Agenda item

Report by Director for Planning and Place (PN6).

 

The site is a consented inert landfill and mineral extraction operation, with permission to screen and crush material. It is situated to the north of Thame, just south of the Buckinghamshire county boundary. The application site occupies an area of 4.75 hectares. Access to the site is off Moorend Lane via the A4129 Kingsey Road which acts as Thame’s northern by-pass. Thame bridleway 2 (382/2/100) runs concurrent with the access to the application site.The site is bounded by a  sewage treatment works to the south, the leisure centre football pitches and skate park to the west, the sewage works outfall ditch and agricultural grazing land (belonging to the owner of the application site) to the east, and Lash Lake Stream to the north. Moorend Lane bounds the south-east corner of the site.

The report covers  an application for a variation of condition attached to the existing planning permission for the mineral extraction and waste management facility at Moorend Lane, Thame. The proposal is to amend the current condition restricting HGVs from leaving the site during peak hours such that up to 4 movements during each such period will be allowed. 

The application is being brought to committee because objection has been raised to the application by the Local Member, Councillor Carter and Thame Town Council.

The report considers the development against relevant planning policies and other material considerations.  

 

It is RECOMMENDED that application MW.0032/17 be approved subject to conditions to be determined by the Director of Planning and Place including those set out at Annex 2 to the report PN6.

 

The Committee considered (PN6) an application to vary a condition attached to an existing permission for the mineral extraction and waste management facility at Moorend Lane farm, Thame which restricted HGVs from leaving the site during peak hours and to allow up to 4 movements during those periods.

 

The Committee also noted comments submitted by Councillor Nick Carter who had been unable to attend. He had asked the Committee to note his objection as set out in paragraph 12 of the report along with that of the Thame Town Council. In his view any increase in traffic to and from the site would inevitably add to existing congestion with safety, therefore, becoming more of an issue, presumably why a restriction had been imposed in the first place. As local member he questioned what had now changed and felt the County Council needed to safeguard road users against any level of impact on highway safety and not just where it was judged as having a severe or significant impact.

 

Having presented the report Catherine Kelham and other officers responded to questions from:

 

Councillor Sames – there was no restriction on vehicles entering the site at peak times.

 

Councillor Gawrysiak - vehicles could enter with landfill during operational hours but not leave at peak times.

 

Councillor Phillips – Mr Periam explained that the original permission had been a delegated decision by officers and he had been unable to find specific reasons why a restriction had been felt necessary at that time.

 

Councillor Fox-Davies – there was no limit on vehicle movements during normal hours but a limit was being sought to 4 at peak hours.

 

Councillor Fitzgerald O’Connor – there were no lorry movement warning signs.

 

Councillor Stratford – Mr Periam explained that it had not been felt necessary to seek to enforce the voluntary restriction for no right turning traffic. Also the site had good wheel and vehicle wash facilities.

 

Dee Willow and Jeremy Hurlstone then addressed the Committee pointing out that under the current restriction it was possible for some vehicles to enter the site but not be allowed to leave until the following morning. That was an unnecessary delay and detrimental to efficiency. The site was served by a good road network with a good safety record. They asked the Committee to support the application.

 

They then responded to questions from:

 

Councillor Phillips – they accepted the application had been made in the company’s own commercial interests but they also felt it would benefit local residents by avoiding a concentration of vehicle movements at other times of the day.

 

Councillor Stratford – In highway terms the application would not have a significant impact on the road network and the applicant would prefer to keep the no right turn as a voluntary restriction

 

Councillor Lygo – there would be no impact on air quality.

 

RESOLVED: (on a motion by Councillor Stratford, seconded by Councillor Lygo and carried unanimously) that application MW.0032/17 be approved subject to conditions to be determined by the Director of Planning and Place including those set out at Annex 2 to the report PN6.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Approved