Unilever Uk Ice Cream, Corinium Avenue, Barnwood
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GLOUCESTER CITY COUNCIL COMMITTEE : PLANNING DATE : 5TH MAY 2009 ADDRESS/LOCATION : UNILEVER UK ICE CREAM, CORINIUM AVENUE, BARNWOOD APPLICATION NO. & WARD : 09/00083/FUL BARNWOOD EXPIRY DATE : 15/4/2009 APPLICANT : UNILEVER UK PROPOSAL : CONSTRUCTION OF AN ANAEROBIC EFFLUENT TREATMENT PLANT AND COMBINED HEAT AND POWER (CHP) PLANT INCLUDING THE INSTALLATION OF TWO 9.7 METRE HIGH TANKS AND ONE 23.8 METRE HIGH TANK ADJACENT TO THE BOILER HOUSES AND THE INSTALLATION OF ONE 9.7 METRE HIGH BALANCE TANK TO THE REAR OF THE NEW COLD STORAGE BUILDING REPORT BY : JOANN MENEAUD/MEYRICK BRENTNALL NO. OF APPENDICES/ : 1. LOCATION PLAN OBJECTIONS 2. SITE PLAN 3. 10 LETTERS OF REPRESENTATION 1.0 SITE DESCRIPTION AND PROPOSAL 1.1 The application site is located off Corinium Avenue between Walls roundabout and the C&G roundabout. The railway line which is elevated to the site runs along the Northern boundary. The whole of this site was originally occupied by Walls Ice Cream factory but in recent years the South Western part of the site has been separated and is now in different ownership. Access to the site is via Corinium Avenue and is strictly controlled with staff and visitor parking separate from the factory itself. The majority of the proposals themselves will be sited on the easterly extent of the existing factory on unmade ground currently used for informal storage. The site for the upgraded balancing tank is between the railway and the new cold store. 1.2 The application has 2 main components. The first is a new combined heat and power plant (CHP). This generates electricity by burning gas in a conventional internal combustion engine. Heat that is normally wasted is salvaged and put PT05059A to good use in the industrial uses that go on at the factory. Where there is a good heat load and constant electricity demand CHP plants are an exceedingly efficient way of generating electricity and heat. They have the potential to save significant amounts of Carbon Dioxide as well as other pollutants associated with electricity generation. 1.3 The second component is that of an anaerobic digestion plant. Anaerobic digesters (AD) use bacteria to break down organic compounds in the absence of oxygen. As a bi-product methane is given off that can be used as a substitute for mains gas. The feedstock for the process is the waste material from the ice cream production line (essentially diluted ice-cream from washing down machinery), which is fed directly into a system of tanks. Gas that is liberated in the process will be burned in the combined heat and power plant. This is essentially a carbon neutral source of energy further increasing the efficiency of the combined heat and power plant that it is fed into. While the combined heat and power plant is fairly small scale the tanks required for the AD plant are quite sizeable the main reactor being almost 24 metres high. 1.4 As part of the proposal a balancing tank adjacent the new cold store has to be upgraded and raised from 8 metres to 10 metres high. 2.0 RELEVANT PLANNING HISTORY Most recent : 27.3.2008 : Permission 07/01495/FUL - Demolition of offices, cold stores and assembly area. Construction of new low temperature high bay bulk storage building with single storey picking/despatch area and three storey ancillary building. Committee resolution on 2nd October 2007 to grant planning permission. 21.1.2008 : Permission 07/01496/FUL - Installation of a 13 metre high liquid nitrogen storage tank. 3.0 PLANNING POLICIES 3.1 National Guidance contained in various PPG’s and PPS’s encourages high standards of design. Planning Policy Statement 1 Climate Change Supplement – In the interim period before development plans are updated. Planning authorities should ensure proposed development is consistent with the policies in the PPS. PPS 1 Climate Change Supplement – Climate change considerations should be integrated into all spatial planning concerns. Draft Revised Regional Spatial Strategy RE1 Renewable Electricity Targets LDDs will include positive policies to enable the achievement of the following targets – Glos 40 – 50 MW by 2010. PT05059A Draft Revised Regional Spatial Strategy RE3 Renewable Heat Targets LDDs will include positive policies to enable the achievement of the following targets – by 2010 100 MW. Draft Revised Regional Spatial Strategy. RE4 Meeting Targets through Development of new Resources. When considering individual applications for development of renewable energy facilities, local planning authorities will take into account the wider environmental, community and economic benefits of proposals, whatever their scale, and should be mindful that schemes should not have cumulative negative. 3.2 Relevant policies in the Second Deposit Local Plan 2002 are: FRP.9 - Light Pollution – External lighting will be permitted provided that the lighting scheme proposed is kept to a minimum. FRP.10 - Noise – Development likely to generate noise which, in its location, is unacceptable either in volume, or duration will not be permitted. BE.1 - Scale, Massing and Height – Proposed development should be of materials, scale, massing and height which sits comfortably with the height of adjacent buildings and the surrounding built environment. BE.21 - Safeguarding of Amenity – Planning permission will not be granted for any new building, extension or change of use that would unreasonably affect the amenity of existing residents or adjoining occupiers. FRP.8 - Renewable Energy – Development for renewable installations will be permitted provided they are sympathetically sited and designed. E.4 - Protecting Employment land – Planning permission will not be granted for any development that involves the loss of employment land unless the land has limited potential for employment and the developer is able to demonstrate that an alternative use, or mix of uses offers greater potential benefit to the community. 3.3 All policies can be viewed at the relevant website address:- Gloucester Local Plan policies - www.gloucester.gov.uk/planning; Gloucestershire Structure Plan policies - www.gloucestershire.gov.uk/index.cfm?articleid=2112 and Department of Community and Local Government Planning policies and Draft RSS - www.communities.gov.uk/planningandbuilding/planning/. 4.0 CONSULTATIONS 4.1 Highway Authority – comments awaited. 4.2 Highways Agency – no response. 4.3 Environmental Health – CHP should not cause noise issue. Emissions will be covered by permit from the EA. PT05059A 4.4 Environment Agency – No objections to the proposed development but wishes to make the following comments: The Unilever facility at Corinium Avenue is currently authorised by an Environmental Permit which was issued and is regulated by the Environment Agency. The permit includes the authorisation to operate an existing effluent treatment plant with associated discharge to foul sewer at the site. The operator has discussed their proposals to construct the new anaerobic effluent treatment plant with associated CHP plant at the site to replace their existing infrastructure with the Agency. The operator is aware of the need to make an application to vary their current permit before operation of the new plant may commence. The variation application will include details regarding the construction and procedures for management of the plant in the future, for example general operation, maintenance procedures and emissions control and monitoring. Assessment of the process and appropriate emission standards will form part of the assessment of this application. 4.5 Urban Design Officer – Overall, there will be some visual and view impacts but the proposals are within an industrial area and the benefits of the facility seem to outweigh the negatives. A condition relating to any external lighting of the structures should be applied to the consent, if it is approved. 4.6 Network Rail – Recommend a 1.8 metre fence is erected to prevent trespass on to the railway. Surface water should not be discharged on to railway. Work should not be carried out that will endanger safe operation of railway. Ground levels should remain the same. All buildings should be at least 2 metres from boundary fence. Proposals should take account of possible effects of noise vibration etc from railway. All scaffold etc should not interfere with railway. 5.0 PUBLICITY AND REPRESENTATIONS 5.1 A site notice was displayed at the site and a public notice has been printed within the Citizen. Residents from Sandleaze, Liddington Road, Oakleaze, Sissons Road and Merevale were notified by letter. Network Rail and Sir Thomas Riches were also notified. 5.2 A number of representations have been received - at time of writing 9 of these are objections ; one is in support. The objectors’ prime concerns are the likely noise, smell and visual intrusion. Other concerns raised include the potential for leaks impact on local schools and the impact on wildlife. The recent construction of the cold store is mentioned by all objectors. The Severn and Wye Energy Agency support the application primarily for its energy efficiency and low carbon energy source. PT05059A 6.0 OFFICER OPINION 6.1 It is considered that the main issues with regards to this application are as follows: Economic Development Urban Design and Visual Impact Sustainability Economic Development 6.2 The Unilever site was established as Walls factory in the 1960’s and currently employs around 500 people. It is one of the largest ice cream sites in Europe producing over a billion ice creams each year including brands such as Magnum, Cornetto, Calippo and is the main producer of Vienetta for Europe. The new facility represents a £4 million investment in the plant and the resulting energy efficiency will help safeguard jobs into the future. Urban Design and Visual Impact 6.3 The CHP plant is modest in size and tucked away and will appear as part of the existing factory fabric. It will not be seen from any public vantage point.