APPLICATION: 07/00291/FULEA
Construction of new access road to serve proposed manufacturing
facility, Steetley.
This joint proposal – a manufacturing facility and associated access road –
would contravene more than 30 local, regional and national planning policies.
Objections particular to the proposed access road are as follows:
ECOLOGY
The development will have a significantly adverse impact upon two designated Local
Wildlife Sites; a Local Wildlife Site in Derbyshire and a Site of Importance for Nature
Conservation in Nottinghamshire.
The applicant’s submission is misleading as it indicates that the access road will run
through an area of “despoiled land”. It similarly states that the land “fails to make a
positive contribution to landscape and amenity”. These comments completely
overlook the fact that the land has successfully self-restored through natural
regeneration and it’s designations recognise it as being of at least County level
importance for wildlife. Ecologically, it makes a considerable contribution to the local
area
The site presently supports a number of habitats recognised by the UK Government as
UK BAP priority habitats and considered by Government to be habitats of principal
importance in England.
These habitats have developed over magnesian limestone and now represent examples
of several UK priority and Local Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP) habitat types and
support a range of species with limited distributions at national, regional, county
and district levels including 24 species recognised in the UK BAP as Priority
Species.
Such sites are a finite resource and the partial loss and fragmentation, which would
result from development of Steetley, would represent a significant adverse impact to
biodiversity efforts in the region.
In wildlife terms the Steetley site is unique in the region. Additionally the natural
regeneration of this site has helped to offset the loss of habitats and species from
elsewhere in Bolsover.
It should be noted that Derbyshire Wildlife Trust’s responses to this application detail
the range and importance of species and habitats on the site. The officer has a longterm knowledge of the site and Derbyshire Ornithological Society, Butterfly
Conservation, Whitwell Wood Natural History Group and many other amateur
ecologists - who have studied this site for in excess of 20 years – fully support his
information.
This must be compared to the studies and reports presented by the applicant’s
ecologists, who have had access to the site for a matter of months.
Creswell Limestone Strategy
The rare habitats at Steetley are, in part, due to the geological nature of the site. It is
situated on magnesian limestone – a finite geological and biodiversity resource of
European importance.
This geology is associated with particularly species rich habitats and so the loss of
such a site of biodiversity importance is unacceptable and unsustainable. As such it is
also contrary to PPS1.
Derbyshire County Council and Bolsover District Council have recognised the
importance of this nationally scarce habitat in agreeing to support the aims set out in
the Creswell Limestone Strategy.
This document must therefore be given consideration in regarding the proposed
development.
Evidence suggests that the nature conservation value of this site far outweighs
the need for this type of development and consent would therefore be contrary to
local, regional and national policies, including ENV5, ENV6 and ENV7
Planning Policy Statement 9 (Biodiversity and Geological Conservation) states
that planning decisions should aim to maintain and enhance restore or add to
biodiversity interests and they should follow a sequential approach whereby the
aim should first be to prevent harm to those interests.
Mitigation
The proposed mitigation for the site is largely based on translocation of habitat to a
former arable field located north-east of the site.
Many experts have cast doubt on the potential success of this proposal.
It is unlikely that the habitat mosaic at Steetley can be recreated, partly because the
conditions at Steetley are the result of years of specific use and geological conditions.
The habitat continuity will be fragmented, species population reduced and many
become more vulnerable to extinction.
Attention must be drawn to the attached document ‘A Summary of Objections’
in which the problems associated with the applicant’s mitigation proposals are
more comprehensively listed.
TRAFFIC
There are many concerns with regard to the increase in traffic that this development
will result in. The majority of objections have been raised by people who use the local
roads on a daily basis and who are able to envisage the actual impacts more
realistically than a desktop survey.
Initially the applicants declared priority interest in the Steetley site, as it would allow
rail access, reducing the need for impacting the local highways.
It now seems that development of this facility will not be forthcoming in the near
future.
The applicants suggest a total of 278 HGV deliveries to and from the site would be
expected each day.
This figure relates only to the proposed facility, which the applicant has made
clear is merely ‘Phase 1’.
Their figures show that 42 of these will be between the hours of 6 and 7am, which
will result in an entirely unacceptable increase in heavy traffic noise in this
countryside location.
The amount of traffic arriving at and leaving the site before 9am will substantially
contribute to the already congested A619 at this time. This road - frequently used as it
is by agricultural vehicles- is not suitable for an impact of this nature.
The low bridge at Darfoulds will undoubtedly cause an increase in the amount of
associated traffic using Whitwell as an alternative route. The village is already
suffering substantial impact from such use and any increase would be deemed
unacceptable.
The 278 HGV’s referred to will make up only a portion of the actual traffic generated
by this development.
The traffic generated by this development has not been taken into account by the
Highways Agency M1/M621 Route Management Strategy, which has assessed traffic
impacts at Junction 30 M1.
Noise generated on the proposed access road will significantly impact upon the setting
and atmosphere of the Grade 1 listed Chapel of All Saints and conservation area at
Steetley. The Chapel is recognised as one of the finest examples of Norman
architecture in northern Europe and is described in Bolsover District Council’s own
tourism literature as being “a Norman architectural gem” and “highly valued
architecturally”. It is visited by people from all over the world, on a regular basis, as
can be evidenced by contributions to the visitor’s book.
It is vital that people’s ability to appreciate this building - whether they be
attending ceremonies or visiting – should be protected.
During construction it is intended that all traffic will use Steetley Lane. The amount
and type of traffic that this will involve will seriously impact the Chapel, the
conservation area, the listed buildings at Steetley and the amenity value of the lanes,
which are currently well-used by walkers, cyclists and horse riders.
ANTI-SOCIAL ACTIVITY
The applicants have made much of the site’s long history of anti-social activity in
suggesting that their proposals would provide a solution.
This is most strongly refuted by many of the local residents who have suffered the
associated impacts for many years.
The only anti-social activity that will be stopped by this development is that directly
associated with the buildings.
The major impacts on local residents and wildlife have been through the use of
motorbikes and trespass onto the quarry and surrounding areas. At a meeting held by
local residents, a representative from Laing O’Rourke declared that it would be
difficult to envisage that the developers could have any control over the site beyond
their buildings.
ALTERNATIVE SITES
There are other sites in Bolsover that do not appear to have been assessed by the
applicants.
Of these Markham Vale stands out as being an obvious candidate for a development
of this nature.
This location would satisfy the following criteria;
i)
Already designated for commercial development.
ii)
Immediate access to M1 – the applicant’s favoured route – without
impacting lesser roads.
iii)
No impact on village communities.
iv)
Rail access available.
v)
No impact upon wildlife interests
vi)
No impact upon open countryside
vii)
Higher need for employment in Bolsover than in Bassetlaw.
viii) Availability of enough land still exists.
The applicants have not provided a satisfactory explanation for their failure to
consider this location.
The Steetley site is in open countryside and the A619 route into and out of Bolsover
District does not currently contain industrial development anywhere along its length.
The road travels through a rural setting, which is a good example of local landscape
type.
The only junctions are those onto other rural roads leading to the farmsteads, hamlets
and villages typical of the area.
The creation of an industrial site access road and the necessary A619 alterations,
along with a development of this nature and scale should only be considered in a more
appropriate setting.
NEED
Planning policies clearly state that considerations serving to protect the
countryside, wildlife, habitats, biodiversity and heritage can only be overruled
when overriding need for a development has been shown.
Need for this development in this location has not been satisfactorily
demonstrated.
The Bassetlaw Application
An attached document entitled ‘A Summary of Objections’ serves to consolidate the
varied and now somewhat disjointed objections, responses and counter responses
related to Laing O’Rourke’s application to Bassetlaw for the manufacturing facility
which their proposed access road in Bolsover would serve.
The areas of concern are all covered and some – whilst not actually pertaining to the
proposed access road – may be considered to be of relevance in making a
determination in this matter.
C. L. Littlewood
On behalf of:
A. Buckley
A. Hallam
L. Godlewsky
B. Paget
S. Bembridge
P. Hinchcliffe
D. Atkins
D. Kirk