planning report D&P/2507a/01 12 September 2013 Plot 5 London Sustainable Industries Park, North Choats Road, Dagenham Dock in the London Borough of Barking & Dagenham planning application no.13/00649/FUL Strategic planning application stage 1 referral Town & Country Planning Act 1990 (as amended); Greater London Authority Acts 1999 and 2007; Town & Country Planning (Mayor of London) Order 2008 The proposal Erection of anaerobic digestion plant involving processing of food waste and production of gas and agricultural digestate, an animal bi-products transfer station, ancillary equipment and two storey office/amenity block. The applicant The applicant is Refood UK Ltd, and the architect is John Hill Associates Ltd. Strategic issues The use of the site for waste management is strongly supported. Other issues assessed include; employment and traning, design, inclusive access, sustainable development, flood risk management, blue ribbon network and transport. Recommendation That Barking & Dagenham Council be advised that the application does not comply with the London Plan, for the reasons set out in paragraph 54 of this report; but that the possible remedies set out in that paragraph of the report could address these deficiencies. Context 1 On 6 August 2013 the Mayor of London received documents from Barking & Dagenham Council notifying him of a planning application of potential strategic importance to develop the above site for the above uses. Under the provisions of The Town & Country Planning (Mayor of London) Order 2008 the Mayor has until 16 September 2013 to provide the Council with a statement setting out whether he considers that the application complies with the London Plan, and his reasons for taking that view. The Mayor may also provide other comments. This report sets out information for the Mayor’s use in deciding what decision to make. 2 The application is referable under Category 2B of the Schedule to the Order 2008: ”Waste development to provide an installation with capacity for a throughput of more than…50,000 tonnes per annum of waste produced outside the land in respect of which planning permission is sought.” page 1 3 Once Barking & Dagenham Council has resolved to determine the application, it is required to refer it back to the Mayor for his decision as to whether to direct refusal; take it over for his own determination; or allow the Council to determine it itself. 4 The Mayor of London’s statement on this case will be made available on the GLA website www.london.gov.uk. Site description 5 The London Sustainable Industries Park (LSIP) is located off the A13 at Dagenham Dock, with direct access to the A13(T) at Goresbrook Interchange, via Choats Manor Way and Choats Road. Junction 30 of the M25 lies approximately 6 miles to the east, whilst the North Circular/A406 lies approximately 3 miles to the west. Dagenham Dock Rail Station is 250m to the northwest. 6 The LSIP was initially developed by the London Development Agency and London Thames Gateway Development Corporation but responsibility for ongoing development has now passed to the Greater London Authority. The proposals will be located on plot 5 of the LSIP, immediately to the north of Closed Loop recycling and to the south of the proposed Chinook energy from waste facility. 7 The A13 Ripple Road/Thames Gateway, approximately 1km away, is the nearest part of the Transport for London Road Network (TLRN). The EL2 bus service between Ilford and Dagenham Dock stops just outside the site. There are no other services within acceptable walking distance. The nearest railway station is Dagenham Dock, about 600m away, but the walk is not pleasant given the significant use of the road by heavy goods and similar vehicles. An on highway cycle lane serves the site but suffers from the same problems. The application site records a poor public transport accessibility level (PTAL) of 1b on a scale of 1-6, where 6 is the highest. Details of the proposal 8 A full planning application has been submitted for the erection of anaerobic digestion plant involving processing of food waste and production of gas and agricultural digestate, an animal by-products transfer station, ancillary equipment and two storey office/amenity block. 9 The proposed development would seek to: Recover energy from up to 160,000 tonnes of commercial and domestic food waste each year using anaerobic digestion, which is currently going to landfill. Generate bio gas which is to be injected into the national gas grid. Render meat and bone by-products (much the same as the Silvertown plant currently does) to produce products such as pet food. Case history 10 A pre- planning application meeting was held in July 2012 including the applicant and GLA officers. The proposal was broadly supported. Strategic planning issues and relevant policies and guidance 11 The relevant issues and corresponding policies are as follows: page 2 Land use London Plan; Draft London Riverside Opportunity Area Planning Framework Waste London Plan; London Plan; the Municipal and Business Waste Management Strategies; Employment and training London Plan Urban design London Plan; Inclusive design London Plan; Accessible London: achieving an inclusive environment SPG; Planning and Access for Disabled People: a good practice guide (ODPM) Sustainable development London Plan; Sustainable Design and Construction SPG; Mayor’s Climate Change Adaptation Strategy; Mayor’s Climate Change Mitigation and Energy Strategy; Mayor’s Water Flood risk London Plan; Blue Ribbon Network London Plan Transport London Plan; the Mayor’s Transport Strategy; Land for Industry and Transport SPG 12 For the purposes of Section 38(6) of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004, the development plan in force for the area is the 2010 Barking & Dagenham Core Strategy Development Plan Document, the East London Joint Waste Development Plan Document, and the 2011 London Plan. 13 The following are also relevant material considerations: The National Planning Policy Framework and Technical Guide to the National Planning Policy Framework. The draft London Riverside Opportunity Area Planning Framework (on public consultation). The draft Revised Early Minor Alteration to the London Plan (intend to publish version) Land use & principle of development - Waste Management 14 The site is in Dagenham Dock employment area, which is a Strategic Industrial Location (SIL) and identified as a Preferred Industrial Location in the London Plan. London Plan Policy 2.17 Strategic Indstrial Locations explains how the Mayor will work to protect London’s SILs as London’s main reservoirs of industrial and related capacity. The policy goes on to explain that such related capacity includes general and light industrial uses, logistics, waste management and environmental industries (such as renewable energy generation), utilities, wholesale markets and some transport functions and that proposals not falling into these uses should be refused. 15 The London Sustainable Industrial Park is identified in Schedule 2 of the East London Joint Waste DPD as one of a number of sites which can potentially be available and suitable for waste management facilities. The Schedule 1 & 2 sites identified in the Joint Waste DPD are considered to make up the East London Joint Waste apportionment. page 3 16 London Plan policy 5.17 Waste Capacity states that the Mayor supports the need to increase waste processing capacity in London, including strategically important sites for waste management and treatment, and resource recovery parks/consolidation centres. London sustainable industries park is one such location, where recycling, recovery and manufacturing activities can co-locate. The Mayor's draft Business waste management strategy attempts to quantify the waste infrastructure that London requires and estimates that approximately 900,000 tonnes of additional organic waste treatment infrastructure is necessary by 2031. 17 The applicant states that the proposals will have the capacity to deal with 160,000 tonnes of food waste per annum that would otherwise go to landfill. It is understood that the liquid element is collected separately from a number of sources (e.g. Haribo, where it is a by- product of sweet manufacturing) and that this was necessary to make the optimal mix of liquid/ solid necessary to allow the anaerobic digestion process work efficiently. 18 The food waste will be collected from two main sources: 70-80% is from supermarkets under national contracts 20-30% is from restaurants and similar under a “bin-swap” programme, whereby full bins will be collected and replaced by empty ones. 19 It would also be desirable for the plant to process some of London’s municipal food waste, where possible and to this end the applicant is encouraged to contact the East London Waste Authority (ELWA) to see if this is possible. 20 The proposals are broadly consistent with London Plan policies 5.16 Waste Self- sufficiency, 5.17 Waste Capacity and the Mayor's draft Business waste strategy. Furthermore, the use of anaerobic digestion to produce energy and fertiliser/soil conditioner is supported, as this will contribute towards meeting the Mayor’s recycling targets. page 4 21 London Plan Policy 4.1Developing London’s Economy aims to promote and enable London’s transition to a low carbon economy, and policy 4.10 New and emerging economic sectors outlines how the Mayor will support development of the Green Enterprise District in the Thames Gateway. The London sustainable industries park is a vital component in the establishment of the Green Enterprise District and therefore a vital step in London’s transition towards low carbon economy. These proposals have the potential to contribute strongly towards the aims of policies 4.1 and 4.10 and help secure the range of benefits the Green Enterprise District will bring to this part of East London. 22 The principle of waste management on the site is strongly supported.