APP 05 Application Number: 13/00983/FUL Other Variation of Conditions 8 (Phasing) and 41 (Cessation of Working) attached to Planning Application 09/00282/MIN to allow for the retention of mineral plant site facility to process sand and gravel from the proposed Haversham Road extraction site (as proposed under 13/00138/MIN) and associated delay in final restoration of phase 1 and part of phase 5 until 2018 AT Manor Farm Quarry, Colts Holm Road, Old Wolverton FOR Hanson Quarry Products Europe Ltd Target: 4th July 2013 Ward: Wolverton Parish: Wolverton & Greenleys Town Council Report Author/Case Officer: Mark Turner Contact Details: 01908 252491 [email protected] Heads of Team: Jeremy Lee and Nicola Wheatcroft Contact Details: 01908 252316 [email protected] Contact Details: 01908 252274 [email protected] 1.0 INTRODUCTION (A brief explanation of what the application is about) 1.1 The main section of the report set out below draws together the core issues in relation to the application including policy and other key material considerations. This is supplemented by an appendix which brings together, planning history, additional matters and summaries of consultees’ responses and public representations. Full details of the application, including plans, supplementary documents, consultee responses and public representations are available on the Council’s Public Access system www.milton- keynes.gov.uk/publicaccess. All matters have been taken into account in writing this report and recommendation. 1.2 Update The application was deferred from 3rd October 2013 Development Control Committee to allow for further discussions to take place in respect of associated Minerals application 13/00148/MIN with the Parish Councils who spoke at the meeting regarding pedestrian access around the site and heavy goods vehicles movements associated with the use. An updated report for this application forms part of the current agenda. 1.3 The Site The application site is located to the north of Old Wolverton and is bordered to the north by the River Great Ouse, to the east by the West Coast railway line (including the Grade II Listed Wolverton Viaduct) and to the west by the Grand Union Canal (including the Iron Trunk Aqueduct scheduled ancient monument). To the south of the application site is Old Wolverton scheduled ancient monument and Manor Farmhouse and outbuildings, which are Grade II Listed. To the north of the River Great Ouse is Cosgrove Lodge Caravan Park. The site falls within the River Great Ouse wildlife corridor and is within Flood Risk Zones 2 and 3. 1.4 Land at Manor Farm is identified within the adopted Minerals Plan as a permitted sand and gravel extraction site. The site is owned by The Parks Trust and let to the applicant to carry out sand and gravel extraction. Following the principle objective of the extraction work, the restoration works seek to allow the creation of a floodplain forest. Management of the floodplain forest would pass back to The Parks Trust. 1.5 Details of the location of the site and its relationship to surrounding properties can be seen in the plans attached to this report. 1.6 The Proposal Planning permission is sought for Variations to the existing Mineral Extraction application (planning ref.: 09/00282/MIN) to allow for the temporary importation of sand and gravel for processing and a postponement of five years for the final restoration of former extraction Phase 1 and a small part of extraction Phase 5. 1.7 The current planning application is to be read in conjunction with ref.: 13/00148/MIN for sand and gravel extraction from land off Haversham Road, New Bradwell with restoration to flood plain meadow and open water. 1.8 Within the submitted information accompanying the planning application, it is noted that were the entire site (Phases 1-5) to be restored to flood plain forest, this would eliminate any water generation and storage capacity so that there would be insufficient water to run the wash plant. 1.9 It is therefore Proposed to delay the use as part of the flood plain forest scheme (a relatively small area of Phase 5) to create an isolated water body to act as a temporary water storage pond, the remaining area of the extraction could therefore be enabled to be restored. It is proposed to bund the pond area to isolate it from the surrounding water bodies. The final restoration of the site is proposed to be unvaried from that permitted as part of the approved application ref.: 02/01711/MIN. 1.10 Sand and gravel products leaving the site are proposed to utilise the existing access off Colts Holme Road, limited to 125,000 tonnes per annum. Vehicular movements between the application site and Haversham Road Mineral Site are proposed to be limited to 6 HGV arrival and departures (a total of 12 vehicular movements per hour). 1.11 Hours of operation are proposed to be maintained as existing. Extraction is typically carried out in periods of campaign, and outside of the wettest winter months when souls cannot be extracted and land is prone to flooding. 1.12 Condition 8 of planning permission 09/00282/MIN currently reads: ‘The working and restoration of the site shall be carried out only in accordance with the working program and phasing plans (Plan No. 5a (M96/68a) ‘Phase 3 extraction,’ Plan No. 7a (M96/69a) ‘Phase 2 and 3 extraction,’ Plan No. 8a (M96/64a) ‘Phase 4 extraction’ Plan No. 9 (M96fc/18) ‘Phase 5 extraction,’ Plan No. 10a (M96/19a) ‘Final Soil Movement’ received February 2009), including the seasonal working included in Plan No’s. 5a (M96/68a), 7a (M96/69a) and 9 (M96fc/18).’ It is proposed that this condition be reworded to read: ‘The working and restoration of the site shall be carried out only in accordance with the working program and phasing plans (Plan No. 5a (M96/68a) ‘Phase 3 extraction,’ Plan No. 7a (M96/69a) ‘Phase 2 and 3 extraction,’ Plan No. 8a (M96/64a) ‘Phase 4 extraction’ Plan No. 9 (M96fc/18) ‘Phase 5 extraction,’ Plan No. 10a (M96/19a) ‘Final Soil Movement’ received February 2009), including the seasonal working included in Plan No’s. 5a (M96/68a), 7a (M96/69a), 9 (M96fc/18), M96/102 and M96/103 received May 2013.’ 1.13 Condition 41 of planning permission 09/00282/MIN currently reads: ‘The permission shall be for a period of 8 years from the date of commencement of work on-site, which shall be notified to the Mineral Planning Authority in writing. In the event that no such notification is given within 4-weeks of such commencement, the works shall be deemed to have started on the date of this decision notice. On the expiry of the permission or on the termination of the use of the site, whichever is sooner, full restoration shall be completed in accordance with the conditions.’ It is proposed that this condition be reworded to read: ‘The permission shall be for a period of 5 years from the date of this permission in order to allow the completion of extraction from within the quarry, and the import and processing of mineral extracted from the Haversham Road mineral extraction site only. On the expiry of the permission or on the termination of the use of the site, whichever is sooner, full restoration shall be completed in accordance with the conditions.’ 1.14 Details of the proposal as described above can be seen in the plans appended to this report. 2.0 RELEVANT POLICIES (The most important policy considerations relating to this application) 2.1 National Policy National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), March 2012:: Section 11: Conserving and Enhancing the Natural Environment; Section 12: Conserving and Enhancing the Historic Environment; Section 13: Facilitating the Sustainable Use of Minerals. Technical Guidance to the National Planning Policy Framework, March 2012. National and Regional Guidelines for Aggregates Provision in England, 2005- 2020. 2.2 Local Policy Minerals Local Plan 2001-2011 (saved policies) MLP1: Allocations; MLP2: Area of Search; MLP7: Matters to be Resolved; MLP8: Information Required; MLP9: Restoration and Aftercare; MLP11: Mineral Development in areas of attractive landscape; MLP13: Transport. Core Strategy CS19: The Historic and Natural Environment CS20: Minerals Adopted Milton Keynes Local Plan 2001-2011 (saved policies) S1: General Principles; S10: Open Countryside; D1: Impact of Development Proposals on Locality; D8: Temporary Buildings; HE1: Protection of Archaeological Sites; NE2: Protected Species; NE3: Biodiversity and Geological Enhancement; NE4: Conserving and Enhancing Landscape Character; T10: Traffic. 3.0 MAIN ISSUES (The issues which have the greatest bearing on the decision) 3.1 1. Principle of Extraction of Sand and Gravel; 2. Impact on Landscape and Ecology; 3. Impact on Amenity of Neighbouring Residential Occupiers; 4. Impact on Highway; 5. Acceptability of Proposed delay in Restoration Phase 1 and part of Phase 4.0 RECOMMENDATION (The decision that officers recommend to the Committee) 4.1 It is recommended that planning permission be granted subject to the conditions set out at the end of this report. 5.0 CONSIDERATIONS (An explanation of the main issues that have lead to the officer Recommendation) 5.1 Principle The Manor Farm site is identified in the Milton Keynes Minerals Local Plan (adopted April 2006) in Plan 3 as ‘Permitted Sand and Gravel Extraction, at land at Manor Farm, Wolverton’ and similarly on the proposals map. The site is also within the ‘Sand and gravel deposits - Areas of Search policy MLP2’ designation on the Proposals Map. 5.2 Permission was granted for mineral extraction and the restoration of the site to a floodplain forest in 2004 under 02/01711/MIN.