Development Management Report

Development Management Report

Committee and date Item South Planning Committee (Bridgnorth) 27th April 2010 6 Development Management Report Application Number: SC/MB2005/0150/BR Parish: Eardington Grid Ref: 371777 - 291557 Proposal: Erection of a building to be used as a Materials Recycling Facility and Transfer Station for non-hazardous waste streams, crushing and screening inert waste outside with associated storage and storage of associated haulage vehicles and skips Site Address: Knowle Sands Industrial Estate Eardington Bridgnorth Applicant: B A Shorthouse Limited Case Officer: Mr Malcolm Bell email: [email protected] 1.0 THE PROPOSAL 1.1 The application is for the construction of a building for material recycling and transfer and the associated development of a skip hire business. It has been held in abeyance whilst the applicants have reassessed the nature and size of the business development proposals, partly in response to the representations/objections to the scheme as originally submitted in 2005. 1.2 During this period B A Shorthouse Ltd engaged new consultants, Wall James Chappell (formerly Wall James & Davies), to assist in the above re-assessment work. On behalf of the company they have submitted amended proposals and supporting measures which reflect more accurately the scope and extent of the recycling/skip hire operations which are intended to serve the local Bridgnorth area. The proposals and measures now contained in the application are described below. 1.3 The application is now made on the basis that the maximum volume of material to be taken into the site would be 5,000 tonnes per annum. The yearly amount of material is therefore a significant reduction from the original 25,000 tonnes per annum as proposed by the previous consultants (Enviroarm) when the application was first submitted. It is stated that the figure of up to 5,000 tonnes per annum is the smallest volume for which a standard environmental permit is available from the Environment Agency under the Environmental Permitting (EP) Regulations which came into force in 2008. The proposed reduced throughput of materials is stated as being more than adequate for the intended business. The company is happy with the current business model and do not Contact Rob Mills (01746) 713132 Page 1 of 39 South Planning Committee (Bridgnorth) : 27th April 2010 propose to expand their fleet of vehicles. This analysis is supported by an analysis of tonnage handled in 2007 which shows that, when the skip service, provided by B A Shorthouse for the Bridgnorth and surrounding area, was taking waste materials to an alternative facility, it was handling approximately 2,000 tonnes per annum. The crushing and separation of rubble and soils, which has been operated by B A Shorthouse under licence from the former Bridgnorth District Council, would also be incorporated in the overall figure of 5,000 tonnes per annum as now proposed. 1.4 In order to undertake the above proposed recycling business it is still proposed to erect a building with a floor area of approximately 500 sq metres and a ridge height of 8 metres. The front portion of the proposed building would be roofed with side walls defining a concrete apron for the receipt of skip vehicles. The rear part of the building would be completely enclosed and secured with roller shutter doors. A weighbridge would be located adjacent to the waste reception area. 1.5 It is proposed to accept only non-hazardous waste from domestic dwellings and industrial and commercial premises. The skip waste would be tipped in the enclosed building. The proposed material recycling operation involves the sorting of waste by manual picking with the recovered materials stored in large skips within the building awaiting transfer to specialist recyclers. Residual wastes which cannot be recycled would then be taken off-site to a permitted landfill site, presently Kingswinford Himley Quarry. 1.6 The recycling facility and skip hire business is intended to primarily serve the local Bridgnorth area. It would not be open to the public. There is a private agreement that would allow some local builders to deliver clean inert material for recycling (an average of three vehicles per week) but this volume would be included in the overall restriction of 5,000 tonnes per annum. 1.7 The proposed recovery of rubble, soil etc would be by the use of crushing/screening equipment operated on a sporadic basis. B A Shorthouse confirm that the screener has been converted from diesel to an electrical power source. This is stated as being a quieter operation and the screener would only operate between 8.00 hours and 17.00 hours, on average for 7 hours per week. A mobile crusher would be brought to the site to crush the accumulated stockpile of inert materials as required. Given the volume of inert materials to be handled at the site it is anticipated that use of the crusher and its presence on site would be limited to 5-6 days per year. 1.8 It is proposed that all site activities would be undertaken between the hours of 8.00 hours and 17.00 hours (Monday to Friday). No operations would be carried out on a Saturday, except that consent is sought for one vehicle to operate for a maximum of five Saturdays per year to accommodate particular customer requirements. 1.9 The amended proposals involving the handling of a maximum of 5,000 tonnes per annum through the Materials Recycling/Waste Transfer Station is accompanied by a specialist noise consultants report which seeks to predict the noise impact of the proposed waste transfer station on surrounding residents. Of the nearby receptors (nearby residents) assessed in relation to Contact Rob Mills (01746) 713132 Page 2 of 39 South Planning Committee (Bridgnorth) : 27th April 2010 the nature and type of site operations, it is stated that the likelihood of complaints was found to be unlikely or, occasionally, a marginal likelihood of complaints. The exception to this is Knowle Sands caravan park which is the closest residential location [the nearest caravan (number 10) is approximately 160 metres away to the south-east]. The Council’s Pollution Team Leader’s consideration of these matters is set out in a subsequent section of this report. 1.10 In relation to highway and traffic issues a highways consultant’s report in support of the amended proposals records only one minor accident on the B4555 for the five year period (2002-2007). This did not occur at the entrance/exit of the Knowle Sands Industrial Estate. Current occupiers of the Knowle Sands Industrial Estate are also identified along with estimates of traffic generation. This shows that B A Shorthouse would only make up a small percentage of the total vehicle movements from this estate. It is noted that B A Shorthouse has 3 skip vehicles with Vehicle Operators Licences (with 2 drivers) which would continue as part of the site’s development. An Operators Licence for 10 vehicles and 10 trailers related to the previous B A Shorthouse use which was described as a haulage yard. It is therefore claimed that there would be no increase in the number of vehicles using the site. 1.11 The business model, which forms the basis of the current application, is that empty skips are taken from the site to the customers (several skips can go out on one vehicle). When filled they will return to Knowle Sands where sorting will take place and subsequently sorted material is recycled according to type. A much smaller proportion therefore ends up as landfill. The planning consultants note that the distance that the skip travels before being able to be sorted is a relevant factor in considering sustainability. It is stated that the location of the yard, and the small scale nature of this business as now proposed, fills a niche in the waste hierarchy that can not be readily filled elsewhere. 1.12 Although B A Shorthouse has another site at Knowle Sands, namely a vehicle repair business with a ground floor workshop and office above, this has no direct links with the proposed waste transfer site. 1.13 With regard to the location of skip hire customers an analysis of the B A Shorthouse customer base in 2007 shows that a significant part of the business is conducted west of the River Severn which therefore does not require vehicles to travel through Low Town. It is stated that without the B A Shorthouse site the unmet demand for skip hire services would potentially be satisfied by other operators from outside the local area but travelling along similar routes. 1.14 In terms of the present layout of the junction of the Knowle Sands estate road and the B4555, the highway consultant recognises that this junction has a satisfactory geometric alignment but in general has sub-standard visibility for emerging drivers to the left. The applicants, however, state that there is better visibility available to a lorry driver. Moreover such lorry traffic is a replacement for the movements of lorries which would already take place if the site was to revert in full to the B A Shorthouse haulage business or a similar transport/industrial use. Contact Rob Mills (01746) 713132 Page 3 of 39 South Planning Committee (Bridgnorth) : 27th April 2010 1.15 The applicants and their consultants have also put forward a number of site controls and detailed measures which are intended to incorporate management measures to reduce the environmental and amenity affects of the proposed development. These would support the controls that would be part of the permit for the site issued by the Environment Agency and include: 1.16 • The proposed building would incorporate plastic curtains at the entrance to the enclosed area of the building to control dust and noise emissions from materials sorting but at the same time avoiding the need for the operation of the roller shutter doors each time a vehicle wishes to enter or leave.

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