Planning Committee 24th November 2020 APPLICATION NUMBER: P/2017/0254/OUP PROPOSAL: Outline Planning application with all matters other than access reserved for the development of the site for up to 167,225 square metres of B8/B2 (up to 20% B2 floor space), ancillary office and associated site facilities floor space, car parking, landscaping, site profiling, transport, drainage and utilities infrastructure. LOCATION: Land to the North East of the A580 East Lancashire Road / A49 Lodge Lane, Haydock WARD: Haydock Ward APPLICANT: Peel Investments (North) Ltd CASE OFFICER: Melanie Hale RECOMMENDATION: See section 9 1. BACKGROUND 1.1 This application was submitted and made valid on the 21st March 2017. Agreements were reached with the applicant on a timescale for determination up until the 21st June 2020, where time extensions were requested and agreed. The time taken to deal with the application to this point was due to a number of issues, but primarily over the adequacy of the transport assessment. However, the applicant notified the Council of the intention to submit an appeal on the grounds of non-determination of the application on the 3rd July 2020 (see letter attached). The Council was notified of the start date of the appeal by the Planning Inspectorate on the 11th August 2020. 1.2 At the time of the appeal, the applicant had recently submitted a substantial amount of information, revising the Environmental Statement, the parameter plan, green infrastructure mitigation plan and had provided updates to a significant number of the documents. The submission was the subject of consultation and publicity by the Council. Not all of the technical consultee responses were received at the time of the appeal, as in part, it was during the height of lockdown. Your officers do not accept that the application could have been determined more quickly. This position is accepted by the applicant. Correspondence from the applicant to the Council at the time acknowledged the efforts of officers in dealing with the application but that an appeal on grounds of non-determination was made so that the proposals could be considered at the same time as other schemes currently before the Secretary of State. 1.3 Members will recall that the planning committee resolved to grant planning permission for Parkside Phase One and Parkside Link Road at the meeting held on the 17th December 2019. The applications were subsequently recovered for determination by the Secretary of State. A public inquiry is to be held early next year. The appeal on non-determination of this scheme has also been recovered by the Secretary of State and will be considered alongside the Parkside proposals in P/2017/0254/OUP Planning Committee 24th November 2020 addition to developments in Wigan and Bolton. A public inquiry is scheduled to be held in February 2021. 1.4 The Council has to determine the position it will take at the appeal and consider what decision would have been reached had the Council remained as the determining authority. This report sets out the relevant considerations and makes a recommendation within this context. 2 APPLICATION SITE 2.1 The application site is commonly referred to as Haydock Point. It is 42.3 hectares (ha), irregular in shape and used for arable farmland. It is in the Green Belt. The site is relatively flat and open. An overhead electricity line runs through the centre alongside a watercourse. The existing access into the site is from the A49, in the form of a single width hardcore track. 2.2 The watercourse runs east-west and divides the site into two areas. The southern area adjoins the A49 Lodge Lane and runs parallel with the M6. An area of arable farmland separates the northern area of the site from the A49 by around 400m. 2.3 Haydock Park Racecourse lies to the north of the site where a tree band/woodland separates the two. The residential street, Haydock Park Gardens and a hotel are located around 300m and 190m respectively to the north east of the site. A tree band/woodland lies in between. 2.4 A woodland and an area of arable land lie to the east of the site. The southern boundary adjoins the A580 East Lancashire Road. The M6 Junction 23 ‘Haydock Island’ is located to the south east of the site. Beyond the A580 to the south lies an area of farmland and a brain injuries rehabilitation centre. 3. PROPOSAL 3.1 This application seeks outline planning permission with all matters other than access reserved for the development of the site for up to 167,225 square metres of employment floor space within use classes B8 and B2 (up to 20% B2) with ancillary office and associated site facilities, car parking, landscaping, site profiling, transport, drainage and utilities infrastructure. 3.2 Access would be taken direct from the A580 by introducing a three-way signalised junction approximately 550m to the east of Haydock Island. The A580 would be modified to introduce dedicated left and right turn lanes on the eastbound and westbound carriageways respectively. Access is also proposed onto the A49 Lodge Lane approximately 300m north of Haydock Island. Access would be via a three- armed roundabout. The section of the A49 between the proposed site access roundabout and Haydock Island would be stopped up in a southbound direction preventing access to junction 23 helping to facilitate a future improvement scheme. 3.3 The parameter plans show details of a newly created road, footway and cycleway within the site. The proposal is for the site spine road to provide a route for a P/2017/0254/OUP Planning Committee 24th November 2020 realigned northern arm of the A49 through the application site, via the two new junctions, to provide unhindered access between the A49 and the A580 thus delivering an operational improvement to J23 for all road users. An area of safeguarded land for the realignment of the A49 along the site spine road is also shown, to be dedicated to the Council to enable unhindered delivery of the scheme. 3.4 The parameters plan divides the site into two development parcels, north and south, divided by the central watercourse. Vertical no build zones are shown to be located adjacent to the development parcels and a landscape buffer zone runs around the periphery of the site. The parameters plan set out that the maximum floor space of the development would be 167,225 square metres with a maximum building height of 21.5 metres to the ridge or 60.15 above ordnance datum (AOD). 3.5 At the outline stage, the applicant must demonstrate (in principle) how the site could be developed acceptably. Two illustrative masterplans show how the site could be developed as per the parameters plan should planning permission be granted. Both plans show how the maximum floor space could be provided across 3 units as follows. Illustrative Masterplan Option 1: Unit No Floor Area (square metres) Total Floor Space (square metres) 1 83,909 87,172 2 33,008 40,026 3 33,008 40,026 Illustrative Masterplan Option 2: Unit No Floor Area (square metres) Total Floor Space (square metres) 1 83,909 87,172 2 23,383 30,181 3 22,298 29,096 3.6 The main difference between the plans is that units 2 and 3 have a smaller footprint in option 2, where the layout shows a cross docked arrangement (access for HGV’s on both northern and southern elevations of the proposed buildings). 3.7 The parameters plan shows a landscape zone located around the perimeter of the site. It would have a minimum depth of 15 metres of woodland planting on the northern, eastern and western boundaries using at least 95% native species, as well as grassland meadow, scrub and reed beds elsewhere. An ecology corridor would be located through the centre of the site around the watercourse. This is reflected in a Green Infrastructure Mitigation Plan. Should planning permission be granted a condition to ensure that development is carried out in accordance with the parameters plans will need to be attached, to ensure that what has been assessed is secured in any consent. P/2017/0254/OUP Planning Committee 24th November 2020 3.8 The proposals include a new 3 metre footway/cycleway along the northern side of the A580. This will connect the existing cycle lane at Haydock Island to the A580 site access junction. Controlled crossing facilities are proposed at the A580 site access and will provide a link to the southern side of the A580 where there is an existing footway. 3.9 The application also proposes site re-profiling works on a balanced cut and fill basis to form site levels necessary for the development of the buildings and their associated infrastructure. Around 250,000 cubic metres of material would be re- profiled. Application History, Supporting Information & Documentation 3.10 As stated above, the application was submitted in March 2017. The proposal comes under schedule 2 development under the Town and Country Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment) Regulations 2011 (as amended) and an Environmental Statement (ES) accompanied the application. 3.11 Further information and an addendum to the ES was submitted in January 2018. A further substantial submission was put forward in June 2020, including a second addendum to the ES. The application is accompanied by the following information: • Updated parameter plans and 2 illustrative masterplans • Updated site access plans • Planning Statement (updated) • Alternative Sites Assessment (updated) • Economic Statement (updated) • Environmental Statement including non-technical summary, main report, technical appendices and figures/plans • Environmental Statement Assessment Addendum (including the above) • Environmental Statement Addendum 2 (including the above) • Sustainability and Energy Statement (updated) • Design & Access Statement (updated) • Agricultural Land Classification and Soil Resources Report • Statement of Community Engagement Planning Statement Strategic Policy Drivers Update & Growth Ambition for the Liverpool City Region 3.12 The applicant states that there are a number of policy drivers that reflect the growing support for the expansion of the logistics centre.