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

1. Summary

1.1 Planning permission is sought for a bottom ash conditioning and processing facility within the Blue Haze Landfill site. The proposal is for a temporary period of five years to allow time to secure and develop a long term facility.

1.2 There is a very strong need for recycling this ash , and the location within the active Blue Haze Landfill for a temporary period fully accords with policy. There would be additional lorry traffic on the B3081 but this would be within previously accepted levels. Therefore it is recommended to grant planning permission.

2. Recommendation

That planning permission in respect of formation of an incinerator bottom ash conditioning and process facility for a temporary period at Blue Haze Landfill, Ringwood Road (B3081), Ringwood (Application No. 07/90181) be granted for the following reason, subject to conditions in Appendix 1.

Reason for Approval

It is considered that the proposal would be in accordance with the development plan (summary attached in Appendix 2) 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.

3. Site and Proposal

3.1 The site, as shown on the attached plan, comprises an area of 3.4 hectares within the Blue Haze Landfill site. The landfill site covers an area of about 31 hectares within Ringwood Forest about four kilometres north-west of Ringwood and one kilometre south-east of Verwood. It was granted consent in 1999 and is expected to continue to 2020.

3.2 The nearest houses are about 300 metres to the east of the landfill site and about 800 metres to the north. The surrounding land is managed for commercial forestry and is a Site of Interest for Nature Conservation (SINC).

3.3 The proposal is to develop an incinerator bottom ash (IBA) conditioning and processing facility. IBA is the principal residue remaining after the incineration of waste, and would come from three energy recovery facilities at Chineham (Basingstoke), Marchwood and Portsmouth. It consists of non-combustible material such as sand, stones, rock, ceramics, glass and ferrous and non-ferrous metals. The proposed processing of this material, which is primarily a screening and grading operation, is to recover the metals for specialist recycling and to produce a range of secondary aggregates. The secondary aggregates would be used in road construction as sub-base, in asphalt, in concrete, in block manufacture as lightweight fill and primary aggregate in foamed asphalt. The site would handle about 110,000 tonnes of IBA of which it is estimated 5% would be metals for recovery and 75% recycled for secondary aggregate. The 10 % oversize material unsuitable to market and 10% residual fine ash would be landfilled at the site.

3.4 The proposed processing plant would comprise a Primary Unit, Secondary Unit and a Non-Ferrous Recovery Unit. The primary unit would consist of a feeder hopper, with a 100 millimetre grid to reject large objects and wire, the material would then pass a magnet to remove ferrous materials, the metals being collected in a skip. Material would then pass to a three deck screen, to remove over-size, mid-size and under-size rejects. The mid-size material would then pass to the Secondary Unit for further screening and ferrous metal removal. Two eddy current separators would finally be used to recover non-ferrous metals.

3.5 The proposed location of the facility is within Phase D of the landfill, which has been partially infilled with waste. The proposal is to cease waste tipping, which would continue in another Phase, and prepare the site with a base of 0.5 metre depth of IBA. Consequently the site would be at a lower level than the surrounding areas. On completion of the temporary period the facility would be removed to a permanent site, which is currently being sought, and waste tipping resumed to complete Phase D and restore it in accordance with the landfill consent.

3.6 Access to the site would be from the existing landfill entrance on the B3081. The proposal would generate an average of 52 lorry movements per day (26 in and 26 out). The deliveries would be seven days a week, within the existing permitted hours for the landfill. However the processing would be more restricted to Monday to Saturday working only.

3.7 Associated with this proposal is a planning application for revising the working scheme for the landfill site. There is also an application for extending the waste transfer station at the site, which is also being considered by this committee.

4. Development Plan

4.1 Hampshire Minerals and Waste Core Strategy: Policy DC13 concerns waste management and recycling. Policy S9 supports proposals for recycling and secondary aggregates specifically referring to IBA.

5. Consultations

5.1 New Forest District Council raises no objection.

5.2 Environmental Health New Forest District Council - no comments received.

5.3 Environment Agency - raises no objection.

5.4 Highways Authority comments that the site is accessed directly from the B3081 Verwood Road which is part of the Hampshire lorry network. The site access was constructed for HGV traffic and is therefore suitable for the type of traffic generated by the proposal. This application has been submitted in conjunction with an application for a temporary Waste Transfer Station. The Highways Authority is satisfied that the combined movements can be accommodated on the existing highway network, and raises no objection to the planning application subject to the conditions concerning prevention of mud on the road and parking provision within the site.

5.5 Bournemouth Airport - raises no objection.

5.6 Ellingham Harbridge and Ibsley Parish Council - no comments received.

5.7 Dorset County Council raises objection on the following grounds:

(i) It is uncertain whether the proposed development will cease after the proposed timescales.

(ii) Information relating to expected increases in vehicle movements is unclear.

(iii) Considers that a full Traffic Impact Assessment is required due to potentially significant increase of traffic movements along B3081, potential impacts on Bakers Hanging Junction, increased traffic movements on the B3081 since the landfill was permitted and the poor accident record along the B3081.

(iv) Although levels for inbound lorry movements are below trigger levels for financial contributions within the current legal agreement, a contribution should be considered towards improvements to the B3081 from this proposal.

5.8 Verwood Town Council raises objection. Concerned about noise and dust, need assurance that this will be monitored. Concern at lorry routeing going through Verwood. Concern at capacity of B3081 to take extra traffic as think this is a busy and dangerous road. Concern at lack of clarity of end dates, when the process will cease.

5.9 The local Member, Councillor Mrs Heron, has been informed.

6. Representations

6.1 No individual representations received.

7. Chief Planning Adviser's Comments

7.1 Currently all the incinerator bottom ash (IBA) from the Energy Recovery Facilities (ERF) in Hampshire is landfilled. This is a missed opportunity as the material would provide a significant alternative aggregate source. Therefore there is a very clear need for the facility and there is strong support in the recently adopted Hampshire Minerals and Waste Core Strategy for such proposals. In principle the location of the facility within an existing operating landfill site, during its life is acceptable In addition, being within an engineered tipping cell means the site benefits from the extensive pollution control measures and engineering associated with a modern landfill site. However, the location at the Blue Haze Landfill is not ideal for a long term facility as it is not well located geographically for serving the ERFs, but as a temporary measure the significant benefits in recycling outweigh the geographic distance from the source of materials.

7.2 Dorset County Council and Verwood Town Council raise concern about additional lorry traffic affecting the B3081, particularly the Bakers Hanging Junction. This issue was raised by Dorset with the original planning application for the landfill. As a result Dorset entered a legal agreement with the applicant and landowners which secured improvements to this junction and also gave a trigger level for a major contribution towards further improvements if the number of lorry deliveries to the site increased beyond 12,500 for a three month period. The current number of lorries delivering to the site (averaging just under 6,900 for a three month period) is below this trigger level, and the total with the additional 52 daily lorry movements associated with the IBA proposal and additional waste transfer operation, dealt with under a separate item on the agenda, would still be well under this level. Therefore the lorry movements would be within previously accepted limits, and further improvements and financial contribution as requested by Dorset County Council cannot be justified.

7.3 Verwood Town Council also express concern about possible traffic through Verwood. This would not be the case with the IBA as all movements would be to and from the A31. In relation to the town council's concerns about noise and odour, the existing requirements would continue to apply through planning conditions. However the IBA itself does not give rise to odour.

7.4 In conclusion there is a very strong need for recycling IBA, and the location within the active Blue Haze Landfill for a temporary period fully accords with policy. There would be additional lorry traffic on the B3081 but this would be within previously accepted levels. Therefore it is recommended to grant planning permission.

1419/PDC

APPENDIX 1

Conditions

Commencement

(1) The development hereby permitted shall be begun before the expiration of three years from the date of this permission.

Reason: To comply with Section 91(as amended) of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990.

Timescale

(2) Unless otherwise agreed in writing by the Waste Planning Authority, the bottom ash conditioning and processing hereby permitted shall cease on or before 31 December 2012, the site shall then be completed and and the site shall be restored in accordance with the requirements of Planning Permission 00060405 (as amended).

Reason: To minimise the duration of disturbance from the operations.

Hours of Working

(3) Unless otherwise agreed in writing by the Waste Planning Authority no heavy goods vehicles shall enter or leave the site except between the following hours: 0700-1800 Monday to Friday, 0700-1630 Saturday and 0800-1630 on Sunday or recognised public holidays (excluding Christmas Day and Boxing Day).

Reason: In the interests of local amenity.

(4) Unless otherwise agreed in writing by the Waste Planning Authority the incinerator bottom ash processing plant shall only be operated between the following hours: 0700-1800 Monday to Friday and 0700-1630 Saturday. There shall be no working on Sunday or recognised public holidays.

Reason: In the interests of local amenity.

Noise and Dust

(5) Noise once the site is operational shall not exceed 55dB(A)LAeq when measured at the nearest property.

Reason: To prevent noise disturbance to the residents of the nearest houses.

(6) Dust suppression measures, including use of water mist sprays during periods of dry weather shall be implemented for the duration of the development.

Reason: In the interests of local amenities.

Highways

(7) Details of measures to be taken to prevent mud from vehicles leaving the site during the construction works being deposited on the public highway shall be submitted to and approved by the Local Planning Authority in writing and fully implemented before the development commences. Such measures shall be retained for the duration of the construction period.

Reason: In the interests of highway safety.

(8) Details of provision to be made for the parking and turning on site of operatives' and construction vehicles during the contract period shall be submitted to and approved by the Local Planning Authority in writing and fully implemented before development commences. Such measures shall be retained for the duration of the construction period.

Reason: In the interests of highway safety.

APPENDIX 2

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 Minerals and Waste Core Strategy

Policy DC13 - Waste Management and Recycling

Waste management developments (excluding landfill) will be permitted provided that the site:

a. Is identified as a site, or within an area suitable for waste management uses, in the Hampshire Waste Management Plan, or

b. Re-uses/redevelops previously developed land and/or redundant agricultural and forestry buildings (including their curtilages), or

c. Is within a planned area of large-scale development, or

d. Is on employment land, preferably co-located with complementary activities, and

e. Has good access to, the minerals and waste lorry route as shown on the Key Diagram, and where possible, the site enables the use of waterborne and rail freight, and

f. In the case of recovery and treatment sites, incoming waste shall be subject to pre-treatment, either on or off site to maximise the potential for recycling, and where technically possible, energy will be generated and used and the by-products, including heat, will be reused or recycled, and

g. In the case of sites providing public access, the site shall be accessible for use by disabled people.

Policy S9 - Recycled and Secondary Aggregates

By 2016, production capacity will be provided for the supply of recycled and secondary aggregates at a rate of 1.7 million tonnes a year, including provision for the reprocessing of 100,000 tonnes of incinerator bottom ash.