Contact: Julia Davey, ext 6732 email: [email protected]

1. Summary

1.1 This report considers an application for the installation of three biomass generators in a redundant barn, minor alterations to the barn and the importation of wood waste (biomass) for the purpose of producing 300 kilowatts of electricity for sale to the National Grid and 600 kilowatts of heat for use in nearby farm buildings, at Upper Slackstead Farm, Braishfield.

2. Recommendation

That permission for an application for the installation of three biomass generators in a redundant barn, minor alterations to the barn and the importation of wood waste (biomass) for the purpose of producing 300 kilowatts of electricity for sale to the National Grid and 600 kilowatts of heat for use in nearby farm buildings, at Upper Slackstead Farm, Braishfield be granted subject to conditions as set out in Appendix 1 controlling the environmental impact of the development, including a condition preventing lorries from arriving at the site before 9.30 am and preventing them from arriving and leaving the site between 3 pm and 4 pm. The reason being to prevent any conflict with school opening and closing times. There would also be a condition restricting lorry movements to six movements (three loads) per working week.

Reason for Approval

It is considered that the proposal, with conditions controlling the environmental impact of the development, 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, Its Surroundings and Planning History

3.1 The site, as shown on the attached plan, extends across 0.2 hectares of grazing land comprising a redundant grain barn surrounded by paddock predominantly used for grazing horses. It is accessed off Farley Lane in Upper Slackstead. The building is a steel portal-framed building clad in profile asbestos cement and steel. It is approximately 9 metres high to the ridge 16 metres long and 16 metres wide. The south elevation houses the existing roller doors. There is a small, partly-derelict, single story building to the rear on the northern elevation. To the west of the site lies grassland and beyond the hedgerow further agricultural land. To the north, beyond the surrounding grassland, are single storey stables; to the east beyond the paddock is a hedgerow and Farley Lane.

3.2 Two houses, Nos. 209 and 210 Farley Lane, are located approximately 40 metres from the site, and two further properties, Nos. 207 and 208 Farley Lane are approximately 50 metres from the site. All these properties are within the control of the applicant. Due east of the site on the opposite side of the Farley Lane is Upper Slackstead Farm and adjacent business units.

3.3 The harvesting of the arable land is now undertaken by an agricultural contractor based at Farley Farm, a local farm 0.5 kilometres north of the site. The grain from the applicant's fields is therefore now stored at his contractor's premises. The barn subject of the application is therefore redundant.

3.4 When used as a grain drier and for storing seed, the barn generated significant traffic movements for around three months of the year and then generated the occasional heavy goods vehicle (HGV) movement throughout the rest of the year. Over the whole year the grain barn generated some 215 HGV movements and some 600-700 tractor and trailer movements. The HGV monuments included delivery of up to 100 tonnes of fertiliser by articulated lorry, 2-3 HGV deliveries of seed and 200 HGV movements collecting grain.

3.5 Upper Slackstead can be reached by road from the west, north and south. The nearest `A' road to the site is the A3090 Hursley Road that runs approximately three metres beyond the site to the south. To connect with this in an easterly direction, vehicles travel along approximately 3.5 kilometres of rural lanes, passing by Bells Ground Farm and associated cottages at Lower Slackstead and then passing only three residential properties along this route until the village of Standon is reached at the lane's junction with the A3090.

3.6 Heading in a westerly direction from the site, vehicles travel along approximately 5.5 kilometres of rural roads until the junction with the A3090 is reached. This route takes traffic past three farms and several residential properties before it reaches the village of Braishfield at the junction with Braishfield school. Traffic then needs to pass many more residential properties before the roads link with the A3090.

3.7 Farley Lane to the north of the site just connects with a maze of other rural lanes as there is no `A' road in the near vicinity to the north.

3.8 In August 2001 Winchester City Council gave permission for change of use of the redundant agricultural buildings east of the site in the Upper Slackstead Farm complex to B1 use, subject to two conditions. These conditions restrict the operation of the site by no more than seven members of staff and use of no more than 913 square metres of redundant agricultural farm area. The reason given for both conditions was that the roads leading to and from the site were inadequate in width and alignment to safely accommodate the amount of vehicular traffic likely to be generated.

3.9 These premises are currently occupied by three local businesses - Test Valley Wines, `Intermedia', an advertising and media company, and a local carpenter/joiner who undertakes green oak and historic window restoration and other joinery work.

3.10 In May 1997 the applicant submitted this same proposal for a biomass generator plant to Winchester City Council. The application was withdrawn in October 2007 to enable further information on noise to be provided and because the application needed to be determined by the County Council as Waste Planning Authority.

3.11 Winchester City Council is currently determining a retrospective application from the applicant for a change of use of more than the 913 square metres for B1 use.

4. The Proposal

4.1 Planning permission is sought for the installation of three biomass generators in a redundant barn and the importation of wood waste (biomass) for the purpose of producing 300 kilowatts of electricity for sale to the National Grid and 600 kilowatts of heat for use in nearby farm buildings, at Upper Slackstead Farm, Braishfield.

4.2 The applicant is Pucknall Energy Generation Limited (PEG) a company that has been established to generate energy from renewable resources.

4.3 The application comprises a planning statement, a Design and Access statement, a highway report, a noise report, an engineering report on the proposed stack height, a letter from Veolia relating to supply of the wood fuel, correspondence from Southern Electricity Board (SEB) on the terms of purchase of the electricity, and accompanying landscape and elevational drawings.

4.4 It is proposed to install three biomass turbines inside the barn. The electrical efficiency would be in excess of 20%, being 2-3 times more efficient than steam-based generation.

4.5 The combustor, turbine and generator of each unit would be housed within two 6 metre standard containers with a footprint of 6 metres x 2.5 metres, stacked one above the other. This means there would be a total of six 6 metre containers for the three generators housed within the barn. In addition there would be a storage bunker/silo connecting the fuel (biomass). The redundant grain barn is 16 metres square and the applicant considers that the whole process and a large area for storage of additional fuel could be housed within the existing building. There would be enough space to store up to 30-40 days fuel within the building.

4.6 Chipped wood would be imported on two eight-wheeled rigid HGVs per week. The applicant has negotiated a contract for 3,000 tonnes of biomass per annum, the majority of which would come from the Chilbolton Down composting site. The remainder would come from other composting sites at Herriard and Fareham.

4.7 Once delivered the wood waste would be stored within the building prior to its use in the turbines. The chipped fuel would be fed into the turbines automatically by conveyor. The wood chips can be up to 30 millimetres in size. The fuel consumption of each generator would be 100 kilograms per hour. The generators would consume a total of approximately 1,700 tonnes (6,800square metres) of coppice and softwood thinning per year. Experience has shown that each generator could consume up to 2,270 cubic metres of biomass per year, giving an annual volume of 6,800 cubic metres per year.

4.8 The proposed biomass has a relatively low density of 250 kilograms/cubic metre and so its transport to the site would be volume-sensitive rather than weight-sensitive. Therefore, to transport the 6,800 cubic metres of fuel per year to the site would require 128 loads per year or one load every other day in the working week. Apart from the HGVs delivering the biomass fuel there would be the very occasional tanker delivering fuel oil (one or two per year) and then daily visits by maintenance staff in vans to check the operation. The applicant states that it is important not to mix up volume and weight when calculating the volumes of material and considers that this point may have caused confusion amongst some of the general public. The transport of the fuel is volume dependent and weight is not critical. Each biomass generator requires some 2,270 cubic metres per year of the proposed type of fuel (thinning, woody waste, etc). This figure comes from the Manufacturer -Talbotts. This volume would vary if a different fuel were used (ie straw or miscanthus) as it depends on calorific value. Hence the three generators require 3 x 2,270 cubic metres = 6,810 cubic metres per year. Using lorries with a capacity of 53 cubic metres each gives 128 deliveries per year. The actual weight of this fuel is immaterial as each lorry can carry up to 32 tonnes. The dry weight of the fuel as it goes into the boiler with a moisture content of 20% is 250 kilograms per cubic metre. Even if the fuel as it is collected from Veoila is very wet, then even at 50% moisture content it would have a density of 500 kilograms/cubic metre and the lorry would only have a load of 26.5 tonnes. The applicant

adds that the fuel could have a moisture content of 60% before the maximum permissible weight of the lorry is exceeded. The applicant states that it will be buying the fuel that will be weighed as it leaves the composting facility. The weight of 3,000 tonnes is a conservative figure to allow for a wet material.

4.9 The applicant's highways report states that there are two possible routes into the site by HGV. From the west via Braishfield and then by Dores Lane to Lower Slackstead, or from the east from Standon and along Dores Lane to lower Slackstead. The route from the east is a quieter road and passes few properties but the location of the fuel source means that most vehicles would approach from the Braishfield direction.

4.10 The applicant states that any material from Chilbolton would travel via the A3057 through Kings Sombourne to Timsbury and then via Sandy Lane into Braishfield. Material from Fareham would travel on the motorway network to M27 Junction 3 (Nursling) and then via Southampton Road and Winchester Hill to Braishfield, whilst material from Herriard (Basingstoke) could travel via the M3 to Junction 9 (south Winchester) or Junction 10 (Pitmore) and then access from the A3090 Winchester-Romsey Road (all as shown on the attached plan).

4.11 The applicant states this routing could be the subject of a planning obligation to ensure that the vehicle delivering biomass use only a pre-defined route and travel at non-sensitive times to avoid, for example, school arrival/departure time.

4.12 The highways report states that the chance of any other vehicle meeting one of the HGVs travelling to or from the biomass generator amounts to six minutes every two days. Over a working day of 8 hours this would amount to a 1 in 160 chance. The applicant adds that the site could store up to 650 cubic metres of biomass (10-14 HGV loads) of fuel. There is the possibility that all this could be brought in during the course of one day, meaning the next delivery would not be required for 30 days. In this event it would be stipulated that only one HGV was used.

4.13 One part-time employee would be required as the plant is fully automated.

4.14 It is proposed that 300 kilowatts of electricity would be sold through the National Grid. The site is close to a transformer enabling easy connection to the grid. The hot water would be used to heat the five residential houses and the industrial units all in the vicinity and under the applicant's control. The permission of the owners of the adjoining properties has been given. The remaining heat would be used to condition the biomass material.

4.15 The generators would produce approximately 25 tonnes of ash which it is proposed to spread across agricultural land at the farm because it would be rich in potash and therefore considered to be of agricultural benefit.

4.16 The barn would be altered externally by removing the old single-storey extension to the north and by having doors on the north as well as the existing south elevation. Three flues/chimneys would be constructed on the roof three metres above the ridge line.

4.17 A hardstanding would be created approximately four metres wide around the building, which would be used as a perimeter route by lorries delivering biomass. Lorries would unload via the rear doors using this hardstanding as a perimeter route.

4.18 It is proposed to plant additional native species to reinforce the hedge to the east of the building and a new hedge to the north between the rear elevation of the barn and the existing stable.

5. Development Plan

5.1 Hampshire Minerals and Waste Core Strategy (adopted - July 2007) Policies DC1 (Sustainable waste development); DC3 (Impact on landscape); DC6 (Highways); DC8 (pollution, amenity); DC13 (Waste management and recycling energy regeneration and re-use of by products including heat; re-use of redundant farm buildings). Paragraph 26.44 of supporting text to DC13 states "A site with good access to the minerals and waste lorry route is normally defined as one within two kilometres of that network."

5.2 Winchester District Local Plan Policies C16, C17, DP3, DP10, DP11, DP12.

5.3 PPS7- sustainable development in rural areas/farm diversification.

5.4 PPS22 - Renewable Energy " renewable energy development should be capable of being accommodated in locations where the technology is available, viable and environmental economic and social inputs can be addressed satisfactory."

6. Consultations

6.1 The local Member, Councillor Bailey, raises concerns about the proposal, including the unsuitable location; potential increase in carbon-dioxide emissions from long distance lorries that have to travel with waste; unsuitability of the narrow lanes to take such traffic; impact on amenities of local residents.

6.2 Braishfield Parish Council objects to the proposal on the grounds of traffic and unsuitable road network; the waste heat will not be usefully used at this site as too remote; the site is too far from the waste source; Braishfield School is currently embarking on a safer routes to school scheme because of the inappropriate use of roads through Braishfield by lorries and speeding cars. Also the traffic dangers are currently being considered by the Hampshire Action Team of Councillors (HATS) with a view to lowering the speed limit.

6.3 Hursley Parish Council objects strongly to the proposal on grounds of HGV traffic on rural roads; conclusions of supposed experts reports are questionable; inappropriately located close to several houses; chimneys would be unsightly; remote from waste source; particularly object to any use of Dores Lane and Merton Castle Lane to Standon as very few places where a car and HGV can pass.

6.4 The Environmental Health Officer raises no objection to the application subject to conditions:

"I now accept that the applicant's targets are achievable, they will require a high level of engineering to ensure they are always met. I have therefore recommended a condition relating to the submittal of a noise management plan. The applicant should be advised that this noise management plan should include an assessment of noise levels present upon completion of each phased stage of this installation (as I understand the three generators will be installed sequentially) as well as proposals for annual checks of acoustic performance.

This installation will also require permitting under the Pollution Prevention and Control Act 1999 but only once two of the three units are installed and running. I have therefore included conditions to ensure satisfactory pollutant dispersal from the commencement of site operations."

6.5 The Highways Authority states that the local road network is very rural in nature and narrow lanes serve the site. If a condition were imposed restricting lorry loads to two per week it would be difficult to prove that sufficient demonstrable harm will occur as a result of the proposal to successfully sustain a highway reason for refusal at appeal. To conclude, the Highway Authority raises no objection subject to conditions that ensure lorries do not arrive at the site before 9.30 am and do not leave the site between 3 pm and 4 pm to ensure there is no conflict with school-related traffic.

6.6 Winchester City Council raises no objection provided the County Council is satisfied that the development can be operated without materially harming the amenities of the countryside and local residents in terms of traffic generation, noise and disturbance.

6.7 The Environment Agency raises no objection in principle to the proposal. It advises that all necessary pollution prevention measures are in place on-site as it lies within a Source Protection Zone 3 for the Otterbourne Public Water Supply. There are also swallow holes in the vicinity, therefore the area is very sensitive with respect to groundwater.

6.8 Councillor Dowden objects to the proposal on grounds of pollution from the emissions; inadequacy of the road network to accommodate the additional lorries; significant visual impact; ash will cause serious pollution hazard when spread on land and it would be carried by the wind; almost nothing is done with the 600 kilowatt heat energy generated by the proposal.

7. Representations

7.1 Thirty-nine letters and a petition of 147 residents have been received raising objection to the application. Whilst the petition does not give grounds for its objection, only that it is against the development, the letters raise objections on grounds of:

(i) Traffic - rural roads unsuitable for additional HGV traffic; banked lanes mean mud on roads in wet weather; erosion of banks; Dores Lane does not have a 30 mph speed limit at any point in a survey by the County Council undertaken in 2007 and reported in Braishfield Village News 15% of vehicles passing Braishfield school exceeded 38 mph); recent accident records on Farley Lane and other lanes proposed; danger to walkers including children walking to school, cyclists, horse riders.

(ii) Noise - impact on amenities by way of noise (24 hours a day seven days per week), also emissions, fumes.

(iii) Impact on wildlife (bats and owls nesting in Upper Slackstead - noise could drive them away).

(iv) Environmental impact - erosion of verges and banks by lorry traffic; existing drains broken by current heavy traffic; landscape impact.

(v) Future expansion - if granted may want increased capacity and therefore increase in traffic as with the light industrial traffic to nearby farm buildings.

(vi) Airborne pollution - fear of airborne asbestos resulting from building.

(vii) Inaccurate report - 4.5 lorry loads per week required not 2 as proposed; a reduction in carbon-dioxide emissions need to off-set emission from vehicles and have compared carbon-dioxide emissions only with oil power. More waste would be needed to operate the generators and produce the electricity than is stated.

(viii) Ash needs to be spread seasonally so where would it be dry stored.

(ix) Fire - query whether fire risk been addressed.

(x) Monarchs Way - part of the country lane network is utilised by The Monarchs Way to gain access to the bridleway in Ampfield Wood and is therefore used by pedestrian, cyclists and horse riders. This objection of safety is maintained until traffic proposals are submitted that address this hazard to public safety.

(xi) Not sustainable - better to locate CHP plant at new Abbotswood housing development just down the road.

8. Commentary

8.1 The principle of the application is in accordance with policy in that it re-uses a redundant farm building for recovery of energy from waste. It is, however, acknowledged that the site is more than two kilometres from the Hampshire strategic lorry route network and this issue is discussed in more detail below.

8.2 The main issues raised by the proposal are those of visual, pollution and highway impacts.

8.3 With regards to visual impact the external appearance, scale and footprint of the building would not significantly alter. Three stacks would be constructed on the roof but this has been assessed from the point of view of landscape impact and it is considered that it would be acceptable. The applicant is also proposing additional hedgerow planting both along Farley Lane to the east of the site and also across the existing paddock to the south of the stables. Whilst not essential visually it is considered this would help strengthen existing planting, add to biodiversity and help screen the north/rear elevation of the barn.

8.4 The Environment Agency is the County Council's adviser on groundwater and pollution issues. Whilst noting concerns of local Members, Parish Councils and residents about pollution issues, the Agency has raised no objections to the proposal. It is recommend that if permission is granted that it be subject to a condition requiring drainage details to be submitted prior to implementation of the development.

8.5 Concerns raised about carbon emissions and distance from waste source to site are noted. The applicant has submitted information to demonstrate that carbon emissions would be significantly reduced by the proposal even taking into account the lorry transportation elements. Concerns have also been raised about the electricity not being used, but in line with Government guidance it is being generated using waste and adds to the local and national need via the Grid. Five local properties leased to tenants by the applicant would use the heat generated by the process which is a sustainable use of this resource.

8.6 Concerns have also been raised about the width, alignment and traffic type, speed, and flow along the rural roads serving the site. The applicant has provided clarification of a number of highway issues raised by the proposal. Having studied all the evidence submitted both with the application and by consultees, members of the public and County and Parish Councillors, it is noted the Highway Authority has raised no objection to the application subject to conditions. These conditions relate to the timing of lorries accessing and egressing the site. It is recommended that permission be subject to a condition requiring sheeting of lorries, and also that no more than three HGVs deliver to the site per week. It is recognised that use of the rural roads to serve the site is a very sensitive local issue. However, the Highway Authority considers that the road network is suitable for the two loads proposed per week, accordingly it is considered that there is no reason to object to the proposal on highway grounds.

8.7 Fear of fire through storage of the woody material has also been raised, although in reality the material would be regularly and automatically fed into the system so it is unlikely to be stored for very long. The site will be managed remotely as well as visited regularly, and it is understood the risk of fire is very low.

8.8 It is noted that some objectors consider there are inaccuracies in the applicant's calculations of the quantity of waste to be delivered and the waste needed to generate electricity through the turbines. It is considered this issue has been addressed in paragraph 4.8 of the report.

8.9 To conclude, taking all potential impacts into account, along with the views of consultees and members of the public, on balance it is considered that there is no justifiable planning reason to recommend refusal of the application and accordingly it is recommend that permission be granted subject to conditions.

1586/JD

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.

Hours of Working

(2) No deliveries shall occur to the site before 0930 hours nor leave the site between 1500 and 1600 hours Monday to Friday and no maintenance shall be performed upon any plant, except between the hours of 0800 and 1800 hours, Monday to Friday, unless agreed otherwise beforehand in writing with the Waste Planning Authority. There shall be no deliveries on Saturday, Sunday or recognised public holidays.

Reason: To prevent noise disturbance to neighbouring residents.

(3) Works relating to the construction of the development hereby approved, including works of demolition or preparation prior to operations, shall only take place between the hours of 0800 and 1800 hours Monday to Friday and 0800 and 1300 hours on Saturday and shall not take place on Sunday or public holidays, unless otherwise agreed in writing by the Waste Planning Authority.

Reason: To protect the amenities of nearby properties during the construction period.

External Operations

(4) No operations shall occur outside the barn, with the exception of the sheeting of vehicles, and no equipment, machinery, goods, fuel storage or product shall be stored or used outside the barns unless other wise approved in writing beforehand by the Waste Planning Authority.

Reason: To ensure the protection of the environment and the amenities of the area are not detrimentally affected by the use.

Noise, and Other Amenity Controls

(5) Before the development hereby approved commences, a written noise and management plan shall be submitted to the written satisfaction of the Waste Planning Authority. Thereafter, all plant and the site shall be operated in accordance with the approved plan, unless agreed otherwise in writing with the Waste Planning Authority. The noise management plan should include an assessment of noise levels present upon completion of each phased stage of this installation of the three generators as well as proposals for annual checks of acoustic performance.

Reason: To ensure no adverse environmental impacts occur by way of implementation of the development hereby approved.

(6) Low tonal reversing alarms, such as `white noise' type of alarms, only shall be used by any lorries delivering to and regressing from the site as permitted by this certificate of planning permission.

Reason: In the interests of local amenities.

Protection of Water Environment

(7) No sewage or trade effluent (including vehicle wash or vehicle steam cleaning effluent) shall be discharged to any surface water drainage system.

Reason: To prevent pollution of the water environment.

(8) Prior to commencement of the development a surface water drainage scheme for the site shall be submitted to the Waste Planning Authority for approval and thereafter implemented as approved.

Reason: To prevent pollution of the water environment.

(9) Any above ground oil/chemical storage tank/container and associated pipe work shall be bunded in a manner so as to retain at least 110% volume of the tank capacity. All filling points, vents, gauges and sight glasses must be located within the bund, which shall be sealed so as to retain any spillages.

Reason: To prevent pollution to the water environment.

(10) Waste imported to the site shall be restricted to woody material from tree thinnings and bark/green waste . All waste shall be stored within the areas identified on the approved layout plan.

Reason: In the interests of local amenity.

Highways

(11) Facilities shall be provided at the site to ensure that wheel washing of lorries associated with the development takes place before any lorries enter the public highway.

Reason: To ensure that no mud is deposited on the public highway compromising highway safety.

(12) No more than three lorries in and three lorries out (six movements) shall enter the site per week in association with the development permitted by way of this certificate and only during the hours of working detailed in Conditions (2) and (3). A record of lorry movements associated with the development permitted by this certificate shall be maintained and made available to the Waste Planning Authority on request.

Reason: In the interests of highway safety and the amenities of the area.

Restriction of Permitted Development Rights

(13) Notwithstanding the provisions of Parts 4, 8 and 25 Schedule 2 of the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) Order 1995 (or any order revoking and re-enacting that order):

(i) fixed plant or machinery, buildings, structures and erections or private ways shall not be erected, extended, installed or replaced at the site without the prior agreement of the Waste Planning Authority in writing; and

(ii) no telecommunications antenna shall be installed or erected without the prior agreement of the Waste Planning Authority in writing.

Reason: To protect the amenities of the area.

Lighting

(14) No external lighting shall be erected on the site as part of this permission.

Reason: In the interests of the rural character of the area.

Layout

(15) Prior to the development commencing the barn interior and its external associated concrete hardstandings shall be laid out in accordance with layout plan no. SCA002 and no deliveries shall take place nor the biomass plant commissioned until the development has been concreted and set out to the satisfaction of the Waste Planning Authority.

Reason: To ensure that the effective operation of the site.

Litter

(16) No biomass should be allowed to escape from the barns and any that does should be cleared from external areas immediately.

Reason: In the interests of the amenities and rural character of the area.

Landscape

(17) Within three months of the date of development commencing a detailed scheme of landscaping for the perimeter of the site shall be submitted to the Waste Planning Authority for approval in writing. The planting shall be located as shown on Plan `A' attached. The scheme shall specify the types, size and species of all trees and shrubs to be planted; details of all trees to be retained; and details of fencing/enclosure of the site, phasing and timescales for carrying out the works, and provision for future maintenance. Any trees or shrubs which, within a period of five years from the date of planting, die, are removed or become seriously damaged or diseased shall be replaced in the next planting season with others of similar size and species. The scheme shall be implemented as approved which shall be no later than the next planting season following the date of approval.

Reason: In the interests of visual amenity.

Materials

(18) The development shall not be implemented until details of the external colours/materials of the stacks and refurbishment of the building cladding has been submitted to the Waste Planning Authority for approval in writing and thereafter implemented as approved. The construction works to the barn shall take place in accordance with drawing number SCA001.

Reason: In the interests of local amenities.

Other

(19) All exhaust gases from the biomass generators and internal fuel bunkers shall be vented to chimneys of a height at least 12 metres above ground level and at least 3 metres above the height of any ventilation air inlets serving the plant.

Reason: To protect the amenities of nearby properties.

APPENDIX 2

Annexe to Reasons for Conditions

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

(General Procedure) Order 1995 - as amended)

__________________________________________________________________

Hampshire Minerals and Waste Core Strategy DPD 2007

Policy DC1 - Sustainable Minerals and Waste Development

Minerals and waste developments will only be permitted if they meet the standards outlined in Policy S1 and, in appropriate circumstances, are designed and constructed to use water and energy efficiently.

Policy DC3 - Impact on Landscape and Townscape

Minerals and waste development will only be permitted if due regard is given to the likely visual impact of the proposed development and its impact on, and the need to maintain and enhance, the distinctive character of the landscape or townscape. If necessary, additional design, landscaping, planting and screening, including planting in advance of the commencement of the development, should be proposed.

Policy DC6 - Highways

Major mineral extractions, landfills and `strategic' recycling, aggregate processing and recovery and treatment facilities, will be permitted provided they have a suitable access to and/or route to the minerals and waste lorry route as illustrated on the Key Diagram.

In all cases, minerals and waste development will only be permitted if it pays due regard to the likely volume and nature of traffic that would be generated by the proposal and the suitability of the proposed access to the site and of the road network that would be affected. Consideration should be given to highway capacity, road and pedestrian safety, congestion and environmental impact, and whether any highway improvements are required and whether these could be carried out satisfactorily without causing unacceptable environmental impact.

Policy DC8 - Pollution, health, quality of life and amenity

Minerals and waste development will only be permitted if due regard is given to the pollution and amenity impacts on the residents and users of the locality and there is unlikely to be an unacceptable impact on health and/or the quality of life of occupants of nearby dwellings and other sensitive properties. Where necessary minerals and waste developments should include mitigation measures, such as buffer zones between the site and such properties.

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 curtileges), 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.