Issue - meetings

Report by the Director for Planning & Place (PN8).

This report considers whether Prior Approval should be granted for the installation and use of a concrete batching plant to produce ready-mixed concrete at Faringdon Quarry (planning permission no. MW.0068/19). It is an application for Prior Approval of Permitted Developmment under Part 17, Class B of the General Permitted Development (England) Order (As Amended) 2015.

The application is being reported to Committee because the local County Councillor, Little Coxwell Parish Council, Faringdon Town Council and three third parties have objected to the application on the grounds of use of the planning system, traffic, local amenity and need citing that the application has been submitted in a mis-application of the planning system, there is no need for the development as there is no indigenous materials to be used, the amenity of local residents will be impacted by noise dust and visual intrusion and that the increase in HGV movements will be dangerous and the highways network is already at and above capacity.

The development accords with the provisions of the General Permitted Development (England) Order (As Amended) 2015; Part 17, Class B as an installation of plant that is ancillary to the existing mining operations using indigenous material from the existing quarry. However, prior approval is required from the Mineral Planning Authority on the siting, design, and external appearance of the plant to be installed under Permitted Development. There is limited scope for the council to condition or refuse the application.

It is RECOMMENDED that the prior approval is granted for the installation and use of a mobile Concrete Batching Plant to produce ready-mixed concrete for sale under Part 17, Class B of the Town & Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) Order 2015 (as amended), and in accordance with the detailed proposals for the location, height, design and appearance of the plant, as contained within the application and listed in the Schedule of Approved Plans and Documents.

Schedule of Approved Plans and Documents

(i)     Request letter dated 09.07.19

(ii)   Location Plan – Drawing No. DG.EST.FAR.CBP.01

(iii)  Concrete Batching Plant Location Plan – Drawing No. DG.EST.FAR.CBP.02

(iv)  MCM60 & MCS50 Silo Layout Plan – Drawing No. Wiltshire MCM60 Layout

(v)   MCM60 & MCS50 – Silo Elevation Plan – Drawing No. Wiltshire MCM60 Elevation Layout

(vi)  Technical Note dated 29.05.19

(vii)   Faringdon CBP Technical Note Addendum Noise 21.08.19

On condition that the submission of a screening planting scheme is submitted to and approved in writing by the Minerals Planning Authority and implemented prior to the installation of the mobile batching plant.

Approved as amended in bold italics subject to additional conditions (under Part 17, Class B.2(2) of the GDPO) to protect the amenity of the neighbourhood to :

·                     Limit the number of vehicle movements to 22 per day

·                     Robust dust and noise monitoring

·                     Use of wheelwashing facilities

The Committee considered (PN8) a report on whether Prior Approval should be granted for the installation and use of a concrete batching plant to produce ready-mixed concrete at Faringdon Quarry (planning permission no. MW.0068/19). This was an application for Prior Approval of Permitted Developmment under Part 17, Class B of the General Permitted Development (England) Order (As Amended) 2015 and was being reported to Committee because objections had been received from the local County Councillor, Little Coxwell Parish Council, Faringdon Town Council and other third parties.

Mr Periam presented the report together with additional information set out in the addenda which included a revised recommendation.

Glen Yarwood on behalf of Little Coxwell Parish Council and residents considered the introduction of a concrete batching plant wholly unacceptable, completely disproportionate and a major departure from the initial quarrying of local materials for onward sale. Objections related to noise, traffic, dust and pollution, impact on the rural countryside, water supply and commercial considerations. Little Coxwell was a rural location with a large number of walkers on local footpaths and horses located in the fields opposite the site and all using local bridleways and roads. Noise from the machinery would have a huge effect as would the visual impact. Dust and pollution would be distributed over a wide area and it was dismissive to suggest this would or could be mitigated by modern dust collection systems. That was clearly not the case as evidenced at other similar sites. The investment made in this sort of equipment suggested an intent to gain as much revenue as possible and, therefore, activity on site would inevitable increase. There was likely to be a higher increase in traffic than had been suggested with a more realistic figure of 10 vehicles an hour if equipment was used at full capacity. That investment also seemed to be contradictory to the site closing in 2026 which suggested an extension to the working life of the quarry. The potential for dust and pollution from cement dust which can be extremely harmful was considerable and it made little sense to introduce this sort of risk in an area when no demonstrable need for the material had been shown to exist. A 7-metre high piece of equipment would be visible and it was not acceptable to suggest that it would blend in on an existing industrial site or increase what was already an eyesore in the rural community. Water supply could be affected if the plant was on the same supply as the local community which already suffered from low water pressure. The parish council were strongly requesting that the application be refused.

Endorsing the above comments County Councillor Judith Heathcote emphasised the rural and agricultural location of this site and the consequences for the surrounding area. The site stood adjacent to the A420 where traffic levels were steadily increasing and with the expansion of Swindon safety levels were decreasing to such an extent that the road had been identified for inclusion in the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 41