Contact: Peter Chadwick, ext 6728 email: [email protected]

1. Summary

1.1 The proposal is to extend the hours of operation for the Southleigh Landfill site to accommodate waste arising in the Havant/Portsmouth area, following the completion of the Paulsgrove Landfill Site. The recommendation is to grant planning permission on the grounds that the proposal is in accordance with Policy as there is a clearly established need which outweighs the adverse impact of extending the hours of operation for lorries travelling to and from the site.

2. Site and Proposal

2.1 The Southleigh Landfill (see attached location plan) has planning consent for waste disposal up to 2013. The site takes household waste, commercial waste and waste from household waste recycling centres. Access is from Emsworth Common Road. The nearest houses are Gravel Pit Cottages, which adjoin the site.

2.2 Municipal waste from the Havant/Portsmouth areas is currently deposited at Paulsgrove and Southleigh Landfill sites. Paulsgrove operates Monday to Saturday from 0700 to 1700 and Sunday and Bank Holidays from 0900 to 1700. Capacity at Paulsgrove is coming to an end and there is the need to continue to accommodate waste arising in the area following its completion, and before the new Energy Recovery Incinerator is operational.

2.3 The current hours of operation at Southleigh are 0700 to 1800 Monday to Friday and 0700 to 1300 on Saturday (apart from seven Saturdays a year at Bank Holidays when hours are extended to 1600). The proposal is to extend the hours of operation to 0700 and 1800 (including weekends and Bank Holidays) for the period to 31 December 2004. This end date is to coincide with the planned opening of the Energy Recovery Incinerator in Portsmouth.

3. Development Plan

3.1 Hampshire, Portsmouth and Southampton Minerals and Waste Local Plan (adopted December 1998) Policy 6 concerns proposals for waste development.

4. Consultations

4.1 East Hampshire District Council - comments awaited.

4.2 Havant Borough Council - comments awaited.

4.3 East Hampshire District Council's Environmental Health Officer raises no objection, subject to no change to the approved hours within 100 metres from Gravel Pit Cottages.

4.4 Havant Borough Council's Environmental Health Officer - raises objection on the grounds that complaints have been made in the past relating to odour and disturbance by lorry traffic.

4.5 Environment Agency raise no objection.

4.6 Rowlands Castle Parish Council raise no objection.

4.7 Westbourne Parish Council raises objection on the grounds that residents along the approach roads need respite from the lorry movements.

4.8 Emsworth Residents' Association has concerns about the amount of waste tipped at the site, but understands the forthcoming problems regarding disposal and so has concern but raises no objection.

4.9 West Sussex County Council - comments awaited.

4.10 Chichester District Council - comments awaited.

4.11 Waste Management support application as it is needed for maintaining the MWRC service.

5. Representations

5.1 Local Members, Councillors Wheeler and Gillett, and Councillor Mrs Byrom have been informed.

5.2 Six letters of objection have been received from local residents raising objection on the grounds of the noise and disturbance from the lorries travelling to and from the site at weekends including Sundays.

6. Chief Planning Adviser's Comments

6.1 The main issue associated with this application is the balance between the need for the proposed extended hours to maintain the waste disposal service and the impact for local residents. The areas at Southleigh Landfill site close to Gravel Pit Cottages have been completed and restored. There would be no further tipping within 100 metres of these houses. There would be little impact for local residents from operations within the site. The main impacts for local residents would be the extended period of time for lorry traffic going to and from the site.

6.2 It is considered that the need for extended hours until the Portsmouth Energy Recovery Incinerator becomes operational, resulting from the completion of the Paulsgrove Landfill site, is significant. Therefore, on balance it is recommended to grant permission.

Recommendation

That planning permission in respect of variation of condition (2) of Planning Permission F27242/006/CMA (hours of operation) at Southleigh Landfill site, Havant (Application No. F.27242/008/CMA) be granted, subject to the following conditions:

Hours of Working

(i) except with the prior agreement of the Waste Planning Authority in writing, no operations authorised or required by this permission shall be carried out and plant shall not be operated other than between the hours of 0700 and 1800 Monday to Friday and between 0900 and 1700 Sunday and Bank Holidays.

Reason: In the interests of local amenity.

(ii) this permission shall be for a temporary period expiring on 31 December 2004, after which the hours revert to those previously approved under planning permission F27242/006/CMA.

Reason: In the interests of local amenity.

Advice Note

All other conditions of the planning permissions at Southleigh Landfill site remain in force.

8288/PDC

APPENDIX

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

Policy 6

Permission will be granted for minerals and waste development provided the Mineral/Waste Planning Authority is satisfied that:

(i) there is a clearly established need for the development (as assessed in relation to the other relevant policies of the Plan) which outweighs any adverse environmental or other impact that the development would be likely to cause; and

(ii) the development would not be likely to give rise to an unacceptable level of adverse environmental, traffic or other impact, pollution risk or danger to public health, particularly in respect of any of the factors specified in Policy 7 and measures would be taken to ensure that any such impacts would, as far as is practicable, be minimised; and

(iii) the proposals provide for the satisfactory working or operation and landscaping of the site and for its satisfactory restoration and landscaping at the cessation of the operations or use or at the end of the life of the facility to a condition suitable for an agreed beneficial after-use which is compatible with adjoining land uses and the planning policies for the area.

Notwithstanding any need there may be for waste disposal, permission will not normally be granted for mineral extraction with restoration by infilling with waste materials unless there is a need for the mineral to be extracted.