EEC/06/107/HQ Development Control Committee 6 September 2006
County Council Development South Hams District Council: Proposed Extension to Existing Car Park to Allow Use of Site for a Sunday Skip Service for the Recycling and Disposal of Household Waste at South Hams District Council Car Park, Jaw Bone Hill, Dartmouth Application No: DCC/2302/2006 Date Application received by County Council - 14 July 2006
Report of the Director of Environment, Economy and Culture
Please note that the following recommendations are subject to consideration and determination by the Committee before taking effect.
Recommendation: It is recommended that planning permission be granted subject to conditions relating to, inter alia; prior completion of offsite road markings and signage; temporary 5 years; hours of operation; removal of all materials from site after Sunday use; landscaping; no lighting; and Cirl Bunting Management.
1. Summary
This report relates to the continuing provision of a Sunday Skip collection service for bulky household and garden waste generated in the Dartmouth area.
2. The Proposal/Background
The existing Dartmouth Sunday skip service has been provided within the Little Cotton caravan park adjacent to the A3122 road on the edge of Townstal for the past 7 years.
The owner of the current site has advised the County Council that he no longer wishes the land to be used for this purpose and therefore a local search for alternative sites has been undertaken in order to continue to provide this service to Dartmouth.
The applicant has considered 3 alternative sites before making the application to provide the facility at Jaw Bone Hill.
• Dartmouth Park and Ride - (insufficient room in Summer) • Admiral's Court - (soon to be developed) • Mayors Avenue depot - (town centre too congested in Summer)
(These sites are shown on the plan attached to this report).
The Sunday skip service has been well used and in 2005/06 it received 753 tonnes of household waste which equals to approximately 290 visits bringing about 15 tonnes of “bulky” household waste (mattresses etc) and garden waste per Sunday.
The proposed replacement site which is accessed off the A379 Stoke Fleming road is located further away from the town than the existing site on an area of land that was previously the town tip. It is located in an elevated position adjacent to the Jawbones Water Tower which is a prominent local landmark. It is also located within the South Devon AONB and the designated Coastal Preservation Area.
The site is currently used as an informal car parking area and is located adjacent to a small area of industrial units which include a skip hire business. The car parking area is currently screened by scrub growth and is not intrusive in the landscape.
The proposal will require the extension and hard surfacing of the existing car park and it is proposed to construct earth bunds around the perimeter to afford enhanced screening.
3. Consultations
South Hams District Council : No objection.
Dartmouth Town Council : Views awaited (Consulted on 21 July). (Their next meeting is not until 5 September 2006 and they have asked if they can make their comments after that date.)
Environment Agency : No objections subject to drainage being disposed of to avoid pollution to any watercourse.
South Devon AONB Partnership : Views awaited (Consulted on 16 August 2006).
4. Advertisement/Representations
This application has been advertised in accordance with the statutory publicity requirements and as a result of these procedures 1 letter of representation has been received from a resident who objects to the proposal on the following grounds: • The facility should remain in its current location; • The approach road is inadequate as it is too narrow; • Congestion of the access and the inconvenience caused will lead to people not using the site in the future; • Required road improvements will be a waste of money.
Copies of all letters of representation received will be displayed at the Committee meeting.
5. Planning Policy Considerations
In considering this application the Waste Planning Authority is required to have regard to the provisions of the Development Plan insofar as they are material to the application, and to any other material considerations. Section 38(6) of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 requires that where regard is to be had to the Development Plan, the determination shall be in accordance with the Development Plan unless material considerations indicate otherwise. In this case the most relevant Development Plan policies are as follows:
Regional Planning Guidance for the South West: RPG10 (September 2001) : Policies SS7 (Meeting Local Needs); and RE5 (Management and Transportation of Waste).
Devon County Structure Plan 2001-2016 (Adopted October 2004) : Policies ST1 (Sustainable Development); ST3 (Self Sufficiency of Devon’s Communities); CO1 (Landscape Character and Local Distinctiveness); CO4 (Areas of Great Landscape Value); CO5 (Coastal Preservation Area); and WM1 (Waste Management).
Devon County Waste Local Plan (Adopted June 2006) : Policies WPC1 (Sustainable Waste Management); WPC2 (Development Control Considerations); WPP3 (Sites for Minor Waste Management Facilities); WPP4(Consideration of Proposals at Sites Not Allocated in the Plan); WPP5 (Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty and Effects on National Parks); WPP12 (Coastal Preservation Areas); WPP24 (Site Design and Appearance); and WPP28 (Recycling Centres).
South Hams Local Plan 1989 - 2001 (1996) : Policy SHDC1 (Development Boundaries).
Emerging planning policy and other policy documents, which may be regarded as a material consideration include:
The Draft Regional Spatial Strategy for the South West - 2006 - 2026 : Policies SD3 (The Environment and Natural Resources) and W1-W4 (Waste Management).
South Hams Local Plan Review - First Deposit, 1995-2011 : Policies DS3 (Development Boundaries); DS4 (Development in the Countryside); DEV9 (Recycling); DEV23 (Protecting Landscape Character); and ENV2 (Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty).
In preparing this report regard has been had of relevant National Planning Policy Guidance and Statements, in particular: PPS1 (Delivering Sustainable Development); PPS7 (Sustainable Development in Rural Areas); and PPS10 (Planning and Sustainable Waste Management).
6. Highway Considerations
Jawbones Hill is accessed from the A379 Dartmouth to Stoke Fleming Road, the junction being located approximately half way between Dartmouth and the village of Stoke Fleming to the South West, being just over 1km from the built up edge of both settlements.
The site is approximately 500m from the junction with the A379 and the access lane is narrow in parts, but with occasional passing places and wide verges closer to the site. It is considered that with amendments to the road markings at the junction of Jaw Bone Hill and the A379 and appropriate signing, the proposed development is acceptable in highway terms.
7. Sustainability Considerations
The collection of bulky household waste forms part of the “rural skip” system, a service intended to provide central collection points to enable those living remote from recycling centres a service intended also to cut down on private mileage.
The facility provides an element of recycling as garden waste is collected separately as is furniture and cardboard which is batched and taken to the transfer station adjacent to the application site at Jawbones, the proximity of the Sunday service to this transfer station may provide opportunities for additional recycling and this will be explored by the applicant.
Currently, the nearest permanent facilities to Dartmouth are at Torr Quarry near Kingsbridge (a round trip of 21 miles from Dartmouth) and at Totnes.
The applicant has calculated that the loss of this service to Dartmouth and the requirement for householders to make trips to the Torr Quarry facility could increase Carbon Dioxide emissions by approximately 76 tonnes per annum. (See supporting information to application which will be displayed at Committee.) The provision of a convenient local service should also reduce the incidence of fly tipping in the countryside.
8. Comments/Issues
The main issues relating to this proposal appear to be impact on landscape and the Coastal Preservation Area, the need for the proposal, its sustainability nature conservation impacts; and the access to the site.
This site is within a designated South Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and therefore the impact of the proposal on the landscape is a primary material consideration. The site is already on brownfield land, and whilst vehicles may be visible above the surrounding bunds on a Sunday, this needs to be put in the context of a site located adjacent to an industrial estate and a water tower which are significantly more likely to draw the eye. The proposed facility is unlikely to be visible form longer views during 6 days of the week and even on a Sunday, any views of skips or machinery will be temporary in nature. The impact on the landscape, which is likely to be minimal, needs to be set against the benefit of the service to the people of Dartmouth which, at least in the short term will be lost if this site cannot be used. The sustainability benefits of a central collection point are undoubted, given the remoteness of Dartmouth from the permanent recycling centres at Kingsbridge and Totnes. The applicant has given figures which indicate that the service is popular and is clearly meeting a local need for a collection for this kind of material.
The site is not designated as important in terms of nature conservation however it is close to areas known to contain Cirl Buntings and the rough grassland may provide a foraging area. The County Ecologist has asked for the proposed bunds to be managed in such a way that they provide foraging potential for Cirl Buntings.
The representations raised with relation to the access are based primarily on a concern that the proposed site is more remote from the centre of population than the previous site at Little Cotton. Whilst this is true, it is considered that the access would be adequate to serve this facility and in moving the proposal to the south west of Dartmouth, it may also become more appealing to residents of the nearby village of Stoke Fleming.
9. Reasons for Recommendation/Alternative Options Considered
The Committee has the options of approving, deferring or refusing this planning application. If planning permission were to be refused then the current Sunday skip service would cease in the autumn of 2006, after which time residents would need to take bulky waste to either Kingsbridge or Totnes with the attendant increase in private mileage and Carbon emissions. If the application were to be deferred, it is possible that there would be a break in provisions of this service. The applicant is clear that this site is the only currently suitable and available candidate. It is intended that a temporary consent would enable an assessment to be made of the impact on the AONB and also to search for alternative sites to continue if necessary.
Electoral Division: Dartmouth and Kingswear Edward Chorlton
Local Government (Access to Information) Act 1985 and Local Government Act 1972
List of background Papers
Contact for enquiries: Malcolm West
Tel No: 01392 382867
Background Paper Date File Ref
Casework file Current DCC/2302/2006
sp180806dca sn/sunday skip service 3 hq 220806