2. Description of Development The Introduction 2.1 The application seeks detailed consent for a bottling plant totalling 15,060 sq. metres, including 660 sq. metres of offices, ancillary car and cycle parking, together with a new access road off the A6. In addition, the proposals include a heritage visitor centre of 260 sq. metres with an associated heritage trail within the quarry area. 2.2 Access to the site will be from the A6 which will be in full compliance with current Highway Standards and Codes of Practice allowing all vehicles, including HGV’s to enter and exit the site safely. The Application Area 2.3 The red line planning application site extends to a total of 10ha and comprises a large part of the disused Cowdale Quarry together with the adjoining area extending to the A6 across which the new access road is proposed to be constructed. 2.4 The quarry is located approximately 2.0 km east of Buxton Town Centre, bordered by the A6 to the north, the remainder of the quarry to the east and agricultural land beyond the quarry on the remaining boundaries. The groups of dwellings that form Cowdale Village are a short distance to the south east and Staden Business Park is a short distance to the south west. Description of the Physical Characteristics of the Development 2.5 The development will include: a) The Bottling Plant which comprises a total gross floor area of 15,060 m2, with office and welfare facilities in a two storey element containing a total of 660m2 floorspace and the main plant area for production and warehousing at 14,370m2. b) The hard standing and loading areas around the building to accommodate the necessary vehicles for collecting and delivering water from the plant c) The new access road from the A6. d) The Heritage Centre and Heritage Trail. e) The Landscape Proposals including the lagoons. 1 a) Description of the Bottling Plant Offices 2.6 The two storey office and welfare element of the building contains a reception area, locker rooms and canteen on the ground floor. There is a lift to the first floor where there are further office areas and meeting rooms. 2.7 The office / welfare accommodation is accessed from the southern side of the building with separate access for staff and visitors. Bottling Plant 2.8 The main bottling plant comprises two main elements as viewed externally, 1. The production element with an eaves height of 6.3m 2. The warehousing element with an eaves height of 10.5m. 2.9 The production area is laid out to include 3 bottling production lines. The warehousing area is intended to store up to 4 days production. 2.10 The roof profiles have been curved with the intention of creating a softer profile within the landscape. 2.11 The building, being designed at two heights provides the opportunity to locate the higher part of the building behind the ridge that will remain between the existing quarry face and the proposed cutting for the access road. 2.12 The loading bays and parking areas have been positioned to the south of the building, opposite the quarry face with the intention of minimising any potential noise and movement impact. 2.13 The northern face of the building will be set in part behind the existing landscaped promontory and behind new landscaped bunds. 2.14 The proposed buildings have been considered against the context and their purpose and have consequently been designed to utilise local materials where appropriate for example the use of the quarry stone as the main feature to the Heritage Visitor Centre and in boundary treatments around the Bottling Plant. 2 Car Parking and Public Transport 2.15 Car parking provision is made on the basis of the numbers of staff employed and working practices of the facility. A bus service will be provided in order to discourage the use of the private car. 58 spaces including 6 disabled spaces will be provided. 2.16 For the Heritage Centre parking is provided to reflect its potential use as a wider venue for Park related events, and the potential for longer stay parking as visitors walk from the site to explore the area. 40 spaces including 4 disabled spaces will be provided. 2.17 The majority of the main access road into the quarry will be within a significant cutting bounded on both sides by steep rock faces which will, by their very nature, provide a very effective barrier for controlling exactly where vehicles are able to go within the quarry and also the number of vehicles able to park. 2.18 It is proposed that a more detailed Travel Plan will be submitted to the County Highways Authority at least 3 months prior to the occupation of the proposed development incorporating site specific measures, initiatives, time-bound targets and details of the monitoring processes. 2.19 In addition, secure and sheltered cycle stands will also be provided at locations where good natural surveillance is present. The standards indicate a level of 5% of the parking spaces, which would be 6 spaces. With the relationship to nearby longer distance cycle routes it is felt the visitor centre may attract higher numbers and 20 are to be provided. Employment in the Plant 2.20 The proposals will generate around 100 new skilled jobs which include, • 60 operating people (3 shifts of 20) • 12 forklift drivers (3 shifts of 4) • 20 admin staff • 8 management and control 3 b) The Hardstanding and Loading Areas 2.21 There are eight loading bays, 12 parking bays for heavy vehicles and 12 parking bays for trailers. 2.22 The loading bays and parking areas have been positioned to the south of the building, opposite the quarry face to minimise any potential noise and movement impact. 2.23 The hard standing areas are intended to allow for maximum flexibility in delivery vehicles arriving, loading and taking necessary rest periods while avoiding the need to provide more extensive internal warehousing. c) The New Access Road from the A6 2.24 The proposed access road has been designed in conjunction with Derby County Council Highways and incorporates the following: • 7.2m carriageway (two way) • 2.0m verge on the A6 side of the access road • 2.0m footway on the Quarry side of the access road (none needed on the A6 side) • 3.0m catch-fenced safety zone on the quarry side of the footway • Slope cutting gradient in the order of 75 degrees from horizontal. 2.25 The cut slope gradient has been conservatively shown to give the maximum volume of material to be removed for transportation, construction works, highway movements etc. 2.26 The slope was designed-in-principle in accord with the guidance given in BS 6031:1981, the Code of Practice for Earthworks. Details of rock excavation work are provided at Appendix 1 of this Chapter. d) The Heritage Centre and Heritage Trail 2.27 The proposals include a Heritage Visitor Centre and a heritage trail around the quarry. 4 2.28 The Heritage Centre will be 260m2 in area and is intended to encourage leisure use of the heritage trail by providing welfare facilities, café facilities, exhibitions and information on the history of Cowdale Quarry, limestone quarries in the Peak District generally and the bottled water industry. 2.29 The design of the centre is based on the idea of a quarry wall which reflects its surroundings and purpose. The entrance is forced between two limestone walls so the visitor has an immediate reference to their environs and their purpose. The remaining walls are a dark grey render. 2.30 A flat 'brown roof' to the centre again reflects the quarry and enhances the centre’s integration into the landscape. e) The Landscape Proposals including the lagoons 2.31 The landscape proposals include the use of engineering features to provide immediate impact and hence immediate integration of the scheme into its setting, combined with the design of the building as described above, rather than relying on planting that is generally only effective in the medium to long term.The ridge between the quarry face and the cutting for the access road will be retained, and although some of the existing spoil tips will be removed during construction, material will be stored on site and then replaced along the northern edge of the site to protect views from the north. As a result, the amount of material removed from site will be kept to a minimum. 2.32 To reduce short distance views into the quarry from the south and south east, a dry stone wall is proposed around the edge of the quarry on farmland owned by the applicant. 2.33 A significant number of existing trees will be retained and will be supplemented by new woodland planting. This will be part of a framework of vegetation types including wild grassland and wetlands and open water associated with the drainage strategy for the site. As a result, carefully considered landscape structure and species selection and a comprehensive long term management plan, all developed in close consultation with the consultant ecologist and arboriculturalist, will ensure both integration with and enhancement of the existing landscape. 5 2.34 The development will also include the provision of lagoons on site acting as an attenuation feature. However, in addition to the onsite attenuation system a compensation / detention system will also be incorporated as part of the proposals. This will include large scale detention of clean water on site for use as compensation to the River Wye.