t 2010 | 0 437 I I BrooksldePlonnlng Consultqnls 1;i_,:t';,, r,,r:, i-,,,lr1tf(;rLt jilE -; I ;.1: , 1_llrtl..lr\e ' , oruroio I i- ./.| ,il.i | | ,tI ., ri t I T Applicationfor a customsand I maintenancecompound at Hall T Railfreight Terminal I t Designand AccessStatement T I I BritishPorts I Applicationon behalfof Associated t I I T I t I BrooksidePlonnlng I I Consultonls t 1. lntroduction 1.1 BrooksidePlanning Consultants (BPC) has been asked to submita planning T applicationon behalfof AssociatedBrltish Ports (ABP) to createa new customsand maintenancecompound with associatedbuildings, designat€d areas and equlpment at the RallfreightTerminal at HamsHall. The compoundwill sit withinthe exlsting I terminalfor which@nsent was grantedas partof a suiteof approvedsubmissions, to satisfycondition 12 of the overallHams Hall permission, granted by the Secretaryof State,on the 18' May '1994. T 1.2 The purposeof the applicationis to createa newsecure compound for the Inspection of containersby customsand for ttre maintenanceof reachstackers.lt includes detailsof a new buildingsfor customs inspectionand vehiclemaintenance, vehicle I refuellingand washdownareas, new Portakabinbuildings will also be providedfor staff toiletsand welfare.A new securityfence will create a separatesecure alea withinthe existingrailfreight terminal. New lightingwill be providedto the customs I maintenancebuildlng for 24 hour operation.lt will be aftachedto the building.There will be no changeto the existinglighting towers. 1.3 All of the proposeddevelopment falls within the terminal site approved by the I secretaryof State.The site is not in the GreenBelt. No landscapingis afiectedby the new development,which will use part of the terminalarea alreadyapproved. The area was not completedwhen the terminal was implementedbut will now be I surfacedfor the proposeduse. Full drainage details accompany the application. 't.4 Planning permission for the Hams Hall Channel Tunnel Railfreight Terminal,Manufacturingand DistributionPark had beengranted by the Secretaryof T State on 18h May 1994. Condition12 of that consentrequired the submissionof details for the railfrelght terminal including the detailed layout These were subsequentlyapproved on the 14sAugust 1997. Application reference 0657/95 The I layoutapproved is believedto be 25835/AWl152lP4. Reserved matters approvals for constructionmethods and fencingdetails had beenapproved in November1995. 1.5 The new compoundrepresents a modificationto the originalapproved layout. The t proposalincludes details of new buildingsand facilities.ABP has decided to submit a full applicationfor the compoundcovering the new buildingsand layout.The facili$ remainspart of the rail terminaland utiliseslevels and drainageapproved as part of I the railterminal details. 1.6 The landscapingof the rail terminalsite was approvedas partof the landscapingfor theoverall site. The application is dated31/01/1997 and it wasapproved on 13'May T 1997.The landscapedarea is not afiectedby the application. 1.7 The llghtingof the terminalwas approvedon 21 December2000 ahhoughthe schemehad beensubmitted in November1997. The lightingwas approved,after it T had been installedand testedfor lightspillage. The approvalhas a condition,which requiresthe priorwritten approval of the planningauthority if the shieldsor anglesof I theilluminants are changed. 1.8 For the new compoundno additionalilluminants will be addedto the towersand no additionaltowers are proposedNew lighting will be attachedto the canopyof the new I customsbuilding. This will providecorrect health and safetylevels of illuminationfor the 24hour customsand maintenancefacility. These will not be seen above the I existingtree canopyfrom areasoutside of the HamsHall site. Customsand Maintenance application August 2010.doc page I I I t BrooksidePlonnlng Consullonts I I t 2. The site I 2.1 The site locationis shownon the plan.below. lt is not to scale t t T T I t I T A detailedplan of the terminalwith the operationalextension boundary edged in red, referenceJNK873-I{WK414 is attachedto the application.The area is adjacentto T the existingofiice and vehicleexit of the rail terminalsite. lt is also shown on the locationplan below. t Locatinn The locationof the new compoundis shownon the detailedlocation plan reference JN873-NWK{108A.The compoundis locatedon an unused part of the terminal T adjacentto the existingtransport exit and ofiice building.The area was includedin the approvedterminal application but was not implementedfully. lt was fencedbut not surfacedalthough drainage points (manholes)were providedto enablefuture I areas to draln into the existingsite drainage.As the area will be used for the maintenanceof reachstackersincludlng wash-down and refuellingnew drainage pointswill be interceptedor the drainageseparated so that any contaminationdo€s I not enterthe site drainageor groundwater. t T Customsand Maintenance application August 2010.doc pa$e2 T t I t I BrooksldePlonnlng Consultonls I 3. Thecompany 3.1 The UKs leadingports group, Associated Brltlsh Ports (ABP) owns and operates21 I ports all around the UK and handles approximatelya quarter of the countn/s seabornetrade. lts portsare: Ayr, Banow,Barry, Cardifi, Fleetwood, Garston, Goole, Grimsby,Hull, lmmingham, lpswich, King's Lynn, Lowestoft, Newport, Plymouth, Port t Talbot,Silloth, Southampton, Swansea, Teignmouth and Troon Since2002 ABP has operatedthe site at HamsHall as an inlandpod. lt utilisesthe facllityto transfertrainloads of containersdirectly form its ports on the coasts of I Britain.As a resultof the changeof emphasisthe usageof HamsHall has changed from a receptionor embarkationfacility for goodsreceived by third partycontractors to a facilitywhich is an integratedpart of a logisticssolution offered by ABP in order I to s€curelarger scale contracts with logisticssolution providers. ABP is seeking to continue its investmentat Hams Hall by extendingthe rail receptioncapability and freighttrafilc servicing facilities on site.To do this withinthe I existingterminal area it is necessaryto movesome existingoperations into a new compound,which is separatelysecured and accessed.These op€rations take place I cunentlyat variouslocations on the mainrail yard and in the open. The relocation of the customs and reachstackermaintenance and refuelling operationsto the new compoundand the provisionof dedicatednew buildings,will meet healthand safety and channeltunnel regulations.lt will free up parts of the t existingsite and enablethe terminalto operatemore efiiclentlyand accept more t trafiicwithout expanding outside the existingterminal boundary. I T I t I I t I Customsand Maintenance application August 20l0.doc page3 I T I BrooksldePlonnlng Consultonls I I I I 4. The ProposedDevelopment and Layout SiteLayout 4.1 The revisedlayout is shownon the attachedplan referenceJN873-NWK'009 C site I layout. 4.2 Thls shows: T the the newinspection building and canopy Refuellingbay and fuel tank T The maintenanceand wash{own area Portalootoilets I Portakabinwelfure buildlng with ofiice and messfacilftles the areaof weld-meshfencing with securitygates. I 4.3 The layout is designed1o take a number of existingoperations, each of which cunentlytake place in the open area of the existingrail terminal.The removalof these operationsto the new compoundwill free up spaceon the existingterminal, I whichwill provideimproved operational efficiency and spaceon the terminal. 4.4 It will also provideundercover facilities for operationscurrently provided provided outdoors,This improvessecurity and healthand safetyconslderations. Specific stafi I welfarefacilities are also provided,which will allowgreater separation of contrac{ed operationsand administrationfacilities. The new inspectionbuilding for customsand mainlenance I Drawing Ref JN873-NWK-020B 4.5 Sincethe terminalcommenced operations there has beena requirementfor customs inspectlons.This is particularlytrue of channeltunnel trains and bondedgoods. In I recentyears the numberof channeliunnel trains reducedand the requirementfor inspectionbecame more sporadic.However the channel tunnel trafic has now increasedsignificantly again and the requirementfor an on-sltecustoms inspec'tion t buildinghas re-emerged.Six servicesper week run from Navana in Spain and Paduain ltaly.These include refrigerated services for freshproduce. 4.6 The terminalalso has a newScottish service, which brings in whiskeyfrom Scotland t for dlstributionin the Midlandsand export to Europe.The terminal is cunently operatingmore rail services than at anytime in its history. I 4.7 The customsfacility will allowcustoms to isolateindividual containers for inspection withinthe building.Containers are placedinto the buildingthrough the high doorsby a r€achstacker.The doors can then be closed and the contentsof the container examinedundercover in a secureenvironment. Gustoms inspections are a regular T occurence. Staff aftendfrom Birminghamairport on an as neededbasis or wfien intelligenceor the inventoryof a speciflctrain requiresit. No customsstaff are based I at the terminal. t Maintenanceapplicotion August 2010.doc page4 t Customsand t I BrooksldePlonnlng I I Consultqnls I Reach stac ker maintmanc e 4.8 CunentlyReachstackers are maintainedon the maln site. By providlnga canopyto the customsinception building the reachstackerscan be maintainedundercover. I Reachstackersare maintainedon a contractbasis. The new facilitieswill provide ofiice and mess accommodationfor non ABP stafi. Reachstackersar€ too largeto enterthe customsbuilding they