Agenda item

Report by the Deputy Director for Environment & Economy (Strategy & Infrastructure Planning) (PN7)

This application is to continue the development of a permitted sand and gravel quarry, without complying with the condition stating the end date which currently requires extraction to cease in August 2012. However, only one phase of the site has been worked out and, therefore, a new condition is proposed to allow until September 2017 for extraction with a further year after that for the completion of restoration.  The application is being reported to this Committee as there have been objections from local residents and Parish Councils.

The report sets out the proposals, relevant planning policies, outlines objections and other responses to the application and concludes that the extension in time to allow the completion of mineral extraction from the existing quarry is necessary to allow the permitted reserve to be extracted, This will contribute towards the Oxfordshire sand and gravel landbank which is currently under required levels. The report explains there would be no significant amenity impacts resulting from such an extension and that the application accords with development plan policy relating to minerals, amenity and restoration.

It is RECOMMENDED that subject to legal agreements to secure the terms of the existing Section 106, routeing and highways works agreements that Application  MW.0126/12 be approved subject to conditions to be determined by the Deputy Director for Environment & Economy (Strategy & Infrastructure Planning) but in accordance with the amendments to condition 1 as set out in Annex 2 to this report and the updating of the wording of remaining conditions set out in Annex 3 to this report to ensure they are consistent with current standard condition wording, enforceable and that policy references are up to date.

The Committee considered (PN7) an application to continue development of a permitted sand and gravel quarry, without complying with the condition which currently required extraction to cease in August 2012 and allow extraction until September 2017 with a further year after that for completion of restoration. 

Councillor Mathew considered that current levels in the County’s landbank were sufficient and questioned the need for the material.  He felt this was a commercial decision by Hansons and should be the subject of a new application.

He then withdrew from the Committee table taking no further part in the discussion or voting thereon.

Mary Thompson confirmed that current figures indicated that the landbank was below the 7 year level required by the NPPF and that loss of this material would require new permissions being granted elsewhere.

Councillor Lilly advised that Appleford Parish Council were not against the application in principle but had questioned the need for the material.  There was also considerable concern locally at the retrospective nature of the application. As the current consent had expired on 4 August he suggested that the Company had been dilatory and that some people had been angered by the Company’s decision to carry on operating on the assumption that the application would be approved.  That seemed to be their usual practice but did not in his view make for good public relations.

Mr Lerner agreed that technically the Company had been in breach but it was difficult to enforce such a breach for such a short space of time and a judgement call had been necessary.

Councillor Sanders considered the application very open ended. He also questioned the need for material, particularly as the operators appeared to have cut back on production for economic reasons and if demand continued to drop it begged the question whether or not extraction would be completed within 5 years.

Councillor Greene was very familiar with the site and bearing in mind that Didcot had been identified as a growth area a local source of material would be invaluable. He moved that the officer recommendation be approved.  Seconding the motion Councillor Crabbe referred to the long term strategy in the development framework for mineral working. Approving this application would enable the site to be worked out and remove the need to identify  additional sites.

The motion was put to the Committee and carried 11 votes to 0.  Councillor Sanders and Councillor Lilly recorded as having abstained. 

RESOLVED: that subject to legal agreements to secure the terms of the existing Section 106, routeing and highways works agreements that Application  MW.0126/12 be approved subject to conditions to be determined by the Deputy Director for Environment & Economy (Strategy & Infrastructure Planning) but in accordance with the amendments to condition 1 as set out in Annex 2 to the report PN7 and the updating of the wording of remaining conditions set out in Annex 3 to the report PN7 to ensure they were consistent with current standard condition wording, enforceable and up to date policy references.