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

1. Summary

1.1 Planning permission is sought for a variation of condition to enable the site to open on Sundays and bank holidays. This variation is required to maintain the waste management service. There have been a number of changes to the planning permission for the site since it was originally granted, which have included its use on Sundays and bank holidays and the site has continued to open on these days. However, the most recent permission for a modification to the waste transfer station did not include these hours.

1.2 The application is to regularise the use on Sundays and bank holidays. It is considered that there is a significant need for the waste transfer station to open on these days to maintain the waste management service. Whilst the lorries add to the queuing by vehicles going to the adjoining household waste recycling centre, they are not the cause, nor make a significant difference. The recommendation is to grant permission.

2. Site and Proposal

2.1 The site, as shown on the attached plan, is located within an industrial estate. Access is from Elles Road (A327) via Arrow Road and into the industrial estate. Industrial/commercial uses adjoin the site and the nearest houses are to the west of Arrow Road.

2.2 Planning permission for the Rushmoor Waste Transfer Station and adjoining Household Waste Recycling Centre (HWRC) was originally granted in 1996, with Phase 1 becoming operational in 1997. The waste transfer station is the main waste delivery point for this part of North Hampshire, serving Rushmoor and Hart. The site takes household waste and recyclables collected by the District Councils and waste from the HWRCs.

2.3 Since 1997 there have been amendments to the facility and variations in conditions. In January 1998 permission was granted for a variation of condition to allow the waste transfer station to operate on Sundays and bank holidays. However, the most recent permission for various modifications to the waste transfer station, granted in January 2002, did not carry forward this amendment. Therefore the current permitted hours of operation for lorries entering or leaving the waste transfer station are 0600 to 2400 Monday to Friday and 0600 to 2000 hours on Saturday, but excluding Sundays and bank holidays. Notwithstanding this condition the site has continued to operate on these days, in accordance with the hours specified in the previous permission, to maintain the waste management service. The level of use is significantly lower than during weekdays, totalling approximately 20 loads on Sundays and 20 to 40 loads on bank holidays. On a typical weekday the waste transfer station receives over 80 loads, and an additional 15 to 20 loads are transferred from the site.

2.4 The application is to regularise the way the site is operated by retaining the permitted hours from Monday to Saturday, and adding the hours of 0700 to 1830 on Sundays and bank holidays (excluding Christmas Day and Boxing Day). The hours of operation for the HWRC are unaffected as it already has permission to open seven days a week (excluding Christmas Day and Boxing Day).

3. Development Plan

3.1 Hampshire, Portsmouth and Southampton Minerals and Waste Local Plan (Adopted December 1998) Policy 7 concerns proposals for waste development and Policy 46 concerns proposals for waste transfer/recycling.

5. Consultations

5.1 Rushmoor Borough Council raises no objection, but considers it desirable that additional traffic management measures be introduced to improve the throughput of vehicles at the HWRC at peak periods, to try to reduce congestion and inconvenience to local residents. It is therefore proposed that an advisory note to that effect is included with the decision.

5.2 The Environmental Health Officer, Rushmoor Borough Council, has been informed.

5.3 The Environment Agency has been informed.

5.4 The Highways Adviser raises no objection.

5.5 The local Member, Councillor Mrs Devereux has been informed.

6. Representations

6.1 Five letters of objection has been received from residents of Arrow Road, Kempton Court and Brook Gardens on the grounds that the road is gridlocked on Sundays and bank holidays by vehicles going to the HWRC, queuing outside their houses and causing noise and inconvenience. Additional lorries and their fumes would make this worse.

7. Chief Planning Adviser's Comments

7.1 There is a need for waste facilities to open on Sundays and bank holidays to provide a delivery point for waste collected by the District Councils when they operate on bank holidays, and waste from HWRCs. If the waste is not collected from the HWRCs they would not be able to stay open their full hours.

7.2 The Rushmoor Waste Transfer Station is an important waste delivery point for this part of Hampshire and has operated without complaints being received from local residents.

7.3 However, it is recognised that the heavy use of the adjoining HWRC by the public leads to queuing, particularly at weekends. That this queuing causes problems for local residents is understood. However, whilst the lorries travelling to and from the Waste Transfer Station are caught in these queues, the number of lorries is not high, they are not the cause of the queuing and do not make it significantly worse.

7.4 In conclusion, it is considered that there is a significant need for the waste transfer station to open on these days to maintain the waste management service, and it has been used on Sundays and bank holidays for several years without complaint. The recommendation is to grant planning permission.

Recommendation

That planning permission in respect of Variation of Condition (5) of planning permission 01/00789/CMA to allow lorries to enter and leave the site on Sundays and public holidays at Rushmoor Waste Transfer Station, Eelmoor Road, Farnborough (05/00336/HCC) 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

Hours of Working

(1) Unless otherwise agreed in writing by the Waste Planning Authority no lorries shall enter or leave the site except between the following hours: 0600-2400 Monday to Friday (excluding recognised public holidays), 0600-2000 Saturday, and between 0700 and 1830 on Sundays or recognised public holidays, except that the site shall not be open on 25 and 26 December.

Reason: In the interests of local amenity.

434/PDC

Annexe to Reasons for Conditions

(as required by Article 22 of the Town and Country Planning

(General Procedure) Order 1995 - as amended)

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Hampshire, Portsmouth and Southampton Minerals and Waste Local Plan (Adopted) 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.