Greenlands Farm, Burton Road, Priest Hutton PDF 188 KB
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Agenda Item Committee Date Application Number A9 7 April 2014 13/00986/FUL Application Site Proposal Greenlands Farm Erection of a 100kw wind turbine (35m high from ground to blade tip) Burton Road Priest Hutton Carnforth Name of Applicant Name of Agent Urban Wind Ltd Mr Adele Ellis Decision Target Date Reason For Delay 13 November 2013 Awaiting further information Case Officer Ms Eleanor Huddleston Departure None Summary of Recommendation Approval (i) Procedural Matters A request has been made by Councillor Mace for the application to be determined by the Planning Committee as a result of concerns regarding the visual and cumulative impact and scale of the turbine in relation to the nearest residential property. 1.0 The Site and its Surroundings 1.1 The site relates to an agricultural field located to the north of Greenlands Farm which is situated on the north western side of the B6070 Burton Road. It is located approximately 1km to the north west of Priest Hutton, 1.1km to the north of Borwick, 1.7km to the east of Yealand Conyers, 2.6km to the north east of Warton and 2.1km to the south west of Burton-in-Kendal. The site is occupied by a range of traditional and more modern farm buildings, many of which have been converted to a variety of non-agricultural uses which includes educational, leisure and retail uses. There is a vehicular access to a car park located to the north east of the site’s frontage. 1.2 The field to which the application relates rises to the north from the farm buildings, and is enclosed predominantly by hedgerows with some areas of stock proof fencing and a section of stone wall along part of the highway boundary. A public bridleway runs adjacent to the western boundary and links Burton Road to the A6 via Tewitfield Locks on the Lancaster Canal. Adjacent to the northern boundary is a group of trees, just beyond which is the highest point of the hill at 64m Above Ordinance Datum (AOD). The Lancaster Canal is located approximately 203m to the west of the site, with the M6 motorway a further 40m beyond this. Both of these run in a north-south direction and this section of the canal is no longer in use. A line of electricity pylons lies on the western side of the motorway. The West Coast Mainline railway is approximately 550m to the west of the M6 and the Arnside and Silverdale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) lies just beyond this. It extends to Morecambe Bay in the west, just beyond Warton to the south and into Cumbria to the north. 1.3 The nearest residential properties are Greenlands Cottages, located approximately 260m to the south east, and consist of a terrace of four dwellings at 90 degrees to the highway. Adjacent to these is a caravan site and another residential property, Low Greenlands, set further from the highway. Another residential property, Buckstone House, is located approximately 300m to the north east and Gatelands House lies approximately 425m to the south west. Slightly further from the site is the Longlands Hotel, on the opposite side of Burton Road to Greenlands Farm, and Tewitfield Marina to the south of this. 1.4 Buckstone House and eight locks on the Lancaster Canal are Grade II Listed, in addition to Tewitfield farm which is approximately 470m to the south west of the site, on the western side of the M6. Borwick, Priest Hutton, Yealand Conyers, Warton and Burton-in-Kendal all have Conservation Areas in addition to various Listed Buildings. There are some more significant buildings within the area which include: the Grade I Borwick Hall, Gatehouse and Stables (1.2km to the south east); the Grade I Listed and Scheduled Old Rectory at Warton (2.8km to the west) and the Grade II* listed Capernwray Hall (3.2km to the south east). 1.5 The application site is located within the Countryside Area as identified on the Local Plan proposals map. Morecambe Bay lies approximately 4km to the south west and is designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), Special Area of Conservation (SAC), Special Protection Area (SPA) and Ramsar site. 2.0 The Proposal 2.1 Planning permission is sought for the erection of a 100KW wind turbine. It would be a three bladed structure with a height of 23m to the hub and 35m to the blade tip. Each blade would have a length of 12m. It is proposed to be located 290m to the north of the Greenlands Farm access point with Burton Road, 72m from the boundary with the bridleway to the west and 58m from the hedgerow along the northern boundary of the field. 2.2 The turbine would be sited on a concrete base with a reinforced concrete foundation. A crane hardstanding is proposed adjacent to the base to allow the turbine to be constructed. Access is proposed via the existing access to Greenlands Farm and using the bridleway from the farm buildings to the site. Approximately 80m of track is proposed from the field gate to the site of the turbine. Permission is sought for a period of 25 years after which time the turbine will be removed and the site restored. 3.0 Site History 3.1 Greenlands Farm has an extensive planning history and is set out below. The current proposal is a resubmission of a previous application (13/00494/FUL) for the erection of a 35m high turbine which was submitted in May 2013. This was withdrawn following various concerns regarding the submission. Application Number Proposal Decision 12/01192/FUL Change of use of two agricultural buildings into (1) multi- Permitted purpose leisure use and (2) workshop and retail use, part of yard into car park, removal of redundant silos/water towers and installation of four photovoltaic panels on each converted building 10/01035/RCN Removal of condition 4 on application 09/00131/CU Permitted (restriction of opening times of plant centre and children’s play centre to times when the farm interpretation centre as a whole is open to visitors) 09/00131/CU Change of use of agricultural building and land to indoor Permitted play area, open farm and plant centre. 09/00084/FUL Erection of a stable block and sand ménage Permitted 08/00428/CU Change of use of part of the animal farm and environment Permitted centre building to a wine storage and retail unit 07/01278/FUL Erection of an extension for a food storage area Permitted 06/00539/CU Continuation of use of agricultural land as grass boarding Refused (decision centre with associated works and construction of new upheld on appeal) highway access 05/01041/CU Change of use and conversion to farming interpretation Permitted and environment centre 95/01095/FUL Erection of a livestock building Permitted 4.0 Consultation Responses 4.1 The following responses have been received from consultees: Consultee Response Priest Hutton Parish Object. This is an industrial commercial venture and should not be sited in a Green Council Belt. (Officer Note – this is incorrect, the land is not in Green Belt). The proposal would have adverse landscape and visual effects and would be harmful to the character and appearance of the area. It would also be harmful to local economic interests, especially those arising from the tourist/holidaymaker trade. They suggest County highways and the Police assess the traffic impacts arising from the proposal. The entrance and exit will be the same for heavy traffic and visitors to the farm. Borwick Parish Object. The turbine would dominate the area for a considerable distance in virtually Meeting every direction, given that it is set near the summit of a hill surrounded by villages and local viewpoints (e.g. Warton Crag). Potential intrusive impacts upon village Conservation Areas, Grade I Borwick Hall and the Arnside/Silverdale AONB, as well as the surrounding landscape. They also oppose the scheme in relation to bird impact; potential health impacts (including proximity to dwellings). They comment that there is growing evidence that turbines are not an economic form of green energy. They suggest that the local planning authority should wait some time to find out exactly what is proposed (nationally) rather than give the go-ahead to a scheme that is likely to be controversial. Burton-in-Kendal Object, on the grounds that the development would adversely affect the character and Parish Council appearance of the rolling farmland, and when considered in the context of other turbines planned further north, would lead to sequential development on open farmland. Express concern that applications for wind turbines in the M6 corridor appear to be being made without any overall plan or consideration of the total effect that they will have. Yealand Conyers No comments received. Parish Council Yealand Redmayne No comments received. Parish Council Environmental After some initial concerns regarding the conclusions drawn relating to predicted noise Health levels at one of the measurement sites chosen, they are satisfied that noise levels from the proposed turbine will not cause disturbance to residents of properties in the area, following the submission of additional information. Conservation Within 1km of the proposed site are a number of heritage assets. Tewitfield Locks, a flight of 8 locks grade II listed, are situated parallel to the M6 and at this point are in a green corridor of trees and other planting which contains visually the principal setting and viewpoints of these assets. Therefore the proposal although visible at the southern end of the rise will not unduly impact on the setting.