L DEVELOPMENT CONTROL AND REGULATORY BOARD 19 TH JANUARY 2006 REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY SERVICES COUNTY MATTER MR. B. BIRCH - APPLICATION FOR THE COMPOSTING OF GREEN WASTE – BEECH TREE FARM, SPROXTON (MELTON BOROUGH) 2005/0566/06 - 20 th June 2005 Background 1. This proposal was considered at the Board meeting on 15 th December 2005 when it resolved to defer a decision, so that Members could undertake a site visit. That visit will take place on 17 th January and the outcome will be reported separately at the Board meeting. 2. The application relates to the composting on farmland of green waste and other wastes collected from various sources. The County Council was first approached in September 2004 by a company called Land Network International, which promotes so-called “deep clamp” composting sites. These use static piles as opposed to the more conventional windrow composting. The proposed operation would be the first “deep clamp” composting site within Leicestershire. Officers advised Land Network International that the proposal would constitute a material change of use and would therefore require planning permission. Location of Proposed Development 3. The village of Sproxton is located in the eastern part of Melton District, approximately 11km east northeast of Melton Mowbray. The B676 Melton Mowbray to Colsterworth road runs 2km south of the village. 4. The application site is located in a field to the south of the village, adjacent to the Sproxton to Buckminster Road at its junction with a smaller unclassified road leading south towards Coston and the B676. 5. The site is set in open, gently rolling landscape with extensive views mainly to the east, south and west. A number of properties at the southern edge of Sproxton are also visible from the site. The proposed composting area is located in the north eastern corner of a large arable field measuring approximately 140 x 240 metres, which slopes gently towards the east and south. Field boundaries are formed by hedges of varying heights, the hedge along the northern field boundary being approximately 1.7 – 2m high. 2 2005/0566/06 – continued DC&REG. BOARD 19/01/2006 3 2005/0566/06 - continued 6. Footpath E68a runs in a north-south direction from Sproxton to the Sproxton- Wymondham Road and runs along the western edge of the field in which the application site is located. Footpath E57 runs from Sproxton south east to Buckminster and crosses fields south of the village. The footpath meets Buckminster Road approximately 60m north of the site access and 150m north of the composting site. 7. The River Eye, a local stream, runs to the west and south of Sproxton and at its closest point comes within 700m of the site. A small unnamed tributary watercourse runs parallel to the Sproxton to Coston road and at its nearest point is approximately 350m west of the site. Description of Proposal 8. The proposed development involves the construction of a hardstanding and access road and the processing (composting) of green waste and other organic waste materials brought to the site from various sources. The resulting product would act as an organic fertiliser which would only be used on the farm itself. No sale or export of the finished product would take place. The composting site 9. The composting and working area would measure 30x40m. Topsoil would be stripped from this area to a depth of 150-250mm. The resulting voidspace would be backfilled to original ground levels with inert materials such as crushed hardcore and road scalpings to create a hardstanding on which to place and process the waste materials. 10. The stripped topsoil would be placed in a stockpile along the eastern edge of the working area. The proposed stockpile would be 40m long, 10m wide and approximately 1m high. 11. Following the stripping of topsoil, a drainage system would be installed downhill of the operational area. This would consist of a collecting drain running parallel to the eastern edge of the working area and leading to a holding tank located in an inspection pit in the south eastern corner of the working area. Any surface water and leachate from the working area would be collected by the drain and channelled to the holding tank. 12. The site would be accessed from Buckminster Road via an existing farm track which the applicant proposes to improve as part of the proposal. Topsoil would be stripped off the track and inert materials would be used in the same way and to the same depth as on the working area to create a hard-surfaced access track. Proposed Operations 13. The applicant proposes to import green waste from various sources. The material would be delivered to the site by heavy goods vehicles and deposited in the composting area. It would then be stacked in a single pile, referred to in the application as a “clamp”, where it would remain during the composting process. The maximum height of the clamp would be 3m. DC&REG. BOARD 19/01/2006 4 2005/0566/06 - continued 14. The clamp would be turned as necessary using a telescopic loader. The applicant advises that the frequency of turning would depend on the type of material present, the stage of the process and the desired speed of the operation. The risk assessment accompanying the application states that the speed of the process would depend on the types of material involved, the carbon to nitrogen ratio of the material, its moisture content and the frequency of shredding. The residence time of material in the clamp would also depend on whether or not waste material is shredded before it is placed in the clamp. Not all material would require shredding (e.g. grass cuttings). The applicant advises that he intends to "avoid the energy input requirements of shredding" and therefore it may take between 3 months (if shredding is involved) and 10 months (if material is not shredded) for waste to be fully composted. 15. The applicant intends to process the following materials: • Municipal, landscaping, or other green waste of plant origin; • Wood products including MDF (medium-density fibreboard), chipboard and hardboard; • Paper-based products or residues from paper production; • Salad, bread waste or food production waste (excluding meat remains) as permitted by the Animal By-Products Order; • Crop residues from production operations such as oil seed rape pressing or salad production, provided that no solvents were used in the process; and • Farm waste such as animal manures. 16. Not all these materials would be present on site at all times. The exact nature of the material to be imported would depend on the waste disposal contracts which the operator would secure. 17. The operation has been registered with the Environment Agency as exempt from the Waste Management Licensing Regulations 1994. Paragraph 12 of Part II of Schedule 3 to the Regulations states that the composting of biodegradable waste is exempt from Waste Management Licensing Regime if the total quantity of waste being composted at any time does not exceed 1,000 cubic metres. 18. The applicant anticipates that on average 1-2 vehicles per day would deliver material each to the site. Loads are estimated to be approximately 5-10 tonnes each, depending on the type and volume of material. 19. Following maturation, the material may be stored in a separate stockpile before it is spread onto the applicant’s land during a suitable crop window. The applicant has substantial landholdings to the north, south and west of Sproxton. This may necessitate transhipment of the composted material to other parts of the landholding using the public highway. The number of vehicle movements associated with this activity would depend on the amount of material composted. The transport of composted material to other parts of the applicant's landholding would be an agricultural activity which would fall outside the scope of this planning permission. DC&REG. BOARD 19/01/2006 5 2005/0566/06 - continued 20. The applicant advises that the application site was chosen through an elimination process taking into account a varied and complex list of criteria, and that careful consideration was taken to ensure the site was positioned in the most suitable location taking into account Environment Agency guidelines, as well as criteria such as access, transport, visual appearance, proximity to the village, wind direction, soil condition, and proximity to roads, footpaths and watercourses. Planning Policy 21. Government advice on waste management is set out in Waste Strategy 2000 and in Planning Policy Statement 10: Planning for Sustainable Waste Management . 22. Waste Strategy 2000 describes the need to change in the way in which waste is managed. It lists the Government’s targets for the recycling and composting of waste: • To recycle or compost at least 25% of household waste by 2005; • To recycle or compost at least 30% of household waste by 2010; • To recycle or compost at least 33% of household waste by 2015; • To reduce the amount of industrial and commercial waste landfilled to 85% of 1998 levels by the year 2005. 23. Waste Strategy 2000 also provides guidance for on farm composting scheme promoting farm diversification, compost for use in growing food crops, and the establishment of local composting units. 24. Planning Policy Statement 10: Planning for Sustainable Waste Management (July 2005) states that planning authorities should prepare and deliver planning strategies that help secure the recovery or disposal of waste without endangering human health and without harming the environment. It continues to promote sustainable development and the waste hierarchy of reduction, re-use, recycling and composting and energy recovery with disposal as the last option.