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ITEM PN8 - ANNEX 2

PLANNING & REGULATION COMMITTEE –
24 FEBRUARY 2003

INSTALLATION OF INERT WASTE RECYCLING FACILITY FOR SECONDARY AGGREGATES AT THE FORMER CEMENT WORKS AND QUARRY, SHIPTON-ON-CHERWELL, NEAR KIDLINGTON, OXFORDSHIRE - (APPLICATION NO. 02/02330/CM)

CONSULTATION REPLIES

Cherwell District Council

Object and comment as follows:

1. The proposal is considered to be contrary to Policy GB1 of the adopted Cherwell Local Plan and Policy GB7 of the Revised Deposit Draft Cherwell Local Plan and Policy GB7 of the Revised Draft Cherwell Local Plan 2011. The site is within the Oxford Green Belt and no very special circumstances appear to have been argued to warrant setting aside the general presumption against inappropriate development. However, the County Council will be best placed to assess whether the need for such recycling facilities (encouraged by Policy WD1 of the Oxfordshire Structure Plan 2011) outweighs the above Policies and Central Government guidance contained in PPG2 ‘Green Belts’.

3. The views of English Nature with regard to effect of the proposals on the SSSI should be paramount.

Cherwell District Council Environmental Health Officer

Made the following comments:

Construction of haul route along perimeter of site taking traffic away from Shipton on Cherwell is to be welcomed. The proposed bund around the site would provide little noise attenuation, however the barrier effect of intervening buildings and ‘soft ground’ alternation, typically 25-30 dB at 200-400 Hz, would provide sufficient reduction in sound pressure levels to ensure Shipton on Cherwell is not unreasonably disturbed by the proposed operations.

Although 850m from the crushing operation, dust must be prevented from reaching dwellings. Conditions should be imposed to deal with dust from materials handling, storage and traffic.

Civil Aviation Authority

No objection subject to following conditions:

1. Details of any external lights to be agreed.
2. Landscaping proposals should not increase risk of bird strikes.
3. Details of any cranes to be used on site to be agreed.

Oxford Green Belt Network

Recognise merits of recycling but object to this application on the grounds that this type of development is generally unsuitable to a Green Belt location and the likely nuisance to neighbours from the recycling operations. Proposed conflicts with the important role of the Green Belt for amenity and recreational purposes.

Health & Safety Executive

No comment.

Defence Estates

No objections.

Shipton on Cherwell & Thrupp Parish Council

Object in the strongest terms for the following reasons:

1. The Parish Council wishes to raise serious objections to this application. These objections are supported by recent complaints and objections which have been made by the Parish Council and residents to the officers of Environmental Services concerning current activities at the quarry which has resulted in your issuing an Enforcement Notice against the applicants.
2. The above application is in effect retrospective since there is prima facie evidence that the work has already been continuing over the summer. We have photographic evidence, taken from September to November this year, showing a mobile crusher in operation. This evidence is available on request.
3. We are reliably informed that material has been brought into the quarry, crushed and taken out again. We believe this to be against existing planning conditions.
4. We are unable to see the difference between this application and a similar one that was submitted, then withdrawn, in May this year. It is suggested that the forthcoming introduction of an ‘aggregate tax’ in April 2002 may be providing the impetus.
5. Noise – since the crusher has already been in operation in the quarry, residents in the vicinity are able to give a reliable assessment of the noise that it generates. This they have found to be unreasonable, obtrusive and disruptive. It has been by far the loudest and offensive noise to come from the quarry in the past few years.

The noise can be heard as far away as Thrupp – some one and a half miles to the South. The quarry acts as a sounding bowl and amplifies any noise considerably.

The new approach road will now run parallel to the village of Bunkers Hill – albeit below the quarry cliff edge. This will mean even greater noise from the lorries to these residents.

We would insist on noise monitoring devices be installed to measure the operations – the equipment is on site and in operation so this would be simple to set up.

6. An official inquiry held in the last few years about the quarry stipulated that ‘bunds’ should be placed on the perimeter. This was because sound at the bottom of the quarry is not attenuated, as is suggested in this application, but in fact amplified as all the residents of Jerome Way and Bunker’s Hill will attest. The noise from the crusher has been unacceptable and to keep it at the bottom of the quarry will make it even worse.
7. The application maintains that the crusher has sound attenuation provision. Our first hand evidence is that either this is not the case or the provision is woefully inadequate. If further sound attenuation provision is to be made there is no evidence given in the application as to how effective it may be. No factual or empirical evidence is given in this application that the noise will in fact be attenuated.
8. There is no suggestion as to how noise levels will be controlled so that an acceptable and measurable noise level is not exceeded.
9. No evidence is given as to why material needs to be crushed on this site. We do not believe that 25% of the spoil will be used for the stabilisation works – this is just an excuse to give the application some plausibility. These stabilisation works have been going on far too long – well past the original time set in the Planning Permission.
10. Dust and Dirt – unsubstantiated claims are made in the application that adequate provision will be made to suppress this potential nuisance. The Parish Council regularly receives complaints from residents, some in the last few days, concerning the excessive and dangerous amount of dirt and mud on the roads around the quarry. Provision to curb dust and dirt for the existing operation is woefully inadequate. No credence is given by the parish council to the assertion that the installation of a wheel scrub (not shown on the drawings) will make a noticeable difference to this existing hazard, nor to the increase in traffic because of this application. It is in the opinion of those we have consulted that the most effective preventative measure to dirt being carried onto the highway, is the distance the lorries have to travel from the quarry workings to clean tarmac to the boundary with the public highway. The greater the distance the less chance the wheel dirt will fall on the road. The length of the new approach is inadequate unless this if fully tarmaced.
11. Movement noise – fully laden 20 ton lorries climbing the 1:7 hill, or steeper, already make excessive noise. The proposed increase gives us serious grounds for concern not only for the nuisance for adjoining residents but for the effect on the environment, particularly the SSSI adjacent to the proposal. There is no mention of hours of working. There is no prediction given of how the estimated tonnage of material to be processed and transported will increase in following years.

Environment Agency

No objections subject to the following conditions:

1. Prior to commencement of the development, details of the nature of the material to be used as infill (e.g. source, type) shall be submitted and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority.
2. The construction of the foul and surface water drainage system shall be carried out in accordance with details submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority before the development commences.

There have been 5 letters of objection from local residents. Their letters are included in the file on this application held in the Land Use Planning Section of Environmental Services.

The gist of the objections are as follows:

1. There is increased traffic along Upper Campsfield Road past residential properties. There is also a lack of footpaths along this road.
2. The material brought to the site could attract birds and lead to danger to aircraft.
3. Nuisance will be caused through increased traffic, noise and dust.
4. Works have already been undertaken (crushing and screening) without planning permission.
5. No confidence in the waste contractor sticking to any permissions given.
6. There has been a lack of adherence to the existing routeing agreement attached to the site.

In addition, a petition (22 signatures) has been received objecting to the application on the grounds of noise, dust, fumes, vermin infestation and increased traffic.

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