Item Subject of a Site Visit
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ITEM SUBJECT OF A SITE VISIT Item No: a2 Application Ref. 19/00866/VOC Application Type Variation of Condition Site Address Land At Sunny Nook Farm, Blyth Road, Harworth. Proposal Vary Conditions 3, 4, 9, 10, 12 and 13 of P.A. 15/00971/OUT To Refer to Updated Application Drawing Package, Including Revised Parameter Plan, Illustrative Masterplan and Site Access Plans - Outline planning Application for an Employment Park Comprising of up to 235,000m² of B1(c), B2 and B8 Uses and Ancillary Development (EIA Development) Case Officer Dylan Jones Recommendation LGL - Grant - Subject to a Legal Agreement Web Link: Link to Planning Documents THE APPLICATION SITE CONTEXT The application site is approximately 81 hectares of predominantly agricultural land located 1.5 km to the south of Harworth Bircotes and 0.5 km north of junction 34 of the A1(M). The site is bounded by existing industrial land and Snape Lane to the north, the A614 Bawtry Road, isolated residential properties, Serlby Hall and associated parkland and agricultural land to the east, Blyth Road and the former colliery to the west and residential development beyond the southern boundary. The overall shape of the site is triangular and the site slopes from north to south and undulates over a number of field areas. There are no public rights of way across the site. Two buildings associated with Steer Bank Farm are located within the application site. PROPOSAL The original scheme as approved Outline planning permission was granted on the 14th March 2017 for the erection of an employment park comprising of up to 235,000m² of B1, B2 and B8 uses on this site. The development as approved included two new points of access into the site, forming a new link road between Blyth Road and Bawtry Road. A T-junction was approved to be created on Blyth Road and a new roundabout access on Bawtry Road. A minor junction onto Snape Lane in the north was also approved. The indicative layout for the site as approved is as follows: The approved indicative layout plan above shows that the units on site will be as follows: Plot Unit use Unit floor space in m² No. 1 B8 86,975 2 B2/B8 5,550 3 A1, A3, C1 or D1 or B1(c), B2 or B8 1.13ha 4 B2/B8 2797 5 B2/B8 2797 6 B2/B8 8141 7 B2/B8 8671 8 B2/B8 6428 9 B2/B8 5271 10 B2/B8 3625 11 B2/B8 11840 12 B2/B8 2708 13 B2/B8 3717 14 B2/B8 2339 15 B2/B8 14355 16 B2/B8 4226 17 B2/B8 2793 18 B2/B8 26067 19 B2/B8 9379 20 Starter units 1120 21 B2/B8 3609 22 B2/B8 3769 Total 220,677 The approved building heights parameters plan provided indicative details of the maximum proposed height of buildings on the site. The B1 uses were to be smaller in scale and up to 8m in height to the eaves. The B2 general industrial and B8 storage and distribution uses would be of a larger scale and up to 25m in height to the eaves. The Gateway site would be up to 9m in height. The approved illustrative masterplan shows an east/west highway link through the site and an access link to the north onto Snape Lane with an area of development north of Snape Lane. The plan shows a new secondary junction onto Snape Lane and associated highway improvements include localised widening to the carriageway. The Blyth Road upgrades include a new junction and associated highway improvements whilst the Bawtry Road upgrades include a new roundabout and associated highway improvements. This application was accompanied by an Environmental Statement as required under the Environmental Impact Assessment regulations. Outline planning permission was granted on 14 March 2017 with a requirement to submit the reserved matters details to the Council within 10 years from the date of approval as opposed to the usual 3 years. Therefore, this permission is still valid up until 14 March 2027. Current application – The changes that are proposed In this application the applicant is seeking to vary conditions 3, 4, 9, 10, 12 and 13 of planning permission 15/00971/OUT as referred to above (a copy of the decision notice is appended at the end of the report) so that any new permission that is granted would refer to an updated application drawing package, including revised parameter plan, illustrative masterplan and site access plans. The applicant is still seeking outline planning permission for the same employment park comprising of up to 235,000m² of B1, B2 and B8 uses and ancillary development as previously approved. The purpose of this application is to seek permission for a different site layout with a smaller number of larger buildings on it over that previously approved. This application is accompanied by an amended Environmental Statement as required under the Environmental Impact Assessment regulations. The new indicative layout proposed as part of this application is as follows: The applicant is now proposing to reduce the amount of units previously approved to four larger units and a 5th smaller unit and the link road which runs east/west through the approved scheme has been deleted. Units 1 and 2 will now be accessed from a new road junction onto Bawtry Road (A614), units 3 and 4 from a new junction off Blyth Road and unit 5 from Snape Lane as previously approved. The proposed indicative layout plan above shows that the units on site will be as follows: Plot Proposed Unit floor Height up Height of the Parking spaces No. unit use space in m² to ridge buildings in m level in m above AOD level 1 B2/B8 41,802 38.5 21.5 360 2 B2/B8 74,323 38.5 21.5 630 3 B2/B8 65,032 50.950 21.5 550 4 B2/B8 37,161 50.950 21.5 330 5 B2/B8 9,290 42.0 13.65 80 Total 227,613 1960 The applicant has indicated in his supporting statement that the purpose of altering the layout of the site is to provide a smaller number of larger units where the type of end use is not restricted so that they can meet market demand which currently requires larger units rather than a number of smaller units as previously approved. Also, it should be noted that B1 uses are no longer proposed on site with this scheme being exclusively B2 (General Industrial) and B8 (Storage and Distribution). DEVELOPMENT PLAN AND OTHER MATERIAL CONSIDERATIONS Having regard to Section 54A of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990, the main policy considerations are as follows: NATIONAL PLANNING POLICY FRAMEWORK The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) sets out the Government’s approach for the planning system and how these are expected to be applied. Paragraph 8 explains that there are three dimensions to sustainable development: economic, social and environmental. These dimensions give rise to the need for the planning system to perform an economic, social and environmental role. Paragraph 11 explains that at the heart of the National Planning Policy Framework is a presumption in favour of sustainable development. For decision-taking this means approving development proposals that accord with an up to date development plan without delay; and where there are no relevant development plan policies, or the policies which are most important for determining the application are out-of-date, permission shall be granted unless: i. The application of policies in this Framework that protect areas or assets of particular importance provides a clear reason for refusing the development proposed6; or ii. Any adverse impacts of doing so would significantly and demonstrably outweigh the benefits, when assessed against the policies in this Framework taken as a whole. The following paragraphs of the framework are applicable to this development: Para 7 – Achieving sustainable development Para 8 – Three strands to sustainable development Para 10 – Presumption in favour of sustainable development Para 11 – Decision making Para 12 – Development plan as the starting point for decision making. Para 33 – Strategic policies in development plans should be reviewed every 5 years. Para 38 – Decision making should be done in a positive way. Para 54 – Consideration of making unacceptable development acceptable with the use of planning conditions. Para 55 – Planning conditions to be kept to a minimum and to meet the tests. Para 56 – Planning obligations Para 80 – Significant weight should be placed on the need to support economic growth and productivity. Para 82 – Planning decisions should recognise and address the specific locational requirements of different sectors such as that for storage and distribution operations at a variety of scales and in suitable accessible locations. Para 83 – Sustainable growth and expansion of all types of businesses in rural areas. Para 84 – Planning decisions should recognise that sites to meet local business needs may be found adjacent to or beyond existing settlements. Para 108 – Highway safety. Para 111 – Travel plan Para 117 – Making effective use of land Para 124 – Good design is a key aspect of sustainable development. Para 127 – Development should reflect local characteristics. Para 130 – Poor design should be refused permission. Para 155 – Inappropriate development at risk of flooding should be avoided by directing development to parcels of land at less risk of flooding. Para 163 – New development must not increase the risk of flooding elsewhere. Para 170 - Decisions should contribute to protecting and enhancing the natural and local environment. Para 178 – Planning and pollution Para 190 – Assessing the significance of a heritage asset Para 193 – Great weight given to the protection of the setting of a heritage asset.