Contact: Judith Smallman, ext 5461 email: [email protected]

1. Summary

1.1 Planning permission is sought for the variation of Condition 16 of Planning Permission TVN1956/23 for the use of the site on all future public holidays between 0830 and 1700 hours at the waste transfer station, Harewood Forest Industrial Estate, Longparish, Andover. The recommendation is to grant planning permission.

2. Site

2.1 The site, illustrated on the attached plan, comprises an area of 0.54 hectares within the Harewood Forest Industrial Estate. The nearest houses are about 50 metres from the site, and the houses along Longparish Road are about 90 metres from the site.

2.2 The Harewood Forest Industrial Estate has been in existence for a long period and benefits from established use. It is within the River Test Heritage Area as defined in the Test Valley Borough Local Plan. Planning permission (TVN1956/23) was granted, subject to conditions, (for a permanent waste transfer station) in January 1997.

3. Proposal

3.1 The current proposal is for a variation of Condition 16 of Planning Permission TVN1956/23. Condition 16 outlines the permitted hours of operation of the site and currently restricts its use on public holidays. The proposal seeks to operate the site on all public holidays between 0830 and 1700 hours to enable a backlog of materials to be cleared. During public bank holidays household waste recycling centres are extremely busy and quickly become full, leading in some instances to their closure. The ability to operate on bank holidays would assist in alleviating current problems. It is acknowledged that green waste can cause odour problems. Green waste is collected by Test Valley Borough Council every two weeks. Its state (smell) is dependent on the length of time in the bin, temperature and the green waste composition. If the conditions are right, green waste can sometimes arrive at the site in an anaerobic state resulting in increased odours. Test Valley Borough Council are currently reviewing their green waste collection strategy. At the moment waste is collected every two weeks and left at the waste transfer station in bins, awaiting final disposal. In an attempt to handle green waste in a more sustainable manner, Test Valley Borough Council are conducting a review of its green waste collection strategy. As a result of this review, odour problems will be addressed, with the possibility of green waste being transported directly to the compositing facility instead of the waste transfer station.

4. Development Plan

4.1 The Hampshire County Structure Plan Review 1996-2001 (Adopted March 2000) Policy MW2 concerns waste proposals.

4.2 Hampshire, Portsmouth and Southampton Minerals and Waste Local Plan (Adopted December 1998). Relevant policies are 7 and 46.

5. Consultations

5.1 Longparish Parish Council objects to the proposal as the current operation fails to comply with an existing condition which requires waste materials to be cleared from the site at 1300 hours on Saturday. This leads to offensive odours from the premises over the weekend which is detrimental to residents. The noise experienced by adjacent properties by the operation of the machinery is also invasive.

5.2 Test Valley Borough Council (Planning and Environmental Health), the Environment Agency and the Highways Adviser raise no objection.

5.3 The local Member, Councillor Pierce, has made no comment.

6. Representations

6.1 Five letters of objection have been received from local residents. The main concerns are the length of time waste is being retained on site leading to odour and vermin problems; unacceptable noise of machinery and reversing bleepers; generation of significant amount of traffic; and dust. The site is already operating outside its permitted hours.

7. Chief Planning Adviser's Comments

7.1 The principle of a waste transfer station on the site is established, the main issue is whether it is acceptable for it to increase its hours of use to include bank holidays. It has been established that the main source of odour is from green waste. However Hampshire Waste Services Limited and Test Valley Borough Council are actively trying to resolve this problem. The Environmental Health Officer has received no complaints to the operation and raises no objection.

7.2 Whilst Hampshire Waste Services Limited can control the noise caused by their own reversing vehicles, they cannot control the noise generated by other vehicles visiting the site. This is particularly the case with Test Valley Borough Council vehicles, which require reversing bleepers for health and safety reasons.

7.3 The demand for using household waste recycling centres during public holidays and the need to frequently empty skips is acknowledged. The ability to do this would enable the waste transfer station to operate more effectively, with less back-log and associated adverse impact such as odour.

7.4 Overall, it is considered that the proposal is an acceptable one, subject to Hampshire Waste Services Limited and Test Valley Borough Council reviewing the management of the collection of green waste to prevent the odour problems that are currently experienced by local residents.

Recommendation

That planning permission in respect of Variation of Condition 16 of Planning Permission TVN1956/23 - Use of site on all future public holidays between 0830 and 1700 hours at Waste Transfer Station, Harewood Forest Industrial Estate, Andover (TVN01956/33) be granted, subject to the following conditions:

(1) Except with the prior agreement of the Waste Planning Authority in writing, no operations authorised by this permission shall be carried out and no plant shall be operated other than between the hours of 0700 and 1800 Monday to Friday, 0700 to 1300 Saturday, 0830 to 1700 on public holidays and not at all on Sunday.

Reason: In the interests of the local amenity.

(2) All green waste at the site shall be removed within 24 hours of deposit.

Reason: In the interests of local amenity.

Note: All other conditions of planning permission TVN1956/23 remain in force.

8159/JS

APPENDIX

HAMPSHIRE COUNTY STRUCTURE PLAN 1996-2011 (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 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 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.