Agenda item

Report by Head of Sustainable Development (PN6).

This application is made by Oxfordshire County Council (as the waste disposal authority) to retain an existing Household Waste Recycling Centre at Dean Pit, Chadlington for a further period of five years until 30 September 2014. The current planning permission expires on 30 September 2009. No changes to the current operations at the site or its hours of opening are proposed. Objections to the application have been received on the grounds that: the site is inappropriate within the AONB; the site impacts on the amenity of neighbouring residents; the local highway network is inappropriate to serve the site and alternative sites are available and have not been assessed. Full details of these objections and the comments of other consultees are summarised in the report.

The Committee is RECOMMENDED to approve Application Number R3.0125/09 for the extension of temporary consent for continued use of site as a waste recycling centre until 30 September 2014, subject to conditions to be determined by the Head of Sustainable Development to include the following matters:

1.      That the development must be carried out strictly in accordance with the particulars contained in the application and the plans accompanying subject to conditions below.

2.      Temporary permission – that at the expiration of a period ending on 30 September 2014 the use specified be discontinued. The site shall be restored to agricultural use by 30 September 2016.

3.      Hours of use – the hours of use of the site shall be restricted to the following times:

·                    Operating hours to be between the hours of 7.30am to 8.30pm (1 April – 30 September)

·                    Public opening hours to be between the hours of 8.00am to 8.00pm (1 April – 30 September)

·                    Operating hours to be between the hours of 7.30am to 5.30pm (1 October – 31  March) 

·                    Public opening hours to be between the hours of 8.00am to 5.00pm (1 October – 31 March)

No operations on Christmas Day, Boxing Day or New Year’s Day.

4.      That the details of the routes used by Heavy Goods Vehicles accessing the site shall be submitted to and approved by the  Head of Sustainable Development in consultation with Transport Development Control within one month of the date of this permission.

5.      Landscaping – that a scheme for replacement tree and shrub planting on the western boundary of the site shall be submitted to and approved by the Head of Sustainable Development within 1 month of the date of this permission.

6.      Landscaping implementation – that all planting comprised in the approved details of landscaping shall be carried out in the first planting season following the date of this permission.

The Committee considered (PN6) an application to retain an existing Household Waste Recycling centre at Dean Pit, Chadlington for a further period of 5 years until 30 September 2014.

Adrian Tremlett (Chadlington Parish Council) referred to the impact of this site on local communities.  It was generally accepted that waste operations such as this one were better sited near large centres of population whereas this site was in a rural area served by narrow single carriageway roads through small villages.  The site accepted a large percentage of green waste which needed to be transferred for composting elsewhere.  Furthermore as the site was in the AONB there was a responsibility to show that no alternative site was available and this had not been done.  He asked the Committee to protect local interests and reject the application.

Lord Chadlington accepted provision of such facilities was essential but this site was not suitable.  There had been a lot of opposition expressed to this extension and he advised that following restoration of the former landfill site this was now a Greenfield site.  This was the fourth renewal, which suggested that the County Council should be looking for an alternative site but that did not seem to be the case.  He accepted that the site was well used but if no alternative sites were being considered that would always be the case. To extend the permission for a further 5 years flew in the face of current policies and he urged that an alternative site in a more convenient location with safer access outside the AONB should be found.

Responding to questions from members of the Committee Mr Pickard confirmed that no alternative sites had been considered and advised that he had not been aware that there had been that number of renewals.  An extension was required as the current permission expired on 30 September.  He further advised that it could take 2 to 3 years to find an alternative site.

Councillor Owen expressed concern that no alternative sites had been considered and over the number of extensions to this temporary permission.  Although there had been no real objection to this facility 20 years ago the traffic impact was now so serious it presented a real safety risk and roads locally were deteriorating.  He moved that the officer recommendation be approved subject to the extension of the temporary consent being reduced to three years and any further permission to exclude the words “where there is a need for the facility”.

The motion was seconded by Councillor Seale.

Councillor Owen with the agreement of his seconder then accepted an amendment by Councillor Sanders seconded by Councillor Hannaby that temporary consent be granted for two years and not three.

The substantive motion was then put to the Committee and it was –

RESOLVED (13 votes to 1) to approve Application Number R3.0125/09 for the extension of temporary consent for continued use of the Dean Pit, Chadlington Household Waste Recycling centre until 30 September 2011, subject to conditions to be determined by the Head of Sustainable Development to include the following matters:

1.                  That the development must be carried out strictly in accordance with the particulars contained in the application and the plans accompanying subject to conditions below.

2.                  Temporary permission – that at the expiration of a period ending on 30 September 2011 the use specified be discontinued. The site shall be restored to agricultural use by 30 September 2013.

3.                  Hours of use – the hours of use of the site shall be restricted to the following times:

·                          Operating hours to be between the hours of 7.30am to 8.30pm (1 April – 30 September)

·                          Public opening hours to be between the hours of 8.00am to 8.00pm (1 April – 30 September)

·                          Operating hours to be between the hours of 7.30am to 5.30pm (1 October – 31  March) 

·                          Public opening hours to be between the hours of 8.00am to 5.00pm (1 October – 31 March)

No operations on Christmas Day, Boxing Day or New Year’s Day.

4.                  That the details of the routes used by Heavy Goods Vehicles accessing the site shall be submitted to and approved by the  Head of Sustainable Development in consultation with Transport Development Control within one month of the date of this permission.

5.                  Landscaping – that a scheme for replacement tree and shrub planting on the western boundary of the site shall be submitted to and approved by the Head of Sustainable Development within 1 month of the date of this permission.

6.                  Landscaping implementation – that all planting comprised in the approved details of landscaping shall be carried out in the first planting season following the date of this permission.

Informative

One year before expiry of the consent the local planning authority should notify the waste disposal authority that a further consent at this site was unlikely to be forthcoming in the absence of an acceptable household waste recycling facility strategy to underpin consideration of any application