Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council Has No Objection to of the Restoration and Aftercare Scheme Subject to the Following Conditions
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1. PLANNING APPLICATIONS RECOMMENDED FOR APPROVAL ITEM 1. 1 APPLICATION NO: P/2003/50 DATE: 14/01/2003 10:39:34 PROPOSAL: PROPOSED TREKKING WALK, ANIMAL SANCTUARY & MENAGE INCLUSIVE OF INFILL / REPROFILING OF SITE. LOCATION: THE CIMLA TREKING CENTRE, HAWDREF GANOL FARM, PONTRHYDYFEN, PORT TALBOT SA129SL APPLICANT: Brown Brown & Jones TYPE: Full Plans BACKGROUND INFORMATION a. Structure/Local Plan Policies Borough of Neath Local Plan: T26 – New development and highway safety RL47 – Recreational facilities E55 – Development in the countryside E61 – Special Landscape Areas E63 – The conservation of woodlands and trees b. Other Policies None c. Relevant Planning History 89/600 – Golf Course – Approved 7/11/91 92/347 – Stable block – Permitted Development 26/6/92 92/397 – Golf Course – Withdrawn 9/11/92 01/307 – Access road – Approved 13/8/01 d. Responses to Consultations Number of properties consulted: 0 PLANDEV-060503-REP-EC Page 1 of 178 The application was advertised on site and in the local press Number of replies received: 1 Objections can be summarised as follows: Concerns are expressed about the use of the footpath/bridleway which could have a detrimental effect on the objector’s business and home. Statutory Consultees: The Head of Public and Transport Services (Highways): No highway objection. The Environment Agency: No objections in principle Hyder Consulting: No objections Pelenna Community Council – No reply therefore no observations to make. APPRAISAL This application seeks consent for the infill and reprofiling of two fields at Hawdref Ganol Farm, Cimla, Neath. The purpose of the proposed reprofiling is to enable the construction of an off-road trekking walk (with a figure of 8 layout), together with an animal enclosure (sanctuary) and menage. The fields are at the front of the farm/ trekking centre and T Bones Restaurant, adjacent to the public road and farm access road. The site is some 3.74 ha in area and slopes down from the vicinity of the farm buildings towards the road in a north westerly direction, with a steep bank near to the top (south eastern) part of the site. Some tipping has taken place in the past on the upper parts of the site. The site is currently used for the grazing of horses, and the dominant vegetation is soft rush pasture with areas of bramble scrub and isolated small patches of bog and reedmace swamp. The applicant proposes to retain an area of willow carr in the northern field and a number of semi-mature oaks on the application site boundary. PLANDEV-060503-REP-EC Page 2 of 178 The proposal involves the importation of material (via a temporary access from the public road in the north western corner of the site) to infill across the site to provide a more consistent slope on the land to allow the construction of the trekking walk. The scheme has been amended to reduce the amount of infill proposed. Over the central part of the site, it is now proposed to increase levels by 3 to 4m generally, reducing to about 1m adjacent to the public road. The maximum depth of fill will now be in the vicinity of the proposed animal enclosure/sanctuary, in order to provide a level surface in an area that is currently steeply sloping. The applicants also propose to establish a pond in the centre of the site and a menage in the south western corner. With regard to the points raised by the objector, the footpath/bridleway follows the line of the access road to Hawdref Ganol and will not be directly affected by the proposed development. The application site lies within the open countryside and a Special Landscape Area (Policies E55 and E61 of the Neath Local Plan). In visual terms, it is considered that the proposed reprofiling will improve areas of the site that have previously had material tipped and will result in an acceptable land profile and appearance, subject to the retention of existing trees and the provision of landscaping. Conditions are recommended to cover these points. The proposed establishment of the trekking walk and other features are in association with the existing trekking centre use at Hawdref Ganol and are considered to be in accordance with policy RL47 of the Neath Local Plan. In highway safety terms, access to the site will be via the lane from the Afan Valley Road, with a new access being formed in the north western corner of the site. No objections have been raised by the Head of Public and Transport Services subject to conditions. However, one condition relates to visibility splays being created at the access, which would result in the loss of established hedgerows. In view of the temporary nature of the access, subject to the imposition of a condition requiring warning signs and having regard to the lightly trafficked nature of the road, it is considered that the visibility splays should not be required. RECOMMENDATION: Approval with Conditions CONDITIONS; PLANDEV-060503-REP-EC Page 3 of 178 (1)The development hereby permitted shall be begun before the expiration of five years from the date of this permission. Reason To comply with the requirements of Section 91 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990. (2)Prior to the commencement of work on site, full details of the proposed site access, including any gates, shall be submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority. The access shall be constructed in accordance with the approved details. Reason: In the interests of highway safety. (3)Prior to the commencement of work on site, full details of the proposed pond shall be submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority. The pond shall be constructed in accordance with the details approved under this condition within 6 months of the completion of infilling/tipping works. Reason: In the interests of nature conservation and visual amenity. (4)The importation of material shall cease on 6th May 2005. Reason: To allow a reasonable time period in which to complete the development and in the interest of amenity. (5)No material shall be brought on to the site or tipping works undertaken outside the hours of 0830 hrs to 1800 hrs Monday to Saturday nor at any time on Sundays, Bank or Public holidays. Reason: In the interests of the amenities of the area. (6)Prior to the commencement of work on site, full details of the proposed animal enclosure/sanctuary shall be submitted to an approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority. The animal enclosure/sanctuary shall be constructed in accordance with the details approved under this condition. PLANDEV-060503-REP-EC Page 4 of 178 Reason: In the interests of visual amenity. (7)Prior to the commencement of work on site, full details of the proposed menage shall be submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority. The menage shall be constructed in accordance with the details approved under this condition. Reason: In the interests of visual amenity. (8)No development shall take place until there has been submitted to and approved in writing by the local planning authority a scheme for landscaping, which shall include indications of all existing trees and hedgerows on the land, and details of any to be retained, taking into account potential growth, together with measures for their protection in the course of development. This scheme shall be carried out in the first planting season after completion of the development or its occupation, whichever is the sooner and any trees of plants which within a period of five years are removed or become seriously damaged or diseased shall be replaced in the next planting season with others of similar size and the same species, unless the local planning authority gives written consent to any variation. Reason In the interest of visual amenity and to accord with Section 197 of the Town and Country Planning Act, 1990. (9)Adequate provision, in accordance with a scheme to be first submitted to, and approved in writing by, the Local Planning Authority, shall be made for the drainage of the land. Such scheme shall ensure that proper drainage of any adjoining land is not interrupted or otherwise adversely affected. The scheme shall be implemented prior to the first use of the land. Reason To ensure satisfactory drainage. (10)The stream running alongside the public road and associated areas of reedmace swamp shall be retained and shall be protected during the course of development in accordance with details which shall be PLANDEV-060503-REP-EC Page 5 of 178 submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority prior to the commencement of work on site. Reason: In the interests of nature conservation and visual amenity. (11)No work on site shall take place on land containing Fallopia Japonica (Japanese Knotweed), Giant Knotweed or any Knotweed hybrid until there has been submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority a scheme for its eradication and/or control,, which shall include details of the method of eradication/control and the timescale involved. The scheme shall be implemented in accordance with the approved details. Reason: In the interests of ecology and visual amenity. (12)The temporary access shall be designed so that any gates are set back a minimum of 16m from the edge of carriageway and are of a type which open inwards only and the first 15m of the access shall be surfaced in clean rolled stone to a depth of 500mm and for a width of 6m. The access shall be provided prior to the commencement of tipping works on site and shall be removed and the site restored in accordance with a scheme which shall be submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority within three months of the cessation of tipping operations.