Planning Statement

Erection of industrial building Chester Road, Bretton, Chester, CH4 0DH

Howarth Timber and Building Supplies

SEPTEMBER 2020

Mosaic Town Planning Enquiries.: 0161 638 8654 10th Floor [email protected] Chancery Place 50 Brown St. www.mosaictownplanning.com Manchester M2 2JG Prepared by: Andrew Jalali Version: Submission Version Date of Issue: 14th September 2020

Contents

1 Introduction ...... 2 2 The Proposals ...... 3

3 Site and Surroundings ...... 4

4 Planning Policy, Guidance and Evidence Base ...... 5 National Planning Policy ...... 5 Planning Policy – Edition 10 (December 2018) ...... 5 Technical Advice Note (TAN) 15 – Development and Flood Risk (2004) ...... 5 Technical Advice Note (TAN) 23 – Economic Development (2014) ...... 6 Local Planning Policy ...... 6 Unitary Development Plan 2000-2015 (2011) ...... 7 5 Analysis ...... 8 Principle ...... 8 Design and Layout ...... 9 Access and Vehicular Movement ...... 10 Flood Risk ...... 10 6 Conclusions ...... 11

1 Introduction

1.1 This Planning Statement accompanies a full planning application for the erection of an industrial storage building on behalf of Howarth Timber and Building Supplies. The proposal is described in more detail in Section 2.

1.2 This Statement considers the site and its surroundings and summarises the planning policies which are material to the proposal, together with other guidance and evidence which have been taken into account.

1.3 The analysis addresses all of the issues which are considered to be relevant to the determination of the planning application. It concludes that planning permission should be granted, having regard to the development plan and other material considerations.

1.4 This Statement should be read in conjunction with the following documents:

• Site Location Plan (MHA Architects Ref.: 1MO55-MHA-FS-00-DR-A-01-001)

• Proposed Site Plan, Plans, Elevations and Sections (MHA Architects Ref.: 1MO55-MHA-XX-XX- DR-A-00-001)

Howarth Timber and Building Supplies – Broughton Works, Chester Rd, Bretton, Chester, CH4 0DH 2

2 The Proposals

2.1 The application description is as follows:

“Erection of a storage building ancillary to existing operations at Howarth Timber & Building Supplies”

2.2 Howarth Timber and Building Supplies is a chain of timber and builders’ merchants supplying timber, windows, doors and timber engineering products and services. The company supplies to professional tradesmen, construction businesses and self-builders, and is based across 30 branches offering collection or delivery.

2.3 The company has identified an urgent need for the new building to provide additional storage space following continued growth in the demand for timber and building materials. As the company has yet to determine the long-term pattern of this growth and future site development plans, the proposed building provides an immediate and short-term internal storage solution.

2.4 The building will be used for the storage of timber products and building materials prior to delivery or pick-up by customers.

2.5 The storage building will measure 15m length x 15m width with a 6m eaves / 8.7m ridge height. The gross internal floorspace of the building is 225sqm. The building is located to the east of the main Howarth Timber building and builders’ yard and will occupy a small proportion of the yard area.

2.6 The location of the building was chosen such that it makes efficient use of the yard area currently used for the external storage of building supplies. The building will store the same product already on site, protecting supplies from the weather and theft. It will also be located in proximity to the company’s main warehouse, minimising the unnecessary movement of stock. The proposed building will be a detached, freestanding structure that will be secured to the ground using chemical anchor bolts drilled into the existing hardstanding.

2.7 The building will be constructed from a dull silver aluminium frame with galvanised steel connections, a thermo insulated translucent PVC roof and grey single sheet steel cladding. The northern elevation is proposed to include a roller shutter door and personnel door, all of which will be steel clad. The design of the building will ensure a quick delivery and erection, minimising disruption to existing operations.

2.8 Vehicular access is as existing off Chester Road. As the yard area to be occupied by the building is not currently used for car parking or HGV loading, there will be no impact on any existing parking and HGV manoeuvrability arrangements at the site.

Howarth Timber and Building Supplies – Broughton Works, Chester Rd, Bretton, Chester, CH4 0DH 3

3 Site and Surroundings

3.1 The 0.62ha site is an existing industrial site located off Chester Road, adjacent to a number of industrial and office buildings to the north east of the Broughton and Bretton. It is situated off Chester Way (A5104), close to the A55 North Wales Expressway.

3.2 To the north and east is the large-scale Airbus factory occupying Airport and the recently constructed Advanced Manufacturing and Research Institute facility. To the south is the Broughton Retail Park and to the west is additional Airbus facilities and extensive parking for Airbus employees.

3.3 The application site consists of three buildings towards the entrance fronting Chester Road. The builders’ merchant operates out of these buildings, which are primarily used for storage and distribution, with a counter for on-site sales located in the southern most building by the entrance.

3.4 The applicant also owns the adjacent Springfield House, which operates as the site office.

3.5 There is car parking on site for 15 cars and an additional disabled space, all located at the entrance. Parking availability for employees and customers on-site is ample and will not be affected by the proposed building, as the area is already used for storage.

3.6 Bus stops are located adjacent to the site along Chester Road, offering frequent (2 to 4 per hour) services between Chester, Broughton, Holywell and Mold.

3.7 The application site lies entirely within Flood Zone C1 as defined by the development advice map referred to under TAN 15 Development and Flood Risk (July 2004). These are areas of the floodplain which are developed and served by significant infrastructure, including flood defences.

Howarth Timber and Building Supplies – Broughton Works, Chester Rd, Bretton, Chester, CH4 0DH 4

4 Planning Policy, Guidance and Evidence Base National Planning Policy

Planning Policy Wales – Edition 10 (December 2018) 4.1 One of the key planning principles of this document is to grow the economy in a sustainable manner. On achieving the right development in the right places this principle states:

“The planning system should enable development which contributes to long term economic well-being, making the best use of existing infrastructure and planning for new supporting infrastructure and services.

Communities, national and local government, businesses, and the third sector must work together to take a long term view, integrating and aligning priorities through greater collaboration to achieve sustainable economic benefits for all in line with the well-being goals.”

4.2 Chapter 5 of this document, for Productive and Enterprising Places, states that the planning system should “…should ensure that the growth of output and employment in Wales as a whole is not constrained by a shortage of land for economic uses.” (Parag. 5.4.1)

4.3 In steering development to the most appropriate locations, Local Planning Authorities should aim to “support national, regional, and local economic policies and strategies;” and “promote the re-use of previously developed, vacant and underused land” (Parag. 5.4.13).

Technical Advice Note (TAN) 15 – Development and Flood Risk (2004) 4.4 Paragraph 6.1 states that “Much urban development in Wales has taken place alongside rivers and in the coastal plain. It is therefore inevitable, despite the overall aim to avoid flood risk areas, that some existing development will be vulnerable to flooding and fall within zone C. Some flexibility is necessary to enable the risks of flooding to be addressed whilst recognising the negative economic and social consequences if policy were to preclude investment in existing urban areas and the benefits of reusing previously developed land. Further development in such areas, whilst possibly benefiting from some protection, will not be free from risk and could in some cases exacerbate the consequences of a flood event for existing development and therefore a balanced judgement is required.”

4.5 Paragraph 6.2 states that “New development should be directed away from zone C and towards suitable land in zone A, otherwise to zone B, where river or coastal flooding will be less of an issue. In zone C the tests outlined in sections 6 and 7 will be applied, recognising, however, that highly vulnerable development and Emergency Services in zone C2 should not be permitted. All other

Howarth Timber and Building Supplies – Broughton Works, Chester Rd, Bretton, Chester, CH4 0DH 5

new development should only be permitted within zones C1 and C2 if determined by the planning authority to be justified in that location. Development, including transport infrastructure, will only be justified if it can be demonstrated that:-

Its location in zone C is necessary to assist, or be part of, a local authority regeneration initiative or a local authority strategy required to sustain an existing settlement; or,

Its location in zone C is necessary to contribute to key employment objectives supported by the local authority, and other key partners, to sustain an existing settlement or region; and,

It concurs with the aims of PPW and meets the definition of previously developed land (PPW fig 2.1); and,

The potential consequences of a flooding event for the particular type of development have been considered”

Technical Advice Note (TAN) 23 – Economic Development (2014) 4.6 Paragraph 2.1.7 recognises that “some existing firms may not be able to grow unless they are allowed to expand on their existing site, or close to it.”

4.7 Paragraph 4.6.7 reiterates the importance of retaining employment sites for commercial uses, stating that “Certain industrial and related uses may conflict with other uses, especially housing. To operate effectively, these activities usually need dedicated industrial areas, where they can be confident that they will not be a bad neighbour to anyone. In managing the retention and release of existing employment sites authorities should aim to ensure that the integrity of remaining employment sites is not compromised.”

Local Planning Policy

4.8 The development plan for the site consists of the Flintshire Unitary Development Plan 2000-2015 (FUDP), adopted 28th September 2011.

4.9 The application site is located outside of a settlement boundary and is undesignated in the Local Development Plan. An extract of the map is illustrated below:

Howarth Timber and Building Supplies – Broughton Works, Chester Rd, Bretton, Chester, CH4 0DH 6

Flintshire County Council Unitary Development Plan 2000-2015 Proposals Map Extract

4.10 The following general policies are of relevance to the proposals:

Flintshire Unitary Development Plan 2000-2015 (2011)

• Policy STR1 – New Development

• Policy STR3 e) – Employment: “The Plan will facilitate a diverse and sustainable economy through: …e) appropriate expansion of existing firms and businesses.”

• Policy GEN1 – General Requirements for Development

• Policy D1 – Design Quality, Location and Layout:

“All development must incorporate good standards of design. Development will be permitted only if:

a) it respects the scale of surrounding development, its location, siting, and layout make the best use of land, minimise the need to travel, and provide a safe and attractive environment;…”

• Policy D2 – Design

• Policy AC13 – Access and Traffic Impact.

• Policy EWP17 – Flood Risk:

“Other development within areas at risk of flooding will only be permitted where the Council considers that the development is justified and is satisfied that:

… it would not increase the risk of flooding elsewhere;…”

Howarth Timber and Building Supplies – Broughton Works, Chester Rd, Bretton, Chester, CH4 0DH 7

5 Analysis Principle

5.1 Under Section 38(6) of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 and section 70(2) of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990, the application should be determined in accordance with the development plan unless material considerations indicate otherwise. In this case, the development plan comprises the Flintshire County Council Unitary Development Plan 2000-2015.

5.2 The proposal is for a storage building on an existing commercial brownfield site. Policy STR3 promotes the expansion of existing firms and businesses and the building will help to meet this objective by providing additional storage floorspace. It will utilise an area of the business’s site already occupied by externally stored timber and building products and will provide the opportunity to store greater levels of stock protected from the weather and theft. The building will also support vertical racking and storage, thereby providing greater efficiencies with the use of the land.

5.3 The proposed storage use is ancillary to existing Howarth Timber and Building Supplies operations, where there is growing demand from customers for timber and other building materials. The building will therefore support the continued and rapid expansion of a local business and the efficient use of an existing commercial site. The nature and design of the building will provide sufficient storage floorspace and an opportunity for the business to evaluate sales patterns and potential longer term site development plans.

5.4 The principle of the proposed building for use as additional storage space is therefore acceptable.

5.5 National Planning Policy Wales recognises the need for local planning authorities to “adopt a positive and constructive approach to applications for economic development.” (parag. 7.6.1)

5.6 The proposed use is entirely appropriate to its surroundings and will allow a local business to continue to operate efficiently and meet the demands of its customers. For the reasons outlined above, we believe the proposals are acceptable in principle and should be supported by the local planning authority.

Howarth Timber and Building Supplies – Broughton Works, Chester Rd, Bretton, Chester, CH4 0DH 8

Design and Layout

5.7 The siting of the building was chosen as it ensures the best use of underutilised brownfield land. It is located next to the existing warehouse buildings on land currently used for open storage. The building allows for the protection of building materials during storage.

5.8 The external dimensions of the structure is as follows:

• 15.3m length x 15.2m width x 6m eaves / 8.7m ridge

5.9 The gross external floor space of the building is 234.74 sqm and is therefore subordinate to the surrounding warehousing buildings.

Illustrative mock-up of the proposed storage building

5.10 The building is constructed from a dull silver aluminium frame, manufactured from high-grade 4 channel aluminium extrusions with galvanised steel connections. The walls are constructed from a single-skin galvanised steel cladding in goosewing grey (RAL 9016). The roller shutter (4m height x 4.6 m width) and personnel doors (2.1m height x 1.06m width) are steel clad. The roof is constructed from a translucent thermo PVC coated polyester flame-retardant fabric in a translucent white (RAL 080 70 05)

5.11 The design of the building will allow for quick delivery and erection, ensuring minimal disruption to existing operations and enabling the business to expand quickly and in the short term. The site is located in an industrial area and is surrounded to the north, east and west by the large-scale Airbus factory consisting primarily of large grey steel warehouses. The proposed design and materials for

Howarth Timber and Building Supplies – Broughton Works, Chester Rd, Bretton, Chester, CH4 0DH 9

the building are therefore suitable and reflect the local area, meeting the design requirements of UDP Policies D1 and D2.

Access and Vehicular Movement

5.12 Vehicular access to the building remains as existing, off Chester Road. The proposed building location currently consists of yard area used solely for external storage; parking levels and manoeuvrability are therefore unaffected by the building.

5.13 The building has been designed to provide sufficient and safe employee access and the movement of stock via the roller shutter and personnel doors on the northern elevation.

Flood Risk

5.14 The site is located within Flood Zone C1, however the proposed development falls under the classification of ‘less vulnerable development’ as defined by Figure 2 in Chapter 5 of TAN15. It is therefore an acceptable form of development within Flood Zone C1.

5.15 It is not the intention of TAN15 to constrain development of previously developed land in urban areas, and it states that flexibility will be necessary to recognise the economic and social impact of precluding investment in such locations.

Howarth Timber and Building Supplies – Broughton Works, Chester Rd, Bretton, Chester, CH4 0DH 10

6 Conclusions

6.1 This Statement has demonstrated that the proposals should be approved having regard to national and local planning policy, together with other material considerations.

6.2 National guidance encourages local planning authorities to support economic and employment growth. The proposed development site is characterised by employment uses and is surrounded by large scale industrial development.

6.3 Flintshire UDP Policies STR1 and STR3 support the expansion of existing firms and businesses. The building will be used for the storage of timber and building products to be distributed to, or picked up by, a wide array of customers. The proposed building is therefore acceptable in principle.

6.4 We have demonstrated that the proposals meet the sustainable objectives as set out in National Planning Policy Wales. The development will support the growth of a local business, secure local jobs and ensure the efficient use of previously developed land in an accessible location. The appearance of the building is acceptable and reflects the design of nearby buildings in the area. It will provide an interim storage solution whilst the company considers the longevity of growing customer demand, and potential options for long-term development of the site.

6.5 While it is located within a Flood Zone C1 area, the building affects only a limited area, will be secured to an existing concrete hardstanding and the proposed storage use is of ‘low vulnerability’ to flooding.

6.6 This statement has demonstrated that the proposal is an appropriate use and complies with relevant planning policy guidance; the proposed building would allow Howarth Timber and Building Supplies to expand its existing operations to meet the growing needs of its customers and there is therefore a compelling case for the granting of permission without delay.

Howarth Timber and Building Supplies – Broughton Works, Chester Rd, Bretton, Chester, CH4 0DH 11

Howarth Timber and Building Supplies – Broughtonwww.mosaictownplanning.com Works, Chester Rd, Bretton, Chester,© Mosaic CH4 Town0DH Planning12 Ltd.