Application Number 07/2008/0405/REM

Address BAE Samlesbury Aerodrome Whalley Road Samlesbury BB2 7LB

Applicant BAE Systems (Operations) Ltd

Agent GVA Grimley 81 Fountain Street Manchester M2 2EE

Development Reserved Matters Application for erection of industrial building with ancillary office accommodation with associated internal access road and parking area Approval Officer Recommendation

Recommended Conditions:

1. The development hereby approved shall be begun either before the expiration of 3 years from the date of the outline planning permission, or before the expiration of 2 years from the date of the permission herein. REASON: To comply with the requirements of Section 92 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990.

2. That no work shall be commenced until satisfactory details of the colour and texture of the facing and roofing materials to be used have been submitted to and approved by the Local Planning Authority. REASON: To ensure the satisfactory detailed appearance of the development in accordance with Quality of Development Policy QD1 in the South Ribble Local Plan.

3. That the building hereby approved shall not be brought into use until, the parking and servicing areas indicated on approved drawing titled, ‘610 Landscaping Layout’, have been surfaced and marked out in accordance with the approved details and the cycle store building constructed in accordance with the approved details.The parking and service areas and the cycle storage building shall be retained thereafter for their respective purposes. REASON: To ensure the provision and retention of adequate vehicle/cycle parking facilities and service areas in accordance with policies QD1 and T10 of the South Ribble Local Plan.

APPLICATION SITE AND SURROUNDING AREA

The application site comprises the BAe systems (operations) Ltd site at Samlesbury. The overall site is 143 hectares in area. The greater part of the site abuts Whalley Road (A59) to the north and extends in an easterly direction to meet the outskirts of village and also abuts Preston New Road to the south. The Borough boundary between South Ribble and crosses the site in an approximately east to west direction, the greater part of the operational part of the site falls within Ribble Valley. 1 The majority of the built development on the site is to the north-east and north-west, the southern part is open grassland with areas of runway within it. The topography is generally flat and the surrounding area is defined as open countryside.

SITE HISTORY

The site is long established in its current use for aerospace operations and the historical applications are in connection with that use. Most relevant to this application is a permission in 2007, reference 07/2006/0824/OUT, which authorised development comprising the expansion of the existing aerospace manufacturing and engineering facility to include additional industrial, office and ancillary space with associated access, car parking and surface water attenuation. The permission approved details of access for the development as a whole and siting in respect of part of the proposed first phase of development.

The Outline permitted new floorspace comprising the following:

- Industrial 57,884 square metres - Office 39,048 square metres - Ancillary 2,916 square metres

(Ancllary related to reception, crèche, and restaurant)

The following access details were agreed:

- A new main entrance on the A59 to the east of the existing entrance, which feeds a section of dual carriageway within the site up to an inner roundabout. - Retention of the existing East Gate , 3A, which gains access to Myerscough Smithy Road at the point where it becomes a dead end. - Closure of the current main gate on the A59, except for access to the Bae Social Club. - Closure of the Stoopey Lane Gate, except for emergency use.

The permission was conditional upon the applicants entering into a Section 106 Agreement which they duly did to secure a traffic calming contribution; the regulation of construction traffic; and a Travel Plan.

Subsequently to the above Ribble Valley Borough Council permitted buildings 608/609 as Reserved Matters in June 2007 and earlier this year this Authority approved the Reserved Matters in respect of all outstanding details relating to internal infrastructure, comprising an internal ring road; cycleway/footway; traffic calming measures and indicative bus stops which are intended to serve the building the subject of this application.

PROPOSAL

The application is submitted pursuant to conditions 1 and 2 of the Outline Permission 07/2006/0824/OUT and seeks Reserved Matters approval for details relating to development comprising the 610 building, with associated infrastructure, car parking and shared footway/cycleway. The application overlaps and replicates some sections of road infrastructure as featured within the reserved matters application recently approved.

The proposed 610 building is located close to the centre of the site to the east of the existing building 430. The site runs parallel to, and partially straddles disused runway 18, the site is bounded to the south by disused runway 25.

The building consists of two floors with a ground floor area of 7,499sqm with maximum external dimensions of 132m long x 65m wide, with a maximum height of 13m. The design of

2 the building will continue the design philosophy of the site, comprising a ‘bund’ brickwork to the base with composite cladding panels above up to eaves level on the North and South elevations. The roof will be constructed of a Kalzip standing seam roof, which will have radiused eaves and continue as the cladding material to the East and West elevations.

Internally the development will principally comprise new industrial accommodation, housing a machine hall along with ancillary space and office accommodation. Plant machinery will be housed within two purpose built mezzanine sections within the building. The service yard and waste storage areas are situated adjacent to the eastern elevation.

A cycle storage area and smoking shelter are proposed to the north-west of the building fronting onto the access road.

Access to the proposed building will be via the proposed link from the existing east-west road to the north of the site. The proposed road will follow the route of the existing taxiway running south towards the main runway, terminating to the south of the proposed building with a turning head of a size to accommodate a heavy goods vehicle.

An additional length of road will run along the northern and western side of the building providing access to the main buildings entrance. A combined footway cycleway will be provided on one side of the road providing a pedestrian & cycle link between the existing site and the new area of development.

Surrounding road infrastructure loops around the proposed 610 building before connecting with the existing east/west site road to the north. The roadway is complemented with a shared footway/cycleway which are included in compliance with ‘green travel’ provisions of the Section 106 Agreement for planning permission 07/2006/0824/OUT.

A total of 340 car parking spaces are included as part of the proposal. Parking is provided through the extension to a previously approved parking area which is to be delivered under reserved matters planning permission 3/2007/0483, approved by Ribble Valley Borough Council for buildings 608/609. The quantum of parking provided as part of the proposed scheme includes 40 no. of displaced car parking spaces. Having regard to the number of displaced spaces and the floorspace proposed, the proposal would allow for 335 car parking spaces in accordance with the Joint Lancashire Structure Plan and condition 11 of the 2007 Outline permission.

The applicants advise that hard and soft landscaping measures are proposed throughout the site that are intended to compliment the entrance point to the 610 building and provide an attractive setting for the proposed car parking and road infrastructure.

REPRESENTATIONS

No representations have been received.

CONSULTATION REPLIES

Ribble Valley Borough Council confirm that they have no objections

MATERIAL CONSIDERATIONS

Principle of Development

The principle of development on the site has been established with the grant of Outline Consent for comprehensive development which accorded with Policy EMP8 of the South Ribble Local Plan ‘Land at Samlesbury Aerodrome’ which specifies that “development of the land within the limits of the complex at Samlesbury Aerodrome will be

3 permitted in connection with the company’s Aerospace Division activities”. A footprint of a building was shown in the position now sought, on the overall masterplan which was the subject of the Outline Consent and therefore accepted in principle

Landscape/ Visual Impact

The areas into which the building will be sited are partially runway/hardsurfacing and partially grassland. The implications of developing into the grassland were fully considered at the Outline stage when conditions were imposed requiring ecological surveys, mitigation measures etc to be carried out and the requirements of these conditions remain in place. A considerable amount of work has however been carried out in this regard.

The building is set within the context of the existing and proposed approved development on the site, it is considered therefore any additional visual impact when viewing from externally to the site will not be unduly significant in the context of the overall site. It therefore accords with the provisions of Policy QD1 Design Criteria for New Development

Highways/ Access

The application building is set within the site and therefore it is only the highway/access immediately associated with the building that forms part of this application. In the wider context however the access details proposed accord with the access details into the site that were approved at the Outline approval.

Other Matters

20 Conditions were imposed on the Outline Consent in relation to the phasing of the development; highway and access matters; the requirement to construct the internal estate roads up to at least base course level before the building with which it is associated is brought into use; surface water run-off regulation; landscaping and ecology. It is therefore considered that it is not necessary to impose any further conditions other than the standard time conditions and to retain control over the material used to construct the building

Summary

In summary the proposal represents one element of the significant commitment by Bae Systems to the development of the British Aerospace site at Samlesbury that was permitted with the Outline Consent in 2007. The proposal will not have a significant detrimental impact on nearby residential amenity , nor will it have an adverse visual impact on the surrounding area, nor will it be detrimental to highway safety in that it accords with the wider agreed details/measures. Consequently, the proposal is considered to be acceptable, in accordance with Policies EMP8 and related policies in the South Ribble Local Plan and it is therefore recommended for approval.

RELEVANT POLICY

EMP8 Land at Samlesbury Aerodrome

QD1 Design Criteria for New Development

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