Agenda item

20/01768/FUL

Change of use: vehicle depot to material recycling facility (B2 Use Classes)

Watsons Yard, Barrington Road, Bedlington, Northumberland NE22 7AH

Minutes:

Change of use: vehicle depot to material recycling facility (B2 Use Classes) 

Watsons Yard, Barrington Road, Bedlington, Northumberland 

NE22 7AH 

R Soulsby, Planning Officer provided an introduction to the application with the aid of a power point presentation.  He advised that one further objection had been received since the report had been published which stated “I strongly object to this planning application due to increased noise, pollution and heavy traffic in the local area”

 

A written statement in objection to the application from residents was read out to the Committee by G Horsman, Principal Planning Officer.  A copy of the statement would be filed with the signed minutes of the meeting and would be uploaded to the Council’s website.

 

Councillor Foster, as the local Ward Member read out a statement in relation to the application.  A copy of the statement would be filed with the signed minutes of the meeting and would be uploaded to the Council’s website.

 

A written statement in support of the application from the Agent, K Wood, was read out to the Committee by L Little, Senior Democratic Services Officer. A copy of the statement would be filed with the signed minutes of the meeting and would be uploaded to the Council’s website.

 

In response to questions from Members the following information was provided:-

 

·       Waste management facilities were an acceptable use on industrial and commercial estates with the proviso that they were modern and well managed operations.  Robust planning conditions would control noise from the operation and in addition the day to day activities of the site would be covered by dual controls with the Environment Agency under their permit which would set out how the Company would manage noise/dust etc.  The activities which created the most dust would take place inside with dampening down of materials outside.  The Environment Agency would undertake checks as part of the permit.  Therefore there would be a range of controls over the side and what had been presented fell within what was felt to be acceptable in terms of adverse impact.  Members were asked to consider that this was an industrial estate with a wide range of uses which could cause dust/noise and that as this site would have more controls the Director of Planning was satisfied that there would be sufficient controls in place.

·       The nearby housing had been in existence for an extensive period of time within the existing settlement of Bedlington Station and was not new housing built next to an industrial estate.  The site was allocated for employment uses with policies not requiring additional controls on the type of activities to be undertaken and there was a range of activities taking place with the site also adjacent to a railway line.

·       A condition which would limit noise measured at noise sensitive properties provided that background noise was at no more than 5 decibels.  The conditions would ensure that the site was managed under current best practice. The Environment Agency required management of the site and would undertake both announced and unannounced visits to monitor uses.  The Environment Agency were also able to require continuous improvements and could vary the conditions that they imposed on the site to require different ways of working if necessary. A fee was required to be paid to hold an Environment Agency permit and the way in which the site was designated and the number of complaints received would determine the frequency of their inspections.

 

Councillor Dodd proposed acceptance of the recommendation to approve the application as outlined in the officer report, which was seconded by Councillor Sanderson. 

 

During discussions on the application, some Members of the Committee expressed concern on the proximity of the neighbouring dwellings to the site and the type of materials to be processed as it was known that problems had been encountered at other locations and if the use was appropriate in this location.  It was stated that this Council wished to recycle more and be a greener authority and if industrial estates could not be used for this purpose then there was a problem.  Members stated that whilst they were not opposed to putting recycling facilities on industrial estates, this was very close to residential properties and further assurance was required on what was appropriate. 

 

Members were advised by the Director of Planning that the starting point for consideration was that this was an employment site suitable for a modern well managed waste management facility.  There had been potential in the Northumberland Local Plan to keep employment sites for non-waste activities, however that step had not been taken in relation to this site where there were already heavy uses.  The site would have an environmental management plan through the Environment Agency and it could be that the application could be deferred in order to ask the applicant to supply the environmental management plan in order that Members would be aware of how issues would be dealt with.  It was also suggested that, when Covid restrictions allowed, an actual site visit would be valuable in this instance.   

 

Councillor Jackson proposed to defer the application to allow a site visit to be undertaken and the environmental management plan to be provided.  Councillor Dodd advised that he would withdraw his motion to approve the application in favour of deferring the application to allow a site visit and extra information to be provided to which Councillor Sanderson agreed.   Councillor Dickinson then seconded Councillor Jackson’s proposal that the application be deferred to allow a site visit and the additional information to be provided. A vote was taken and it was unanimously

 

RESOLVED that the application be DEFERRED to allow a site visit to be undertaken as soon as practicable and request that an environmental management plan be submitted to the Committee.

 

 


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