Download Description and Location of Site

Development Control Committee
Meeting to be held on 10 September 2003
Part I - Item No. 12
Electoral Division affected:
South Ribble East
South Ribble Borough: Application Number 07/03/0502
Construct a screenings building and raise local ground levels by 600mm, land
off Cann Bridge Street, Higher Walton, Walton-le-Dale.
Contact for further information:
Mr. M. Eastham, Tel. No. 01772 534180, Environment.
Executive Summary
Application - The construction of a screenings building, to house equipment to
remove rags and other solids from the wastewater network, on a raised ground level
on land off Cann Bridge Street, Walton-le-Dale.
Recommendation – Summary
That planning permission be granted, subject to planning conditions relating to
commencement, the hours of construction, materials and the colour of the handrails.
Applicant’s Proposal
Planning permission is sought for the construction of a screenings building on the
line of the outfall sewer adjacent to the River Darwen in Higher Walton. The
development is required by the Environment Agency as part of improvements to the
storm water storage to reduce intermittent discharges (storm overflows) and the
spillage of solids from the wastewater network to the River Darwen.
The proposed building would measure 13.7 metres long by 10.8 metres wide by
6.1 metres high and have red coloured brick facing walls with a panel covered
pitched roof (standing seam roof system), steel doors, gutters, rainwater pipes and
handrails.
The application includes the formation of a raised area, measuring 600mm in height,
on which the screenings building would be constructed, as the site is located on the
floodplain. The material to be used to form the raised area would be derived from
the development site.
Description and Location of Site
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The site of the proposed development is located within a mixed residential / industrial
area of Higher Walton. The proposed building would be located on the site of former
builders/storage compound and is currently occupied by a vacant building. The site
is bounded to the north by the River Darwen and beyond by residential properties
together with a garden centre, to the south and west by Many Brooks and Coupes
Foundry, and to the east by residential properties leading off Cann Bridge Street.
Access to the site would be off Cann Bridge Street.
Background
The site of a former builders/storage compound.
Planning Policy
Lancashire Structure Plan
Policy 3 – Exclusion of Settlements from Green Belts
Policy 14 – Development in Areas at Risk from Flooding
Policy 16 – Development and Agricultural Land
Policy 67 - Location of Waste Development
Policy 70 - Waste Water Treatment and Disposal Facilities
Replacement Joint Lancashire Structure Plan - Deposit Edition
Policy 1 – General Policy
Policy 21 – Lancashire’s Natural and Man-made Heritage
Policy 24 – Flood Risk
Policy 28 – Waste Management Facilities
Lancashire Minerals and Waste Local Plan
Policy 2 – Quality of Life
Policy 9 – Agricultural Land
Policy 21 – Wildlife Corridors
Policy 24 – Flood Risk
Policy 101 – Wastewater and Sewage Sludge
South Ribble Borough Council Local Plan
Policy D11 – Best and Most Versatile Agricultural Land
Policy ENV6 – Wildlife Corridors
Policy ENV20 – Flood Risk Areas
Policy C5 – Public Utilities
Consultations
South Ribble Borough Council – No objection.
Environment Agency – No objection subject to the floor levels of the proposed
screenings building being raised 600mm above the floor level of the existing building
and that the screenings building is adequately flood-proofed. Conditions should be
imposed accordingly.
Section Manager – Traffic and Safety – No objection.
Representations – The application has been advertised in the local press, by a
notice posted on the site and neighbouring residents notified by letter. One letter of
representation has been received from a local resident objecting to the proposed
development on the following summarised grounds:
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According to the applicant there appears to be two buildings being erected.
The residents are subject to 24 hours of noise from Coupes Foundry and they
are concerned the proposal would cause more noise nuisance.
No mature trees should be felled as part of this development as the trees
mitigate the noise emitted from Coupes Foundry.
Advice
Assistant Director (Planning) – Observations
The applicant is seeking to erect a building on an area of elevated land, following the
demolition of an existing vacant building, as part of an overall programme to improve
the treatment and storage of effluent throughout the wastewater network. The
proposed building would accommodate mechanical and electrical plant and
submersible pumps, which are required to remove rags and other solids from the
wastewater network, and is sited on the line of the sewer outfall to the River Darwen.
The main issues raised concern its location in a flood risk area and the impact of the
development on local amenity.
The Environment Agency have raised no objection subject to the floor levels of the
building being raised by 600mm and the building being constructed using materials
resistant to flood damage. The applicant has agreed to raise the ground levels as
required and to construct the building using materials resistant to flood damage. Both
of these requirements can be achieved by condition should planning permission be
granted.
The screenings building is sited in close proximity to residential properties on Cann
Bridge Street and would be visible from properties across the river to the north,
however it is not considered to be of a scale or design that would give rise to loss of
visual amenity. A resident has raised concerns about the exact nature of the
development, but it has now been confirmed that the development only involves the
erection of one building.
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The resident has objected on the basis of potential noise from the building, however,
all the equipment would be accommodated inside the building and the pumps would
provide their own noise abatement by being submersible. The screens would only
operate in times of heavy rainfall when background noise is likely to be elevated. It
is therefore considered that no increase in noise levels would be discernible from
outside the building. No trees are proposed to be removed as part of the
development.
The applicant has not provided the technical specifications of the construction
materials (bricks and roof panels) to be used on the screenings building. It is
therefore considered appropriate to impose a condition requiring the submission of
samples of the construction materials prior to the commencement of construction.
The colour of the handrails is not specified and therefore a condition requiring them
to be painted black is considered appropriate to ensure they are visually acceptable.
A condition would also be appropriate controlling the hours of construction and the
delivery of materials to protect neighbouring residential amenity along Cann Bridge
Street.
The building would be visited once a month for the removal of the screened solids
from a covered skip, once a fortnight for routine maintenance and occasionally, in
the event of plant failure, by a small crane. The Section Manager has raised no
objections to the access arrangements off Cann Bridge Street. The proposed
development is considered acceptable in policy terms subject to appropriate
conditions.
Due to the location, nature and purpose of the proposed screenings building and the
raising of the ground levels it is not considered that any Convention Rights identified
under the Human Rights Act would be affected.
Recommendation
That planning permission be granted, subject to the following conditions.
Time Limits
1.
The development shall commence not later than 5 years from the date of this
permission.
Reason: Imposed pursuant to Section 91 (1)(a) of the Town and Country
Planning Act 1990.
Working Programme
2.
The development shall be carried out, except where modified by the
conditions to this permission, in accordance with the following documents:
a) The Planning Application and supporting statement submitted on
15 May 2003
b) Submitted Plans:
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SR10008/90014542/01/97/L1004/A – Planning Application - Sheet 1
SR10008/90014542/01/97/L1005/A – Screen Building Planning
Application – Sheet 2
Reason: For the avoidance of doubt and to minimise the impact of the
development on the amenities of the local area, and to conform with Policy 70
of the Lancashire Structure Plan, Policies 2 and 101 of the Lancashire
Minerals and Waste Local Plan and Policy C5 of the South Ribble Borough
Local Plan.
Hours of Working
3.
No construction development or delivery of materials shall take place except
between the hours of:
0800 to 1800 hours Monday to Friday (except Public Holidays) and
0800 to 1300 hours on Saturday.
No construction development or delivery of materials shall take place at any
time on Sundays or Public Holidays.
Reason: To safeguard amenity of local residents and adjacent
properties/landowners and land users, and to conform with Policy 70 of the
Lancashire Structure Plan, Policies 2 and 101 of the Lancashire Minerals and
Waste Local Plan and Policy C5 of the South Ribble Borough Local Plan.
General Materials
4.
The building shall be constructed using materials which would be resistant to
damage from the ingress of flood-water to a height of 600mm above existing
ground level and all services shall be located above this level. Samples of the
construction materials to be used on the external elevations and roof of the
screenings building shall be submitted to and approved in writing by the
Assistant Director (Planning) prior to the commencement of building
operations and thereafter only those approved materials shall be used in the
development.
Reason: To ensure a consistency in the use of materials in the interest of
visual amenity, to avoid flood damage, and to conform with Policies 14 and 70
of the Lancashire Structure Plan, Policies 2, 24 and 101 of the Lancashire
Minerals and Waste Local Plan and Policies ENV20 and C5 of the South
Ribble Borough Local Plan.
Handrails
5.
The handrails on, and adjacent to, the screening building, identified on
Drawing No. SR10008/90014542/01/97/L1005/A, shall be powder coated
black (colour code neutral BS 00 E 53) within one month from the completion
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of the development and thereafter shall be maintained in the same colour
throughout their presence on the site.
Reason: To protect the visual amenities of the area, and to conform with
Policy 70 of the Lancashire Structure Plan, Policies 2 and 101 of the
Lancashire Minerals and Waste Local Plan and Policy C5 of the South Ribble
Borough Local Plan.
Definition
For the purposes of this permission the following expression shall mean:
Assistant Director (Planning): means the Assistant Director (Planning) of the
County Planning Authority.
Note
The watercourse adjoining the site is designated a “main river” and is therefore
subject to Land Drainage Byelaws. In particular, no trees or shrubs may be planted,
or fences, buildings, pipelines or any other structure erected within 8 metres of the
top of any bank/retaining wall of the watercourse without the Environment Agency’s
prior consent. Full details of any such works, together with details of any proposed
new surface water outfalls, which should be constructed entirely within the bank
profile, must be submitted to the Agency for consideration.
Local Government (Access to Information) Act 1985
List of Background Papers
Paper
Development Information
Folder 07/03/0502
Date
Contact/Directorate/Ext
Mr M Eastham
Environment
34180