Doncaster Metropolitan Borough Council
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DONCASTER METROPOLITAN BOROUGH COUNCIL PLANNING COMMITTEE - 28th June 2011 Application 02 Application 10/01971/TIP Application 15th October 2010 Number: Expiry Date: Application Tipping/Waste Disposal Type: Proposal Construction of fibre storage pad Description: At: Hazel Lane Landfill Site Hazel Lane Hampole Doncaster For: Mr R Harrod Third Party Reps: 0 Parish: Hampole And Skelbrooke Parish Meeting Ward: Sprotbrough Author of Report Roy Sykes MAIN RECOMMENDATION: GRANT Hazel Lane Quarry/Landfill Skelbrooke A638 Hazel Lane Stubbs Hall Hampole 1.0 Reason for Report 1.1 This application is being considered by Planning Committee as a result of a Member request. 2.0 Proposal and Background 2.1 The application seeks a temporary permission, for a period of 5 years, for the construction of a Fibre Storage Pad (FSP) on which to store a product known as ‘Sterefibre’. Construction of half of the proposed FSP has already taken place and a relatively small amount of Sterefibre is located on the partially constructed FSP. A much larger proportion of the Sterefibre is currently stored directly adjacent (See. Fig. 5). 2.2 ‘Sterefibre’ (see Fig. 7) is a waste that is produced from the Environment Agency regulated facility - Sterecycle - which is based in Rotherham. Sterecycle treats the mixed municipal waste arisings of Barnsley, Doncaster and Rotherham Councils via an autoclaving process (i.e. steam and pressure). In this process, recyclates (bottles, plastic, cans etc.) are taken out of the waste stream for further re-use and recycling. The remaining product that cannot be recycled is termed ‘Sterefibre’, which is an organic rich, compost like output, which is to be stored on the FSP that is under consideration. 2.3 In broad locational terms, the site is located to the north of the A638 (Wakefield Road), approximately 11km to the north-west of Doncaster town centre and 1.2km to the north of the village of Hampole. The FSP itself is to be located in the south-eastern quadrant of the existing quarry and landfill site at Hazel Lane, Hampole, Doncaster - directly adjacent to landfill cells 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 (see Fig. 2). 2.4 The FSP will cover an area of approximately 1.15 hectares (Ha) and is broadly rectangular in shape (see Figs. 2 and 3). The height of the Sterefibre will be stored no higher than the surrounding quarry faces i.e. c 55 – 58 metres A.O.D. 2.5 The predicted input of Sterefibre onto the FSP, during the first 12 months, will be in the region of 55,000 tonnes, which will rise to a maximum of 120,000 tonnes per year. The FSP itself will, however, be capable of accommodating around 150,000 tonnes of ‘Sterefibre’. The scale of the proposed FSP has been established through a balance of the size necessary to accommodate the predicted waste throughput. 2.6 The FSP will be completed to a standard that is in strict accordance with the Environment Agency requirements, which will be secured as a condition of planning permission - as per the Environment Agency’s consultation response. Specifically, the base level of the FSP will be excavated upto 4 metres deep into the quarry floor. The FSP will be lined with engineered clays over which a geotextile membrane will be placed. Above this a layer of quarry fines will be placed. The bottom of the FSP will be engineered with a slight gradient to ensure a fall towards two collection sumps to collect any surface water run-off and leachate, which will then be tankered off site for treatment at an appropriate facility. 2.7 The hours of operation for transferring ‘Sterefibre’ to and from the FSP will be carried out within the already consented hours of the quarry. These are: 06:00 - 17:00 Mondays to Friday 06:00 - 12:00 Saturday and not at all on Sundays, Bank or Public Holidays. 3.0 Relevant Planning History 01/0817/P/MINA - Extension Of Quarry, Including Extraction Of Limestone And Clay, Associated Ancillary Activities And Reclamation Of Quarry By Means Of Waste Disposal. Granted permission on 13.01.2004. 4.0 Representations 4.1 There have been no individual letters of representation received in relation to the proposed development. 5.0 Parish Council 5.1 The Hampole and Skelbrooke Parish Meeting raised initial concerns on the planning application submission in relation to the following matters: a) Intolerable foul odour; b) Increased dust levels; c) Increased HGV traffic levels; d) Inappropriate operation for a rural area/ green belt. 5.2 In a more recent response from the Hampole and Skelbrooke Parish Meeting additional concerns have been raised directly with the Environment Agency (but has been copied to the Local Planning Authority) over the variation to the Environmental Permit that has been approved by the Environment Agency - in relation to the following additional matters: a) The potential for health risks; b) The downgrading of a restored site to non-agricultural use. 6.0 Relevant Consultations 6.1 Environment Agency - Have raised no objections to the proposed development. The main issues considered by the Environment Agency relate to i) the construction of the FSP and ii) odour mitigation: i) Details of the design and construction of the fibre pad have been agreed with the Environment Agency and will be developed in accordance with the Design Guide And Construction Quality Assurance Method Statement, Reference: CA4003/2/001, dated April 2010. ii) The Environment Agency have confirmed that the public consultation on the recently approved Hazel Lane permit variation (which included within it a detailed Odour Management Plan) has been completed. During the consultation one submission, on behalf of the Hampole and Skelbrooke Parish Meeting, was received. This submission did not raise any new issues that were not already considered in determining the application to vary the site's Environmental Permit. Accordingly, the Environment Agency have advised that as a result of the public consultation no revision to the permit is required. 6.2 Pollution Control - Have advised that there are no objections to the proposal given that the application involves a process regulated by the Environment Agency, via an Environmental Permit. Accordingly, issues such as contamination of the ground and air quality have been taken into account as part of the application for the variation to the existing Environmental Permit. 6.3 Environmental Health - Have raised no objections to the proposed development. It is acknowledged that odour from the process has the potential to cause complaints - indeed one complaint from a nearby resident has been received by Environmental Health in relation to this matter. Environmental Health have subsequently advised that an odour mitigation plan should be devised and approved by the Environment Agency prior to determination of this current application. Ultimately, odour control for this development will be the responsibility of the Environment Agency as part of the permitting process. 6.4 Health Protection Agency - Have advised that the Environment Agency should be consulted on matters relating to dust, odour, surface water and leachate run-off and that Environmental Health should be consulted in relation to contaminated land issues (see Pollution Control comments above). Should planning permission be granted, DMBC should ensure that mitigation measures are in place to ensure that an odour nuisance does not exist. 6.5 Drainage - Have raised no objections to the proposed development. 6.6 Highways (Development Control) - Have raised no objections to the proposed development. 7.0 Relevant Policy and Strategic Context National Policy Statements: Planning Policy Statement 10 - Planning for Sustainable Waste Management Planning Policy Statement 23 - Planning and Pollution Control Planning Policy Statement 25 - Development and Flood Risk Regional Spatial Strategy: Policy ENV12 - Regional Waste Management Local UDP Policy: Policy ENV3 - Green Belt Policy ENV65 - Pollution Policy SWD1 - Waste Management Strategy Policy WD4 - Waste Facilities Policy WD5 - Protection of water resource Policy WD12 - Landscaping Policy SPU3 - Land Drainage Policy PU4 - Groundwater Policy PU5 - Land Drainage Policy T5 - Highways Safety Other Considerations: Doncaster Waste Strategy (2009) A Plan for Doncaster: Borough Strategy 2010 - 2015 Waste Strategy for England (2007) 8.0 Planning Issues and Discussion 8.1 The main issues for members to consider relate primarily to the environmental concerns that have been raised by the Hampole and Skelbrooke Parish Meeting. In particular these include the potential for health risks, odour, dust and noise together with the broader principle of the development in the green belt. 8.2 It is important to note at this point that this application only seeks permission for the construction of the FSP, which includes the transport of ‘Sterefibre’ both to and from the site. The concerns raised by the Hampole and Skelbrooke Parish Meeting in relation to the inappropriate use of Sterefibre on agricultural land is a matter for the quarry/landfill restoration plan - which was approved back in 2004 under planning application reference number 01/0817/P/MINA. Ultimately, the site is required to be restored back primarily to agriculture and any amendment to this, should Sterefibre be deemed inappropriate for future agricultural use, will require a new consent to vary the already approved end-use. Any future application will be determined on it’s individual planning merits at such time. 8.3 As a starting point, Section 38 (6) of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act (September 2004) requires that planning applications should be determined in accordance with the Development Plan unless material considerations indicate otherwise. The statutory Development Plan comprises the Regional Spatial Strategy for Yorkshire and the Humber (May 2008) and the Doncaster Unitary Development Plan (adopted 1998). 8.4 On the 27th May 2010, the Rt. Hon. Eric Pickles MP (Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government) wrote to Councils highlighting the new Coalition Government’s commitment to rapidly abolish Regional Spatial Strategies (RSS).