Contact: Neil Chester, ext 6496 email: [email protected]

1. Summary

1.1 Planning permission is sought for storage of inert waste in skips at Mill Farm, West Wellow, Romsey. There is local concern about the impact of the proposal on the amenity of local residents, the local highway network and the visual amenity of the area. Overall the application only represents a minor change within the curtilage of an industrial estate and the proposed number of lorry movements is not significant. However, to resolve local concerns it is recommended that a temporary permission be granted for two years to provide sufficient time for the impacts of the proposal to be evaluated.

2. Site

2.1 The application site comprises some 0.25 hectares of vacant land to the west of a small industrial estate comprising four barn structures with planning permission for B8 (storage and distribution) uses. Access to the site is through the industrial estate from Woodington Road. Approximately 150 metres to the north of the site is Mill Farm House, which is the nearest residential property. Agricultural land lies to the west and a riding school is situated approximately 70 metres to the south.

3. Proposal

3.1 The proposal is retrospective. The site has been used for the storage of full skips for approximately two years.

3.2 Planning permission is now sought for a maximum of six full skips of varying sizes containing inert waste, including one roll-on-off container. The proposal is to only store full skips on the site where skip collections occur outside the operating hours of the available landfill or waste transfer facilities in the area. The full skips would be stored on site for a maximum of four days to allow for their storage over a public holiday weekend.

3.3 The proposal is to erect a one metre high bund along the western boundary of the site to prevent encroachment into the neighbouring agricultural field and to afford some screening. It is also proposed to define the boundary of the site using sleepers.

4. Development Plan

4.1 Hampshire County Structure Plan Review 1996 - 2011 (Adopted March 2000) MW1 (waste hierarchy); MW2 (environmental impact).

4.2 Hampshire, Portsmouth and Southampton Minerals and Waste Local Plan (Adopted December 1998) Policies 6 and 7 (environmental impact); Policy 46 (waste storage).

5. Consultations

5.1 Wellow Parish Council objects to the proposal on the grounds that it would have a detrimental impact on the local environment, would result in additional traffic, and result in conflict with the adjoining equestrian centre. The Parish Council also comments that if permission were to be granted, the site should be adequately screened from adjoining land.

5.2 The Environmental Health Officer, Test Valley Borough Council, raises a holding objection to the proposal on the grounds that a noise survey should be submitted to demonstrate that the proposal will not have an adverse noise impact on the neighbouring riding school.

5.3 Test Valley Borough Council (TVBC) raises no objections to the proposal. However, the Borough Council recommends that screening should be erected on the southern and western boundaries of the site. In addition, it is recommended that a condition be attached to any permission restricting operating hours to 0600 - 1700 on weekdays and not at all on Sundays or Public Holidays. The Borough Council would like it noted that the application is for the storage of inert waste contained in six skips and whilst a number of empty skips may be ancillary to this use, the use of the site as a storage facility for a significant number of empty skips is not ancillary. The storage of empty skips is a matter for Test Valley Borough Council and the TVBC has concerns about such a use at this site.

5.4 The Environment Agency raises no objection to the proposal. The proposal will require a Waste Management Licence.

5.5 The Highways Adviser raises no objections to the proposal subject to a condition restricting the lorry movements to 12 (6 in and 6 out).

5.6 Sherfield English Environmental Protection Society (SEEP) objects to the proposal for the following reasons:

(i) the proposal conflicts with conditions on the B8 permission for the adjoining buildings;

(ii) there are inaccuracies in the supporting information and plans;

(iii) the proposal would have an adverse impact on the neighbouring ménage and stables by virtue of increased noise, dust and strange odours;

(iv) the proposal is located within a rural area and there should be a landscape scheme agreed prior to any consent;

(v) the proposal is likely to be poorly maintained and is difficult to monitor and thus, will have an adverse impact on the local environment;

(vi) the proposal will generate noise which will have an adverse impact on the amenity of the local area;

(vii) the proposal will result in increased dust and odours which will impact upon the other uses at Mill Farm;

(viii) although the Woodington Road is of a good width for lorry traffic and is well maintained, the access to the site is very close to the access to the adjacent ménage and riding school. The access is therefore dangerous;

(ix) security to the proposed site is inadequate. SEEP suggest that the site should be fully contained within a security fence and lockable gate, however this will have an adverse effect on the landscape;

(x) there has been an increase in the local rat population, together with some strange odours;

(xi) the proposal will result in pollution of water courses; and

(xii) there is no need for the proposal in this area.

5.7 The local Member, Councillor Woodhall, raises concerns that the proposal is visible from surrounding land and property, albeit some distance away, and that any proposed planting would take several years to have a positive impact on the visual amenity of the area.

6. Representations

6.1 There have been 68 letters of objection to the proposal. The main objections are as follows:

(i) the number of lorry movements associated with the proposal will result in an adverse impact on the local highway network and harm the amenity of local residents;

(ii) the proposal will result in an odour, atmospheric pollution and fume problem;

(iii) the proposal is unacceptable in a countryside location;

(iv) the proposal will give rise to an unacceptable noise impacts;

(v) leachate from the skips may pollute water courses and have an adverse impact on flora and fauna; and

(vi) the proposal will be difficult to monitor and thus, non-inert waste could be imported into the site.

7. Chief Planning Advisers Comments

7.1 The concerns of local residents and the Sherfield English Environmental Protection Society are noted. However many of the reasons for objections, such as odour, atmospheric pollution and leachate run-off, are not relevant to the proposed development, which comprises inert waste storage only. The main issues are the suitability of the location within the countryside, the impact of the proposal on the local highway network, and the potential for the proposal to result in an adverse noise and amenity impact.

7.2 The application site, albeit in the countryside, is within the curtilage of the industrial estate at Mill Farm. However, Test Valley Borough Council attached a condition to the original permission for Mill Farm industrial site stating that there shall be no outside storage. Therefore, the proposal would constitute a variation to the original permission. It is understood that the reason for this condition was to restrict the impact of the industrial use within the countryside. However the proposal in making use of industrial land complies with waste planning policy and it is the detailed impacts that are critical to the decision.

7.3 With regard to traffic the local concern about the proposed increase in lorry movements per day on Woodington Road is noted. The Highways Adviser is concerned about increasing numbers of lorry movements on Woodington Road. However the proposed increase of 12 lorry movements (six in and six out) is not significant in view of the neighbouring industrial use, which is unrestricted in terms of lorry movements. To minimise the impact on the highway it is desirable for all lorries to turn left out of the site towards the A27.

7.4 There is also local concern that the proposal will create an adverse noise impact, particularly in relation to the neighbouring riding school. The Environmental Health Officer at Test Valley Borough Council supports this view. However the proposal is small scale and only represents a minor change with the curtilage of an existing industrial estate.

7.5 The proposal involves outside storage and though this would have some degree of visual impact it would only be a marginal change to the local scene.

7.6 However to resolve the concerns of local residents and the Environmental Health Officer it is recommended that permission be granted for a temporary period only. A two year permission would provide sufficient time for the impacts of the proposal to be clearly evaluated.

7.7 Overall the application only represents a minor change within the curtilage of an industrial estate. However, to resolve local concerns it is recommended that a temporary permission be granted for a temporary period of two years, subject to conditions.

Recommendation

That planning permission in respect of Storage of inert waste in skips at Mill Farm, West Wellow, Romsey (TVS04164/10) be granted for the following reason subject to the following conditions:

Reason for Approval

It is considered that the proposal would be in accordance with the Development Plan (summary attached) and would not materially harm the character of the area or the amenity of local residents and would be acceptable in terms of highway safety and convenience.

Conditions

1. The development hereby permitted shall be for a limited period only, expiring on 30 November 2006 or when the waste use ceases, whichever is the sooner. At the expiration of this period the waste, skips and containers shall be removed and the land reinstated to its former condition within three months.

Reason: To comply with Section 91 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 and to secure the visual amenity of the locality, as the building is not considered suitable for permanent retention.

2. There shall be no more than six skips (one of which may be a roll-on-off container) containing waste stored on site at any time. There shall be no more than five empty skips stored on site as ancillary to the development hereby approved.

Reason: In the interests of local amenity.

3. All vehicles shall turn left out of the site and proceed directly to the A27.

Reason: In the interests of highway safety.

4. Lorry movements to and from the site shall be restricted to 12 per day (six in and six out). A daily record of lorries entering and leaving the site shall be kept at the site and made available to the Waste Planning Authority on request.

Reason: To limit the volumes of traffic in the interests of the amenity of residents on and near the approaches to the site.

Informative

1. The development hereby permitted is for the storage of inert waste in skips with a maximum of five empty skips as ancillary to this use. Planning permission has not been granted for the storage of significant numbers of empty skips. The storage of empty skips and the parking of skip lorries would be a matter for Test Valley Borough Council.

9076/NC