Agenda and draft minutes

The Chair outlined the procedure to be followed at the meeting.

RESOLVED that the information be noted.

To note the membership and terms of reference for the Strategic Planning Committee as agreed by Full Council on 4 May 2022 as follows:-

16 members (8:5:1 Ind Gp, 1 LD, 1 Min Gp) (1 Con place given to ING)  

Quorum - 4

Chair: T. Thorne

Vice Chair: M. Robinson

Terms of Reference and Powers

(1)      To exercise the powers and duties of the Council as Planning Authority

in relation to development management under the Town and Country Planning Acts and other associated/related legislation and in particular, but not limited to, those functions listed in Schedule1 to the Local Authorities (Functions and Responsibilities) (England) Regulations 2000, including the following matters which specifically require a decision by the Strategic Planning Committee:

·       minerals and waste planning;

·       development concerning major energy and physical infrastructure proposals such as wind farms;

·       planning applications involving more than 100 houses and/or more than 1,000 sq metres of commercial floorspace;

·       planning applications involving less than 100 houses and/or less than 1,000 sq metres of commercial floorspace which raise significant strategic planning policy issues;

·       planning applications linked to the Council’s statutory duties under separate legislation where issues of strategic importance are raised in terms of allowing the Council to fulfil its statutory duties; and

·       any other planning applications which represent a significant departure from the Development Plan.

Functions of the Planning Committee should include all decisions involving formal enforcement action.

All applications are to be determined by the Chief Planning Officer in accordance with the powers set out in the internal scheme of delegation except for the following which fall to the Local Area Council Planning Committee to be determined:

·       Applications submitted by or on behalf of elected members of the Council or by their spouses/partners;

·       Applications involving land and/or premises in the ownership or under the control of elected members of the Council or their spouses/partners;

·       Applications in which any senior officer* of the Council has a personal and prejudicial interest;

·       Determination of applications submitted by or on behalf of the Council (or by or on behalf of companies controlled by the Council); or of applications relating to land in which the Council (or company) has a significant interest (NB council to refuse such applications is delegated);

·       Approval of applications where, in the opinion of the Relevant Officer, such an approval would constitute a departure from the approved Development Plan and would require a reference to the Secretary of State;

·       Any application which an elected member of the Council requests should be considered by the Committee, provided the request is in writing, is received within 21 days of the application appearing on the weekly list, and is supported by bona fide planning reasons (which will be reported to the Committee together with the  ...  view the full agenda text for item 2.

RESOLVED that the Membership and Terms of Reference of the Strategic Planning Committee as agreed at Annual Council on 4 May 2022 be noted.

Apologies were received from Councillors Flux, Darwin and Reid. 

The minutes of the Strategic Planning Committee held on Tuesday 5 April 2022 and Tuesday 3 May 2022, as circulated, to be agreed and be signed by the Chair.

RESOLVED that the minutes of the Strategic Planning Committees held on Tuesday 4 April 2022 and Tuesday 3 May 2022, as circulated, were agreed as a true record and were signed by the Chair.

Unless already entered in the Council’s Register of Members’ interests, members are required to disclose any personal interest (which includes any disclosable pecuniary interest) they may have in any of the items included on the agenda for the meeting in accordance with the Code of Conduct adopted by the Council on 4 July 2012, and are reminded that if they have any personal interests of a prejudicial nature (as defined under paragraph 17 of the Code Conduct) they must not participate in any discussion or vote on the matter and must leave the room. NB Any member needing clarification must contact the monitoring officer by email at monitoringofficer@northumberland.gov.uk. Please refer to the guidance on disclosures at the rear of this agenda letter.

Councillor Renner-Thompson advised that he was a Director of Advance Northumberland and would therefore leave the Chamber whilst application 22/00879/FUL was considered.

To request the committee to decide the planning applications attached to this report using the powers delegated to it. 

Please note that printed letters of objection/support are no longer circulated with the agenda but are available on the Council’s website at  http://www.northumberland.gov.uk/Planning.aspx

The report requested the Committee to decide the planning applications attached to the report using the powers delegated to it.  Members were reminded of the principles which should govern their consideration of the applications, the procedure for handling representations, the requirement of conditions and the need for justifiable reasons for the granting of permission or refusal of planning applications.

RESOLVED that the information be noted.

Councillor Renner-Thompson left the Chamber at this point.

Erection of building for manufacturing of subsea cables, with ancillary offices and outdoor cable storage, together with associated development and infrastructure works including vehicular accesses off Brock Lane, landscaping and vehicular parking

Land North Of Blyth Power Station Substation, East Sleekburn, Northumberland

Erection of building for manufacturing of subsea cables, with ancillary offices and outdoor cable storage, together with associated development and infrastructure works including vehicular accesses off Brock Lane, landscaping and vehicular parking

Land North of Blyth Power Station Substation, East Sleekburn, Northumberland

T Wood, Principal Planning Officer provided an introduction to the application with the aid of a power point presentation.  Site videos had also been circulated to Members in advance of the Meeting.  The Officer advised that there was a slight amendment to a plan number in the proposed condition 2 in that the main site access general arrangement plan number should read PO2 and not PO1.

J Young, Chief Strategy and Compliance Officer, JDR Cables addressed the Committee speaking in support of the application.  His comments included the following information:-

·       JDR Cables System was a leading provider of subsea cable technology and off shore services to connect the global offshore energy industry.  Its success was based on technical expertise and the reliability and supply of subsea power cables and associated hardware and accessories with its first offshore wind contract won in 2006 and a manufacturing facility opening in Hartlepool in 2009.  Following further investment in 2016 this factory was now one of the most advanced subsea cable manufacturing facilities in the world. 

·       JDR were now looking to expand their manufacturing facilities with another factory in Cambois which would focus on renewable energy products and services.

·       JDR were the only manufacturer of this type of cable in the UK and the proposed development was the next phase of innovation with new capacity for longer and higher voltage cables to serve the growing offshore market.  It would bring more skilled jobs to Cambois, Northumberland and the wider North East.

·       The new facility would help the UK to meet its target of 40 gigawatt of renewable energy by 2030 and assist the Government’s target of net zero carbon emissions by 2050.

·       At opening it would have 170 office and operations staff and would have a maximum capacity of 207 staff.  JDR would seek to provide local residents with employment opportunities for 10 years from the opening of the plant including work experience, apprenticeships, internships and graduate engineering traineeships secured through an employment plan as part of the S106 agreement.

·       JDR would also seek to provide local residents with training opportunities for at least 10 years by building relationships with local colleges and universities and providing mentoring and interview training secured through a training skills plan as part of the S106 agreement.

·       JDR already had a number of STEM ambassadors and mentors supporting local communities brining hands on training opportunities and it was expected this would be replicated in Cambois.

·       JDR were aware of the work on the British Volt site and they would seek to work with them to ensure that any impact from the construction on the JDR site would be kept to a minimum.

·       JDR and their contractors would continue to work with the local community and Parish Council  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7.

Lateral extension to north of existing quarry boundary for the phased extraction of approximately 2.7 million tonnes of whinstone and restoration of site to agricultural grassland and nature conservation uses.

Divet Hill Quarry, Capheaton, Newcastle Upon Tyne, Northumberland

NE19 2BG

Lateral extension to north of existing quarry boundary for the phased extraction of approximately 2.7 million tonnes of whinstone and restoration of site to agricultural grassland and nature conservation uses.

Divet Hill Quarry, Capheaton, Newcastle upon Tyne, Northumberland NE19 2BG

An introduction to the application was provided by G Halliday, Consultant Planner with the aid of a power point presentation.  Videos of the site had been circulated to Members in advance of the meeting and the Chair advised that he had also visited the site.

J Pearson addressed the Committee speaking on behalf of local residents in objection to the application.  Her comments included the following:-

·       The proposal was too close to homes and living spaces bringing quarry operations within 125m of the nearest properties at Clay Walls Farm, 250m of homes at Great Bavington and 350m of homes at Newonstead.

·       Great Bavington Conservation Area was something that the villages had worked on with Tynedale Council to establish. The Conservation Area appraisal document set out the important characteristics of the area and what was essential to its preservation. The setting, landscape and views in and out of the Conservation Area were highlighted as key components and these were to be sacrificed to this quarry. 

·       Committee was being told that the impact would be limited due to the 9-10 year timeframe for quarrying, however no account had been taken of the 2 year restoration and up to 15 years for that restoration to be effective, or of the permanent landscape changes. An estimated total of 27 years which would be determined by the sale of the crushed rock.

·       The report stated there was 46 years’ worth of permitted hard rock reserves in Northumberland which was many more times the amount prescribed by the NPPF and the Northumberland Local Plan (NLP), with an argument about productive capacity and flexibility in applying policy. On closer examination this meant that some quarry operators were managing the supply to market by holding some 18% of those reserves in inactive quarries. Residents would argue that this was the natural reaction of businesses in an over-supplied market and yet they were being asked to sacrifice their Conservation Area and residential amenity so that Breedon could have a slice of that pie at Divet Hill.  Applying policy flexibly should also mean examining how the market was operating and not just approving another quarry to attempt to level the playing field. 

·       This application was for permission to quarry 2.7 million tonnes of rock whilst there were three inactive sites within a few miles holding 9.7 million tonnes of reserves. Swinburne, had 5.25m million tonnes with permission until 2036, Mootlaw had 4.1 million tonnes with permission until 2025 and Cocklaw had 700,000 tonnes and permission until 2042.  Balancing those numbers with the impact this proposal would have on local people and places, why was approval needed for the Divet Hill extension?  It was clearly more about who controlled the rights of the reserves and market rather than ensuring  ...  view the full minutes text for item 8.

Variation of conditions 1 (duration of operations), 2 (approved plans), 17 (noise) and 30 (restoration) of planning permission 17/04637/VARCCM to extend the duration of consented operations, amend the approved documentation associated with the operation and amend the noise limits applicable to the operation

Divet Hill Quarry, Capheaton, Newcastle Upon Tyne, Northumberland

NE19 2BG

Variation of conditions 1 (duration of operations), 2 (approved plans), 17 (noise) and 30 (restoration) of planning permission 17/04637/VARCCM to extend the duration of consented operations, amend the approved documentation associated with the operation and amend the noise limits applicable to the operation

Divet Hill Quarry, Capheaton, Newcastle upon Tyne, Northumberland NE19 2BG

An introduction to the application was provided by G Halliday, Consultant Planner with the aid of a power point presentation who advised that the variation of conditions was required in order to implement the extension to the quarry which was approved under the previous application.

J Pearson addressed the Committee speaking in objection to the application.  Her comments included the following:-

·       The Conservation Area boundary was less than 200m from the site and 250m from homes.

·       In 2019 residents asked Committee to reject the application for the Divet Hill Farm Extension due to the issues residents were having with noise.  At that time it was stated that the noise conditions being proposed were some of the tightest in Northumberland, however that optimism was misplaced and sadly those same conditions were being presented again for this application.

·       Those conditions did not meet the six tests set out in the NPPF. They were not precise, enforceable or in some cases not relevant to the development to be permitted and in total did not deal with the noise issues residents had and continued to experience.

·       Condition 22 set noise limits for day time operations but took no account of the peaks of noise, the crashes and bangs associated with moving rock and loading the crusher and the horns and beepers that were common all day from 6.00 am. The new proposal introduced the use of dumper trucks taking newly blasted rock from the face to the crusher, loading and tipping each time.  Residents dreaded the extra noise that this would create. Impulsive and peak noises were recognised as an issue in Government Minerals Guidance which was suffered already but this was not addressed by a condition in this proposal.

·       Condition 24 stated “temporary operations such as soil striping or placement and the construction and removal of screen mounds shall not exceed a noise level of 70 Db for any longer than 8 weeks in any 12 month period at any residential property”.  The expression “such as” does not pass the test of precision required by the NPPF. While it did set a limit of 70dB, the practicality of measuring over 8 weeks in any 12 months makes it imprecise and unenforceable.  For example, assume that in response to a complaint the noise level was measured and found to be over 70dB, is that a breach or does the monitoring then continue to the next hour and the next etc for the next 8 weeks and potentially for a year?  This has been discussed at length with the Environmental Health Officer who could not advise how that condition could be measured or enforced.

·       If Members approved this application then they  ...  view the full minutes text for item 9.

During consideration of the previous item, the suspension of standing orders to allow the meeting to continue over the 3 hour limit was proposed by Councillor Hutchinson, seconded by Councillor Stewart and unanimously

RESOLVED that the Suspension of Standing Orders be agreed.

For Members’ information to report the progress of planning appeals.  This is a monthly report and relates to appeals throughout all 5 Local Area Council Planning Committee areas and covers appeals of Strategic Planning Committee.

RESOLVED that the information be noted.

For Members’ information to report the agreement monitoring and collection of s106 contributions in the planning process.  This is a monthly report and relates to agreements throughout Northumberland during the previous monthly per

RESOLVED that the information be noted.