Item 13
MAJOR APPLICATION
W/11/00221/PN. Retention of multi span polytunnels. Land north of, Evesham
Road, Bricklehampton. Oaklands Fruit Farm (Pages 199 - 212)
Ward No 18.
Additional information received from the agent as follows:
i) Amended Water Management Statement received containing the following additional
information:
Addendum
1. All the polytunnels are orientated with the valleys in approximately an east – west
direction as shown on Dg No 790 001B.
2. The Portuguese tunnels subject to approval 97/1018 are permanently covered. The
drainage system has to accommodate higher winter rainfall. The area between the tunnels
has grips which store the run off. At the end of each row of tunnels is a land drain as detailed
on Drawing No 790 001B. These land drains discharge to a ditch on the western boundary of
the field as shown on the drawing.
3. There is a land drain along the eastern boundary of the southern most section of Spanish
tunnels. This prevents any surplus run off from the stone yard area (which in itself is
permeable) from entering the tunnels. This is purely for ‘on site’ management.
4. There is a land drain along the western boundary of the southern most section of the
Spanish tunnels. This collects any surplus water from the grips serving these tunnels, and
again is for ‘on site’ management to keep the road at the end of these tunnels operational.
5. The Spanish tunnels, although multi span, do not have a continuous sheet of polythene
covering many spans. Each tunnel is sheeted individually. There is a gap in the valley for
surface water run off. This is shown on the section on Dg No 790 001B, and also in the
photograph site photos 007.
6. Along the line of each valley in the Spanish tunnels there is a small grip into which
rainwater off the polythene drains. This is similar to the established method of drainage used
on this site and elsewhere with Portuguese tunnels but is not so deep as it is only used
during summer months. Any water which does not soak away discharges to the ditch on the
western boundary of the site.
7. The site has a natural fall from east to west and all surplus water whether falling onto
open field areas or the grips serving the tunnels will discharge to the ditch on the western
boundary.
8. The Spanish tunnels are only covered at times when the plant requires protection during
the cropping season. Once the majority of the crop has been removed, normally in
September, the polythene is removed and folded and stored in the valley of the structure.
This is now the case with over 50% of the Spanish tunnels on this site and is demonstrated
in site photo 010. The polythene cover will be reintroduced in the Spring.
9. During the winter months when the rainfall levels are higher the land is actually open field.
10. Please note that the Portuguese tunnels do not have easily removable polythene and
are designed to be permanently covered. On this particular site this enables the grower to
use these particular tunnels for early and late cropping varieties of strawberries.
11. There is a ditch on the western boundary of the site running in approximately a south to
north direction. Since acquiring the site the Applicant has carried out maintenance of the
ditch. It has been cleaned out to a depth and width as indicated on the indicative cross
section on Drawing No 790 001B. Surplus material from the cleaning has been deposited on
the western side of the ditch, which has formed a bund. The ditch is clean and maintained
through the whole length of the applicants land. This is demonstrated in site photo 001.
ii) Additional plans as follows:
- amended frontage plan showing the provision of improved visibility in a westerly direction
from the site, as well as altered boundary landscaping (drawing number 790.006);
- a site plan of land drains and ditch with sections through the western boundary ditch and
polytunnel valley details (drawing number 790.001B);
Additional Drainage Engineer comments:
It has been noted several times that the rainfall event of July 2007 was exceptional and in
excess of the 1 in 500 year return period. This is well above any design guidelines for
surface water drainage.
I have mentioned before that no flooding details were submitted for this location at the time
we were consulting with the Parish Councils. Yet we are now being told several properties
were flooded during July 2007. Photographs have been submitted showing an isolated part
of the site being flooded but we still have no details showing the residential properties being
flooded.
The Agent has provided suitable details showing how this site is being drained. The recent
photographs, provided by Patricia Lord, quite clearly show the new trench to intercept the
surface water from the tunnels. However, it is difficult to see whether the bund has been
constructed due to the overgrown vegetation or whether the ditch physically matches the
dimensions shown on DRG No 790.001B.
I would suggest a condition be added which states this trench must be constructed as per
the drawing and that it must be maintained on a regular basis to ensure adequate drainage
of the site.
Additional representation received from Patricia Lord, Applestore Cottage, Oakland’s Farm,
Bricklehampton making the following comments:
- My house is one of six dwellings about 25 metres from the eastern boundary of the fruit
farm and abuts the B4084 road.
- There is a significantly increased risk of flooding to my house due to a lack of adequate
drainage system in the field. In July, 2007 a significant volume of water which had run off the
polytunnels in the field gathered on the lower end of the field nearest to my house and then
surged across and flooded it.
- There is currently no guttering on the polytunnels or other rainwater collection system.
Given there is a large area covered in plastic, the ditches in between the polytunnels are not
efficient enough to drain the volume of rainwater which collects.
- in July, 2008 a ditch was created along the edge of the field to help drainage. The pat of
the ditch abutting the main road which is nearest to my house has not been maintained, is
overgrown and contains debris like plastic bags, sheeting and bits of wooden pallets.
- There is an increased risk to road users on the B4084 due to 42-tonne HGV’s looking for
the entrance to the business and turning around in the B4084 road at the entrance to
Oakland’s Farm.
- In view of inadequate site drainage, can a condition(s) be considered requiring additional
drainage in the field and the clearing/maintenance of the ditch? Also, can road safety
implications be considered?
Officer comment:
Drainage/flooding
As noted above, the applicant has supplied an amended Water Management Statement and
plans which deal with the outstanding issues mentioned in the Committee Report and which
are considered to be acceptable by the Drainage Engineer. If Members are minded to
approve the application, a condition is recommended which requires surface water run-off
from the proposed development to be disposed of as described in the amended WMS.
The comments of the neighbour, Patricia Lord, in this respect are noted and are largely a
repeat of those she made in response to the application previously and as summarised in
the Committee Report. Officers would draw Members’ attention to the response of the
Drainage Engineer, as above, and suggest that in line with these if the application is
approved a further condition is added which requires that the surface water drainage trench
along the western site boundary shall be constructed in accordance with the submitted
details and shall be maintained to the satisfaction of the Local Planning Authority to ensure
adequate drainage of the site.
Road safety
Based on the revised Highway Authority comments, the agent has supplied an amended
frontage plan showing the provision of improved visibility in a westerly direction from the site,
as well as altered boundary landscaping. Whilst this approach is acceptable in principle as a
way of providing the required visibility from the site entrance, it is not clear that it is
acceptable in detail to the Highway Authority. In these circumstances, your Officers
recommend that the previously suggested Highway Authority condition (i.e. Z001 on
Committee Report) be imposed on any grant of consent which requires such details to be
submitted to the Council for approval and, if necessary, further amendments to the detailed
layout of the site frontage made before discharge of the information.
The neighbour’s comments with respect to road safety are also a re-iteration of those
previously made. Members’ attention is drawn to the Highways Matters section of the
Committee Report (on pages 205-206) in this respect and the fact that the Highway Authority
is no longer objecting to the proposal.
Recommendation:
As per existing recommendation and add the following conditions:
1. Surface water run-off from the proposed development shall be disposed of as described in
the submitted amended Water Management Statement received on 6 October, 2011 unless
otherwise agreed in writing by the Local Planning Authority
Reason - To ensure that surface water run-off is dealt with in an appropriate and sustainable
manner.
2. The surface water drainage trench along the western site boundary shall be constructed in
accordance with the submitted details as shown on drawing number 790.001B received on 6
October, 2011 and shall be maintained to the satisfaction of the Local Planning Authority to
ensure adequate drainage of the site.
Reason - To ensure that surface water run-off is dealt with in an appropriate and sustainable
manner.
3. T009 –
The permission shall relate to the originally submitted plans and to the amended plans,
drawing number 790.001B received on 6 October, 2011.
Reason - To define the permission.