineral working.

3.2 Hampshire, Portsmouth and Southampton Minerals and Waste Local Plan (adopted December 1998) Policy 7 concerns proposals for mineral working, and Policies 14 and 15 concern restoration.

4. Consultations

4.1 East Hampshire District Council - comments awaited.

4.2 Headley Parish Council has no comments.

4.3 Kingsley Parish Council raises an objection on the grounds that there should have been compliance with the requirement to complete and restore by 31 March 2003.

4.4 Binstead Parish Council raises no objection.

4.5 Dockenfield Parish Council raise no objection to the proposed restoration, but is concerned that procedurally it would prolong status as an active site.

4.6 Environment Agency, Frimley Office - no comments received.

4.7 South East Water raises no objection.

4.8 Environmental Health Officer, East Hampshire District Council, has no adverse comments.

4.9 English Nature comments that alterations to restoration are unlikely to have a significant effect on the Wealdon Heaths Phase II Special Protection Area or the Broxhead and Kingsley SSSI.

4.10 The Highways Adviser comments that there are no highways issues, therefore no objection.

5. Representations

5.1 Five letters had been received from local residents on the basis that the site should have been restored by 31 March 2003, and that the County Council should have enforced restoration.

5.2 The local Member, Councillor Filer, has been informed.

6. Commentary

6.1 The proposed revised restoration is in accordance with the principles of the approved restoration and is acceptable.

6.2 It is accepted that some delays to restoration have been caused by the restriction on soil movements due to wet weather during the winter; however all sand extraction has been completed, and the remaining restoration works entail grass seeding and tree planting.

6.3 The comments of the Parish Council and local residents are noted; however, the site is not an active extraction site as the working of the site has been completed in accordance with the planning permission, whilst the restoration is not significantly different to that previously approved, and is satisfactory.

Recommendation

That planning permission be granted for a variation of condition to revise restoration proposals at Rabbitfield Hill Sandpit, Bordon (Application No. F20310/20) subject to the following conditions:

1. The site shall be restored in accordance with the approved restoration scheme, as shown on drawings no. 042/P/013D, unless otherwise agreed in writing by the Mineral Planning Authority.

Reason: In the interests of local amenity.

2. New tree and shrub planting shown in the approved restoration scheme on drawing no. 042/P/013D shall be carried out by the first planting season following restoration of the site; and any trees or plants which within a period of five years from the completion of the restoration die, are removed or become seriously diseased shall be replaced in the next planting season with others of similar size and species, unless otherwise agreed in writing by the Mineral Planning Authority.

Reason: In the interests of local amenity.

3. After-care of the restored land shall take place for a period of five years in accordance with the approved outline dated 25 March 1998 and subsequent detailed schemes submitted under condition 12 beginning when the land is restored in accordance with Condition (3).

Reason: To secure a high standard of restoration.

4. No later than four weeks before the annual after-care meeting a detailed proposal for the after-care of the restored land for the following year shall be submitted to the Mineral Planning Authority. No later than four weeks following the annual site visit a detailed scheme, revised as necessary following the annual site meeting, shall be submitted for the written approval of the Mineral Planning Authority.

Reason: In order to secure a high standard of restoration.

8014/PDC