Development Control Committee
Meeting to be held on 4 July 2012
Electoral Division affected:
Farington
South Ribble Borough: Application 07/12/0355
Temporary Household Waste Recycling Centre until 31 December 2012 at Unit
12, Centurion Way, Farington, Leyland
Contact for further information:
Robert Hope, 01772 534159, Environment Directorate
DevCon@lancashire.gov.uk
Executive Summary
Application - Temporary Household Waste Recycling Centre until 31 December
2012 at Unit 12, Centurion Way, Farington, Leyland.
Recommendation – Summary
That planning permission be granted subject to conditions controlling time limits,
site operations and hours of opening.
Applicant’s Proposal
Planning permission is sought for the change of use of an existing vacant
industrial/office building and yard area to a temporary household waste recycling
centre (HWRC) until 31 December 2012. The applicant initially sought planning
permission until 31 March 2013. However, the redevelopment works at the existing
HWRC are now anticipated to be complete by the end of December 2012.
The yard area and building would be used to store containers for members of the
public to deposit a typical range of waste materials, which would subsequently be
removed off site for re-use and recycling elsewhere. The building would also be
used for indoor staff parking, and office and welfare facilities.
The site would be operational from 7.30am to 7.30pm, 7 days a week.
The applicant has submitted a transport statement and simple transport assessment
based on figures from the existing HRWC. However, the applicant anticipates that
the volume of traffic would be significantly lower as there would be a reduced service
at the site and the public would be encouraged to use other existing sites at Ingol
and Chorley.
Description and Location of Site
The existing vacant unit and yard area are located at the southern end of the
Lancashire Business Park off Centurion Way. The application site covers an area of
approximately 0.8 hectare. Leyland Waste Technology Park is located to the west of
the site, a lorry park to the south, the business park estate office to the east and a
unit housing an engineering merchant's to the north.
Background
History
Planning permission was granted on 1 June 2010 for the change of use of the same
site subject of this application to a waste transfer station (ref. 07/10/0146). The
permission is subject to a number of conditions controlling operations within the
building, hours of opening and waste types, which are not entirely compatible with
the applicant's proposal. The permission has not been implemented.
Planning Policy
Framework Directive on Waste
A Community Strategy for Waste Management
EU Sustainable Development Strategy 2001
Securing the Future (UK Strategy for Sustainable Development)
Waste Management Licensing Regulations 1994
Municipal Waste Management Strategy (MWMS) 2008-2020
National Planning Policy Framework
The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) was published on 27 March 2012;
it sets out the Government's planning policies for England. Planning law requires
that applications for planning permission must be determined in accordance with the
development plan unless material considerations indicate otherwise.
Although the NPPF does not contain specific waste policies, waste planning
authorities must have regard to the policies in the Framework so far as relevant
when taking decisions on waste applications.
Planning Policies and decisions must reflect and where appropriate promote relevant
EU obligations and statutory requirements. The Framework sets out the meaning of
sustainable development for the purposes of the planning system. It sets out three
dimensions to sustainable development: economic, social and environmental. At the
heart of the NPPF is a presumption in favour of sustainable development and for
decision taking means approving development proposals that accord with the
development plan. Where the development plan is absent, silent or relevant policies
are out of date planning permission should be granted unless there any adverse
impacts which would significantly and demonstrably outweigh the benefits when
assessed against the policies in the Framework as a whole or when specific policies
of the Framework indicate development should be restricted.
Planning Policy Statements and Guidance Notes
PPS10
Planning for Sustainable Waste Management
Joint Lancashire Minerals and Waste Development Framework Core Strategy
Policy CS7
Policy CS9
Managing our Waste as a Resource
Achieving Sustainable Waste Management
Lancashire Minerals and Waste Local Plan
Policy 2
Policy 23
Policy 37
Policy 94
Policy 112
Quality of Life
Water Resource Protection
Strategic Road Network
Provision of New Household Waste Disposal Centres
Standards of Operation
South Ribble Local Plan
Policy EMP3 Employment Policy 3: Main Existing Employment Areas
Consultations
Farington Parish Council – No observations received.
South Ribble Borough Council - No observations received.
LCC Highways - No observations received.
Environment Agency - No observations received.
Representations – The application has been advertised by press and site notice, and
neighbouring properties informed by individual letter. One letter of representation
has been received from a neighbouring unit stating no objection subject to planning
permission being on the temporary basis applied for, entry and exit to the facility
would be as proposed only (not to the rear) and that there would be no problems
with odour or vermin.
Advice
Director of Transport and Environment – Observations
Planning permission has recently been granted for the redevelopment and extension
of the existing Farington HWRC off Flensburg Way, Farington (ref. 07/12/0029). To
allow for the works to be undertaken, the site needs to be temporarily closed and an
alternative temporary site found to ensure a continuation of provision until the
redeveloped site can be re-opened. This application seeks to ensure that alternative
temporary site.
Section 38 (6) of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 requires planning
applications to be determined in accordance with the Development Plan, unless
material considerations indicate otherwise. In considering the issues that arise from
the proposed development it is not only necessary to take into consideration the
relevant policies of the Development Plan but also the planning history of the site
and all other material planning considerations. Government policy is a material
consideration that should be given appropriate weight in the decision making
process.
National policy seeks to achieve sustainable waste management by moving the
management of waste up the ‘waste hierarchy’ of reduction, re-use, recycling,
composting, using waste as a source of energy and only disposing of waste as a last
resort. PPS 10 stresses that the wider environmental and economic benefits of
sustainable waste management are material considerations that should be given
significant weight in determining planning applications.
The Development Plan for the site is made up of the Lancashire Minerals and Waste
Local Plan 2003, The Joint Lancashire Minerals and Waste Development Framework
Core Strategy and the South Ribble Local Plan. The Lancashire Minerals and Waste
Local Plan and the Joint Lancashire Minerals and Waste Development Framework
Core Strategy were prepared with regard to the EU Waste Framework Directive and
Paragraph 4 of Part 1 of Schedule 4 of the Waste Management Licensing
Regulations 1994. The ‘relevant objectives’ are referred to in the plan and the
policies were prepared to reflect the intentions of such.
As Waste Disposal Authority, the County Council has a statutory duty to provide
HWRCs in close proximity to residential areas where residents may deposit their
household waste. The service also makes a significant contribution to Lancashire
Waste Partnership's goal of diverting municipal waste away from landfill, by ensuring
householders have access to a facility to allow them to either recycle or dispose of
their bulky household waste.
Policy CS9 of the Joint Lancashire Minerals and Waste Development Framework
Core Strategy states that priority will be given to the location of local waste facilities,
such as HWRCs close to residential or community areas.
Although the proposal is for a temporary use, Policy 94 of the LMWLP is relevant for
assessing the acceptability of new HWRC facilities. The policy states that
developments of this type will be supported if they are located close to the source of
the waste, will not give rise to unacceptable adverse impacts on people and their
environment, are suitably located on appropriate industrial areas, are suitably
located in relation to the existing network of sites, and the highway network and site
access can satisfactorily accommodate the traffic generated.
The layout of the application site would not be appropriate for use as a permanent
HWRC designed to modern standards as the site is a single level industrial unit and
yard with a restricted area rather than a purpose designed split level facility with
segregated public and service vehicle working areas. However, it is considered
adequate as a temporary measure. In all other respects the proposed development
is considered to comply with the policies of the development plan and in particular
the requirements of Policy 94 of the LMWLP. The site and surrounding road network
could satisfactorily accommodate the estimated number of cars and HGVs that
would visit the site and it is considered unlikely that odour or vermin would be an
issue given the types of waste that are commonly deposited at HWRC sites.
Conditions are recommended to restrict the use of the site as a HWRC to that
applied for (31 December 2012), hours of opening to those applied for to ensure
there would be no unreasonable disturbance in the locale, and controls over the
containment and storage of waste in the yard area. Furthermore, the temporary
HWRC site would have to be compliant with waste management permitting
conditions imposed by the Environment Agency in relation to site management
practices and pollution control.
Summary of Reasons for Decision
National and regional planning policy encourages recycling and the re-use of waste
to reduce reliance on landfill. The proposal would provide a temporary solution while
the existing HWRC site is redeveloped and extended and would provide a facility
close to the source of waste, would not give rise to unacceptable adverse impacts on
people and their environment; the HWRC would be suitably located in relation to the
existing network of sites, and the highway network could satisfactorily accommodate
the traffic generated.
Controls over site operations and hours of opening would ensure the development
would not have any unacceptable impacts on the amenities of adjacent properties or
the local environment. The development complies with the policies of the
Development Plan. The policies of the development plan relevant to this decision
are:
Joint Lancashire Minerals and Waste Development Framework Core Strategy
Policy CS7
Policy CS9
Managing our Waste as a Resource
Achieving Sustainable Waste Management
Lancashire Minerals and Waste Local Plan
Policy 2
Policy 23
Policy 37
Policy 94
Policy 112
Quality of Life
Water Resource Protection
Strategic Road Network
Provision of New Household Waste Disposal Centres
Standards of Operation
South Ribble Local Plan
Policy EMP3 Employment Policy 3: Main Existing Employment Areas
Recommendation
That planning permission be Granted subject to the following conditions:
Time Limits
1.
The temporary household waste recycling centre operations authorised by this
permission shall cease by 31 December 2012 including the removal of all
waste materials from the site.
Reason: To conform with Policy 94 of the Lancashire Minerals and Waste
Local Plan.
Working Programme
2.
The development shall be carried out, except where modified by the
conditions to this permission, in accordance with the following documents:
a)
The planning application received by the County Planning Authority on
1 June 2012 as amended by an email from Andrew Tomlinson on 18 June
2012 with a revised end date of 31 December 2012.
b)
Submitted Plans and documents:
Drawing number ENVSR01 - Location Plan, received on 14 June 2012.
Drawing number ENVSR02 - Site Plan, received on 14 June 2012.
Reason: For the avoidance of doubt, to enable the County Planning Authority
to adequately control the development and to minimise the impact of the
development on the amenities of the local area, and to conform with Policies
CS7 and CS9 of the Joint Lancashire Minerals and Waste Development
Framework Core Strategy, and Policies 2, 23, 37, 94 and 112 of the
Lancashire Minerals and Waste Local Plan.
Hours of Working
3.
The temporary household waste recycling centre shall not be open and no
operations on the site shall take place outside the hours of:
0730 to 1930 hours, Mondays to Sundays.
This condition shall not, however, operate so as to prevent the use of
pumping equipment and the carrying out, outside these hours, of essential
repairs to plant and machinery used on site.
Reason: To safeguard the amenity of adjacent properties/landowners and
land users and to conform with Policies 2 and 94 of the Lancashire Minerals
and Waste Local Plan.
Site Operations
4.
All skips associated with the development shall be stored within the site as
identified on drawing number ENVSR02 entitled 'Site Plan'.
Reason: To safeguard the amenity of adjacent properties/landowners and
land users and to conform with Policies 2 and 94 of the Lancashire Minerals
and Waste Local Plan.
5.
Any waste or recycled materials to be stored within the yard shall be stored in
purpose designed skips or storage containers. The skips/storage containers,
any waste or processed materials contained therein, and storage of empty
skips shall not exceed a height of 3 metres as measured above the existing
yard level.
Reason: To safeguard the amenity of adjacent properties/landowners and
land users and to conform with Policies 2 and 94 of the Lancashire Minerals
and Waste Local Plan.
Local Government (Access to Information) Act 1985
List of Background Papers
Paper
07/12/0355
Date
June 2012
Contact/Directorate/Ext
R Hope/ENV/34159
Reason for Inclusion in Part II, if appropriate
N/A