16 February 1998 Agenda Item Pl3 Planning Sub-Committee
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Environmental Committee PLANNING SUB-COMMITTEE - 16 FEBRUARY 1998 AGENDA ITEM PL3 PLANNING SUB-COMMITTEE - 5 JANUARY 1998 MINUTES of the meeting commencing at 2.00 pm and finishing at 3.40 pm Present: Voting Members: Councillors Nils R. Bartleet, Brenda Churchill, A.D. Crabbe, Mrs C. Fulljames, Dave Green, Steve Hayward, MacKenzie, Anne Purse, G.A. Reynolds, Don Seale, Sylvia Tompkins and Harry Wyatt. Ex Officio: Councillors Neville F. Harris (in place of Councillor Bob Langridge) and Brian L. Hook (in place of Councillor C.H. Shouler). Officers: Whole of meeting: R. Hanson and G. Warrington (Chief Executive's Office); C. Cousins, J. Duncalfe, A. Ford and J. Griffin (Department of Environmental Services). By Invitation: Councillor Anda Fitzgerald-O'Connor (Item 7) The Sub-Committee considered the matters, reports and recommendations contained or referred to in the agenda for the meeting, together with a Schedule of Addenda tabled by the Chief Executive. Copies of the agenda, reports and schedule of addenda are attached to the signed Minutes, and in relation thereto the Sub-Committee determined as follows:- 71/97 ELECTION TO CHAIR RESOLVED:that Councillor Reynolds (Conservative) be elected to chair the meeting. 72/97 APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE AND TEMPORARY APPOINTMENTS Apologies for absence and Group Leader substitutions were reported as follows: Apology from Substitute Councillor Langridge Councillor Harris Councillor Shouler Councillor Hook 73/97 MINUTES The Minutes of the meeting of the Sub-Committee held on 17 November 1997 were approved and signed. 74/97 MATTERS ARISING FROM THE MINUTES Minutes 69/97 - Extraction of Stone at Woodeaton Quarry The Sub-Committee were advised that the applicants had agreed a further extension of time to allow report to the February meeting. Page 1 75/97 PETITIONS AND PUBLIC ADDRESS The following requests to address the meeting had been agreed:- Request from Agenda Item Col A. Bateman Representing Baulking Parish Meeting and Uffington Parish Council 7 - Extraction of Fuller's Earth at Moor Mill Farm, Uffington Mr Ross Hughes Managing Director " " Laporte Absorbents Ltd 76/97 COUNTY COUNCIL PLANNING APPLICATIONS (Agenda Item 6) The Sub-Committee considered the following current applications for County Council Development: Application No. C.29/97 (detailed). Construction of extensions to Secure Unit, including security fencing, recreation areas, car park and landscaping, Thornbury House, The Moors, Kidlington. Application No. S.27/97 (detailed) . Erection of two prefabricated double classroom buildings for a temporary period of 5 years, Didcot Girls School, Sherwood Road, Didcot. Application No. W.11/97 (detailed). Construction of footbridge across River Windrush 200 metres north west of Newbridge, Standlake. With regard to Application C.29/97 (Thornbury House) Mr Griffin reported that the Kidlington Village Residents Committee had written objecting to the proposals and expressing particular concern that the residents of Homewell House had not been served notice of the proposal individually and therefore denied their individual right of reply. He advised that a general consultation had been undertaken with residents at the suggestion and with the full support of the Warden of Homewell House. RESOLVED: that: (a) (on a motion by Councillor MacKenzie seconded by Councillor Bartleet, amended at the suggestion of Councillor Wyatt with their and the Sub-Committee's consent and carried nem con) Application No. C.29/97 (Thornbury House) be approved as recommended in the schedule appended to PL6 subject to an additional condition restricting the hours of lighting on the external activity area to 8.30 pm 7 days a week; and (b) the remaining applications be approved as recommended in the schedule appended to PL6, subject to the detailed wording of the recommended conditions being agreed by the Chief Planning Officer. 77/97 EXTRACTION OF FULLER'S EARTH AT MOOR MILL FARM, UFFINGTON (APPLICATION NO UFF/14511-CM) (Agenda Item 7) The Sub-Committee considered a report (PL7) which described an application for the extraction of 250,000 tonnes of fullers earth at Moor Mill Farm. Col. Bateman addressed the Sub-Committee on behalf of the residents of Baulking, Uffington and Woolstone the vast majority of whom opposed the proposal. The Baulking Plant had been in operation for 20 years and would with this application be extended by a further 7.5 years. He questioned the strategic need for the material and referred to the unacceptable traffic hazards if material was moved entirely by road in a rural area on a dangerous, narrow and winding country road. Although still requiring the use of some highway a haul route alongside the railway line to the south between Station Bridge and Baulking Bridge was more acceptable. Overall, local people Page 2 would prefer to see material moved entirely by conveyor. In the event that road haulage was permitted he urged that the Company should fund the following minimum road improvements: - Effective wash downs of both ends, and sufficient travel distance for trucks to enter highway clean. - Elimination of the bottle neck on south side of new railway bridge. - Widen, straighten, strengthen and realign road to permit safe passing of HGVs throughout its length, making safe provision for cyclists, walkers and riders. - Rebuild and re-site Baulking Bridge to take passing HGVs, with safe sightlines. - The whole operation to be subject to 6 monthly review meetings with the highway authority to ensure that the process was regularly monitored. Mr Hughes addressed the Sub-Committee. The Company considered that there was a national need for this scarce mineral. The Moor Mill Farm operation would produce 42,000 tonnes per annum for a period of 8 years taking the Baulking operation beyond 2000. The Company currently employed 30 people generating £2.2m pa into the local economy and £0.5m into the national tax exchequer. The Company was a responsible operator with sound environmental concerns. There would be progressive restoration to agriculture and eventually a public amenity. The distance from Moor Mill to the Plant was 2 miles which would be covered 11 times per day by a specially designed vehicle. The Company had considered 8 options for transporting the material and undertaken extensive consultation. Road haulage represented the best and most economically viable option for them and he urged the Sub-Committee to grant the application. Councillor Mrs Fitzgerald-O'Connor speaking as local member also questioned the national need for this material. She strongly opposed any further extension to the current operation and expressed concern that as only 16 hectares of the 35 hectare Moor Mill site would be worked as part of this application there was potential for further applications. She suggested the best solution would be for the Secretary of State to determine the application. Mr Cousins drew the Sub-Committee's attention to two amendments to the report. The first, a textual change to paragraph 25 where the words "Government Guidance and development plans context" should have appeared as a sub-heading. The second on page 10 referred to the consultation reply from the Department of Trade and Industry which should have appeared on page 11 under "Additional Representations". He confirmed that the County Council would have preferred material to be transported off road but it had been impractical to achieve this. Construction of a haul road would itself require heavy traffic coming into the area and substantial road improvements could eventually disbenefit the rural area by sustaining conditions for faster traffic when operations at Baulking had ceased. Councillor Mrs Fulljames then moved and Councillor Seale seconded that the recommendations as set out in the officers' report be approved but with the following amendments: (a) insert the following as a new paragraph (ii): "materials being transported along a haul route to the south alongside the railway line between Station Bridge and Baulking Bridge." (b) paragraph (ii) to be renumbered (iii) with the deletion of all text after "improvements"; (c) the following additional condition in paragraph (b): "(13) wheel washing facilities". The motion was put to the Sub-Committee and lost by 6 votes to 5. Councillor MacKenzie then moved, Councillor Bartleet seconded and it was - RESOLVED: (nem con) that consideration of application UFF/145H-CM be deferred pending an investigation into the feasibility of providing a haul route alongside the railway line between Station Bridge and Baulking Bridge. Page 3 78/97 AN APPLICATION BY WYATT BROS (OXFORD) LTD FOR CLAY EXTRACTION AT WATERSTOCK GOLF COURSE, WHEATLEY (APPLICATION NO P97/NO612/CM) WITHOUT COMPLYING WITH CONDITION 15 OF PLANNING PERMISSION P93/NO476/CM (Agenda Item 8) The Sub-Committee considered a report (PL8) which outlined an application to extend clay extraction at the golf course for a further year to create an irrigation lake. An application for an additional 9 hole golf course had been refused by South Oxfordshire District Council's Planning Committee but was to be reconsidered by the full District Council on 15 January 1998. RESOLVED: that subject to South Oxfordshire District Council confirming the refusal of the application for the 9 hole revised layout, planning permission be refused in respect of application no. P97/NO612/CM for the extraction of clay without complying with condition No (end date of 1 November 1997) of planning permission P93/NO476 on the grounds that the proposal was contrary to the Minerals and Waste Local Plan policy SD5 in that it was not within a recognised area for clay extraction and the applicant had acknowledged that in the absence of permission for a further 9 holes of golf there was no need for an irrigation lake. 79/97 AN APPLICATION BY THE DOWNS STONE COMPANY LTD FOR THE EXTENSION OF A STONE QUARRY AT CASTLE BARN QUARRY, SARSDEN (APPLICATION W97/1530) (Agenda Item 9) The Sub-Committee considered a report (PL9) which outlined an application to extend the limestone quarrying operation.