Suffolk County Council Page 1 Suffolk Minerals & Waste Local Plan, Masons Quarry, September 2017 Contact Graham Gunby Senior Policy Officer: Minerals & Waste Policy Planning & Development Section Resource Management Suffolk County Council 8 Russell Road Ipswich Suffolk IP1 2BX Tel: 01473 264807 Email: [email protected] Website: www.suffolk.gov.uk For more information about our minerals and waste planning policy go to: https://www.suffolk.gov.uk/planning-waste-and-environment/planning- applications/minerals-and-waste-policy/ Cover photograph acknowledgements: 1. Gt Blakenham Energy from Waste Facility, courtesy of SUEZ Recycling and Recovery UK Ltd, and; 2. Cavenham Quarry, with permission from Allen Newport Ltd. Suffolk County Council Page 2 Suffolk Minerals & Waste Local Plan, Masons Quarry, September 2017 CONTENTS 1. Executive Summary ............................................................................................. 4 2. Proposed development ........................................................................................ 4 3. Development Plan and planning applications ...................................................... 4 4. Consultation responses ....................................................................................... 5 5. Conclusions ......................................................................................................... 7 6. Conclusion ........................................................................................................... 8 7. Recommendation ................................................................................................. 8 Appendix 1 Representation SUM12, Onslow, Masons Quarry ................................... 9 Appendix 2 Babergh and Mid Suffolk Public Site Submissions ................................ 11 Appendix 3 Constraints Maps .................................................................................. 13 Appendix 4 Fluvial Flood Maps ................................................................................ 16 Appendix 5 Photographs .......................................................................................... 18 Suffolk County Council Page 3 Suffolk Minerals & Waste Local Plan, Masons Quarry, September 2017 1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1.1 As a result of a “call for sites” included within the Suffolk Minerals & Waste Local Plan Issue & Options Consultation which ran from the 29 November until the 6 February a number of sites were put forward for consideration. 1.2 One site was put forward for consideration as a new waste site at Masons Quarry, Gt Blakenham. 1.3 Following consideration of internal consultees views and of the proposals against the stated site selection criteria, the proposed site was not recommended for inclusion in the draft Plan. 2. PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT 2.1 The proposed development is for a strategic waste management site (see Appendices). 2.2 Lorries would access the B1113 via the existing Gt Blakenham site access. The B1113 is designated a “Local Access Lorry Route” in the Suffolk Lorry Route Network. The B1113 is connect to the A14 via a grade separated junction. The A14 is designated as a Strategic Lorry Route.” 3. DEVELOPMENT PLAN AND PLANNING APPLICATIONS 3.1 As of May 2017 the Development Plan for the area is made up of the following documents: a) Suffolk Minerals Core Strategy 2008; b) Suffolk Minerals Specific Site Allocations 2009; c) Suffolk Waste Core Strategy 2011; d) MSDC Core Strategy 2008; e) MSDC Core Strategy Focused Review 2012; f) MSDC Local Plan 2008. 3.2 It is also noted that Babergh District Council and Mid Suffolk District Council are currently preparing a joint local plan. An Issues & Options document is due to be published in the summer of 2017. 3.3 In preparation for the emerging joint local plan Babergh and Mid Suffolk have published the “Babergh and Mid Suffolk Public Site Submissions” in April 2017. This contains areas of land submitted for consideration for inclusion on the joint local plan. This includes a land bid (reference SS0174) (see Appendix 2) which is assumed for industrial and commercial development. If that assumption is correct then there would be not conflict with the proposed waste site. Suffolk County Council Page 4 Suffolk Minerals & Waste Local Plan, Masons Quarry, September 2017 3.4 There are no adopted or draft plan proposals that conflict with the proposed site. 3.5 At the time of writing there are no known planning applications which affect the site 4. CONSULTATION RESPONSES Highways 4.1 No objection, subject to conditions. Regime of road sweeping should be provided; any permission will need to include Snoasis as a committed site. Landscape 4.2 Insufficient information to determine likely impacts. Historic Buildings 4.3 No objection. Archaeology 4.4 Assuming from the information available that all works will be undertaken within the previously excavated quarry site, there will be no impact on below ground heritage assets. However, any ancillary works affecting areas of previously undisturbed land will require archaeological assessment and mitigation. The scale and scope of the archaeological works will depend on the design of the application submitted. 4.5 No objection in principle but consent will require planning conditions under the NNPF to secure a program of archaeological investigation, which will include assessment of and provide mitigation strategies for, near surface archaeological potential. Ecology 4.6 Object due to the potential significant adverse impacts upon nature conservation interest including Great Blakenham pit SSSI, Little Blakenham pit SSSI, Sandy Lane pit SSSI, Great Blakenham pit CWS, Column field Upper Quarry CWS, RNR, Blakenham Chalk pit SWT, Groundwater Source protection zone, European Protected Species (Otter, Great Crested Newt), Priority Species, Other Protected Species (Badger), Priority Habitats (Deciduous Woodland, Lowland Meadows, Hedgerows, Lowland Meadows). Air Quality 4.7 A waste site is proposed at Masons Quarry, Great Blakenham. The type of waste to be received is not known. It is assumed that there is potential for the waste to be odorous. Suffolk County Council Page 5 Suffolk Minerals & Waste Local Plan, Masons Quarry, September 2017 4.8 Air Quality near the site is currently good; Mid Suffolk District Council has not declared any Air Quality Management Areas, and the closest AQAM is located approximately 6.8km southeast of the site, in Ipswich. 4.9 There are no residential properties within 250m of the proposed site boundary; the closest properties are approximately 300m from the site (to the south and the east). 4.10 The Great Blakenham Pit SSSI lies within the site boundary; the APIS database has not identified any sensitive features associated with this SSSI. 4.11 The site lies adjacent to an existing recycling facility and skip hire premises. There is a risk of cumulative dust and/ or odour impacts in the area. 4.12 Depending on the type of waste site proposed, there is a risk that a significant amount of additional traffic may be generated. Where the proposals generate more than 500 additional car movements and/or more than 100 Heavy duty vehicle movements per day, there is a risk that there will significantly increase local pollutant concentrations. 4.13 It is expected that an Air Quality Assessment would be submitted with the planning application for the site which considers the potential impacts of increased dust, pollutant and odour concentrations associated with the operation of the site, and which defines the mitigation which will be implemented at the site to minimise the risk of impacts on the surrounding area, where necessary. Noise 4.14 A waste site is proposed at Masons Quarry, Great Blakenham. The type of waste is unknown, therefore the noise from site operations is also unknown. 4.15 There are no residential properties within 250m of the proposed site boundary; the closest properties are approximately 300m from the site (to the south and the east). It is expected that this would provide a significant buffer zone for any operations that will happen on the site. 4.16 The site lies adjacent to an existing recycling facility and skip hire premises. There is a low risk of cumulative noise impacts in this area. 4.17 Depending on the type of waste site proposed, there is a risk that an amount of additional traffic may be generated. 4.18 It is expected that a noise assessment would be submitted with the planning application for the site which considers the potential impacts of noise from the propose operation and cumulative noise effect of other waste businesses in the area. The report should define the mitigation which will be implemented at the site to minimize the risk of impacts on the surrounding area, where necessary. Suffolk County Council Page 6 Suffolk Minerals & Waste Local Plan, Masons Quarry, September 2017 4.19 I expect that it would be necessary to use suitable planning conditions to control noise from the use of the site. Public Rights of Way 4.20 FP13 & FP15 run along part of the southern boundary of the site. As the route is an existing concrete track I would envisage that the RoW can be retained throughout the process and adequate fencing provided as appropriate. Floods 4.21 Masons Quarry- In general this area will need to be evaluated quite carefully due to topography and as it is also with a SPZ. There are also pockets of predicted surface water flooding due to existing operations on site. 5. CONCLUSIONS ABSOLUTE CRITERIA Land-use 5.1 The proposal is too general