Planning Committee 17/12/2019 APPLICATION NUMBER: P/2018/0048/OUP PROPOSAL: Outline application (all matters reserved except for access) for the construction of up to 92,900 m2 of employment floorspace (Use Class B8 with ancillary B1(a)) and associated servicing and infrastructure including car parking; vehicle and pedestrian circulation space; alteration of existing access road including works to existing A49 junction; noise mitigation; earthworks to create development platforms and bunds; landscaping including buffers; works to existing spoil heap; creation of drainage features; substations and ecological works LOCATION: Land Site Of Former Parkside Colliery, Winwick Road Newton Le Willows WARD: Newton Ward APPLICANT: Parkside Regeneration LLP CASE OFFICER: Alan Kilroe RECOMMENDATION: Grant Planning Permission subject to the conditions, completion of an agreement under section 106 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 and the Secretary of State not wishing to intervene 1. APPLICATION SITE 1.1 The application site is located to the south east of Newton le Willows. It is an irregular shape and has an area of approximately 47.9 hectares. It lies within the Green Belt. 1.2 The site previously formed part of Parkside Colliery, but that use ceased in the early 1990s. It is currently vacant other than the presence of an access road from the A49, hardstanding, an electricity substation and overhead pylons which run to the south and north east. 1.3 The site is a primarily greenfield with areas of previously developed land (PDL). The PDL comprises the access road which runs east/west through the site and part of the hardstanding of the former pit yard which lies to the north east and centre of the site. The remainder of the site comprises a mixture of rough grassland, scrub, woodland and scattered self seeded trees; a spoil heap is also included to the east of the site. 1.4 The A49 Winwick Road runs to the west of the site. It is a busy road which runs between Junction 23 of the M6 to the north and Junction 9 of the M62 to the south, passing through the village of Winwick (located in Warrington Borough). There are a number of dwellings on the A49 which back on to the site and a housing estate which lies opposite the site access. P/2018/0048/OUP Planning Committee 17/12/2019 1.5 St Oswalds Brook runs along the south of the site in a cutting. There is woodland on each side of the brook with an area of the woodland also being a designated Local Wildlife Site to the eastern end. Hermitage Green Lane runs east/west beyond the brook and there are five dwellings that are located on Hermitage Green Lane. 1.6 To the south east of the site there are agricultural fields and the village of Hermitage Green; the M6 motorway lies beyond these (both are located in Warrington Borough). An area of the former Parkside Colliery yard and an area of rough grassland lies to the east/north east of the site with the M6 motorway separating these areas from open agricultural fields. 1.7 Newton Park Farm (a collection of buildings which includes a Grade II listed barn and manor house) and other areas of the former Parkside Colliery which comprise rough grassland lie to the north. The West Coast Mainline railway abuts the western boundary of the former colliery site and the Liverpool – Manchester railway abuts the northern boundary. 1.8 The south western part of the application site forms part of a Registered Battlefield. 2. PROPOSAL 2.1 Outline planning permission is sought for the construction of up to 92,900 m2 of employment floor space (Use Class B8, storage and distribution) with ancillary B1(a) offices and associated servicing and infrastructure including car parking; vehicle and pedestrian circulation space; alteration of existing access road including works to existing A49 junction; noise mitigation; earthworks to create development platforms and bunds; landscaping including buffers; works to existing spoil heap; creation of drainage features; substations and ecological works. All matters other than means of access are reserved for subsequent approval, but a number of parameters plans accompany the application which set out how the site would be developed. 2.2 The application proposes that the buildings would have a minimum unit size of 13,935m2 and a parameters plan identifies that the buildings would be constructed on three development cells within the site as described below: The first development cell would be located in the south west of the site. The illustrative plans show that it could accommodate 52,029m2 of floor area, and any building in this area would have a maximum height of 22m. A bund would be located to the west and south of the development cell. The second development cell would be located in the south east of the site. The illustrative plan shows that it could accommodate 21,544m2 of floor area, and any building in this area would have a maximum height of 23m. A bund would be located to the south and east of the development cell. The third development cell would be located in the north of the site. The illustrative plan shows that it could accommodate 19,123m2 of floor area, and any building in this area would have a maximum height of 23m. A bund would be located to the north and east of the development cell. 2.3 Access would be taken from the A49. A new three armed signalled junction is proposed which is broadly in the same location as the existing access to the site. A right turn ghost island would be provided on the northern and southern arms of the A49 to facilitate turning into the site and minor widening of the A49 would be required to facilitate this. P/2018/0048/OUP Planning Committee 17/12/2019 2.4 An access and circulation parameters plan has been submitted which shows a site road running west/east, including potential accesses into the development cells, and an access road running north/south between the third development cell and electricity substation. 2.5 A green infrastructure parameters plan has been submitted which identifies the location of the bunds as set out above and shows the landscape and mitigation areas throughout the site. The plan also shows a proposed cycleway which would run along the site access roads and a heritage/trim trail which would run along the bunds to the west and south of the site. 2.6 A drainage parameters plan has been submitted which shows the location of drainage ponds between the first and second development cells, and between the site access road and the third development cell. Surface water would drain into St Oswalds Brook at the south west of the site and foul water would drain into a combined sewer under the A49. 2.7 A safeguarded rail parameters plan has been submitted which identifies an area of the site that has been identified for future rail connections associated with a potential future strategic rail freight interchange (SRFI) located to the east of the M6 motorway. The plan shows 1.02 hectares of land in a roughly ‘L’ shaped area to the north east of the site. 2.8 Significant groundworks would be necessary to deliver the proposed development and the application identifies that the proposed site levels would form a cut and fill balancing exercise across the site. An indicative plan has been submitted which shows that in order to create a flat site (notwithstanding the proposed bunds) levels at the south of the site would be raised by up to 4m. Levels at the north of the site would be decreased by up to 4m and an area of the spoil heap to the east of the site would be removed. 2.9 The applicant states that the proposed development would have a three year construction period and would have a significant positive economic benefit for St Helens. They submit that it would provide 457 full time equivalent jobs during construction and 1,330 gross (930 net) jobs during operation. 2.10 The applicant identifies that the proposed development is the first phase of a comprehensive development of the former Parkside Colliery site to help meet the current employment need within the Borough of St Helens. 2.11 The applicant states that the scale of the Phase 1 development is dictated in part by the highway capacity of the A49 corridor. The applicant is clear that the proposed development does not require the implementation of the Parkside Link Road which is currently being considered under application (P/2018/0249/FUL) to be acceptable in highway terms and the application has been made on the basis of the proposed development being served from the A49 alone. Supporting Information & Documentation 2.12 The application is accompanied by the following information: Planning Statement Design & Access Statement Alternative Sites Assessment Study Environmental Statement Non-Technical Summary Environmental Statement P/2018/0048/OUP Planning Committee 17/12/2019 Environmental Statement Addendum (including amendments and additional information) This report contains a summary of the submission, but a full copy is available for review either electronically on the Council’s website and paper copies at the Town Hall. 2.13 The proposed development is a Schedule 2 development under the Town & Country Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment) Regulations 2011 and an Environmental Statement (ES) accompanies the application. The ES assesses the following matters: Ground Conditions & Contamination, Traffic & Transport, Drainage & Flood Risk, Landscape & Visual Impact, Ecology & Nature Conservation, Socio-Economic, Noise & Vibration, Air Quality Odour & Dust, Cultural Heritage & Archaeology, Utilities, Waste and Energy.