Churchover Compressor Station,Erection of a new vent structure
Harborough Magna,including 3 No. new vents, new vent
Rugby.to existing vent stack, new electricity
substation and operator facilities
building.
Statutory Period
15th November 2006
Authorised Use
Gas compressor station
Relevant decisions
Gas compressor stationApproved05/05/71
Installation of additional compressor stationApproved26/09/74
Erection of storage buildings, oil storage and fire water tanksApproved23/04/76
Erection of a single storey extension to storeApproved23/08/95
Waiver of condition 7 of planning permission ref: 1495/14 to resume
permitted development rights on the siteApproved04/10/99
Erection of a new compressor unit, auxiliary equipment and a
temporary construction areaApproved16/08/00
Erection of a replacement exhaust stack to Unit AApproved21/08/02
Technical Consultations
Environment AgencyCommentthe development would not result in significant
environmental effects and as such an EIA is not considered to be necessary, no records of contaminated land in the vicinity, the site lies within flood zone 1 where there is a low risk of flooding however unlikely to cause out of bank flood flows.
Environmental HealthNo objection
Third Party Consultations
Neighbours (2)ObjectConcerned regarding noise and vibration, a woodland
strip of trees should be provided to mitigate the vibrations and triple glazing should be provided, concerns that the station causes headaches.
Churchover Parish CouncilNo objectionSubject to a routing plan for contractor’s vehicles
being agreed, Noise controls required in 1999 should
be re-imposed and 3 months after the development being completed a noise survey should be undertaken and any mediation measures that are required being introduced, the compressor unit built in 2000 should be repainted to be brown and a landscaping scheme should be required to augment the existing site planting.
Other relevant information
Churchover gas compressor station is an established station within the national gas distribution system that lies to the south west of the village of Churchover. The site lies within open countryside and is bordered to the northeast by a raised section of railway line and by farm fields to the north and east. To the south is additional farmland beyond which is the M6 motorway. The site was originally established in the early 1970’s and has been expanded at various times since then to meet the changing needs of National Grid.
Planning Policy Guidance
LPGP1CompliesAppearance and design of development
LPGP2CompliesLandscaping
LPGP3CompliesProtection of amenity
LPGP8CompliesAccess for people with disabilities or impaired mobility
LPGP11CompliesPollution control
LPGP13CompliesPublic health and safety
LPE2CompliesGreen Belt
LPE4CompliesDevelopment involving agricultural land
LPT3CompliesAccess and highway layout
Determining Considerations
The proposal
Full planning permission is sought for the erection of a new vent structure incorporating 3 new vents, a new vent to an existing stack, a new electricity substation and an operator facilities building. The proposed vents would be sited to the eastern part of the site among the existing vent stacks at the site and would replace an existing exhaust chimney to the entrance to the site. The new vent stack would be 20 metres in height while the proposed new vent would be added to an existing 20m high stack. The proposed operator facilities building would be sited adjacent to the existing operators building and would be of modular construction and of single storey design with a flat roof. The proposed sub-station would be sited just outside the existing compound to its western side and would consist of two transformers and a switch room building and would be enclosed by a 2.5m high palisade fence.
Green Belt
In principle the proposed development would by definition constitute inappropriate development in the Green Belt. It is therefore for the applicant to demonstrate that there are very special circumstances that would justify an exception to Green Belt policy.
The applicants supporting statement states that the development that forms this planning application is part of a wider development at the site the remainder of which can be carried out as permitted development as the applicant’s are statutory undertakers for the distribution of gas supplies. The need for the development arises from the country becoming more dependant on imported gas supplies with some 22 to 32 billion cubic metres of gas per year being pumped into the national transmission system to meet demand. Churchover Compressor Station is a part of the national system which is inadequate to accommodate the proposed additional quantities of gas and as such the Churchover station as with much of the national transmission system needs upgrading. Until now the Churchover station has been configured and operated to provide gas supplies to Wales and the South West of England. With the increased dependence on imported gas the station will now need to pump gas in both a northerly and southerly direction. The proposed vents and vent stack are required to provide emergency venting for a new gas compressor unit (which is being constructed as permitted development) and also for an existing compressor.
The existing electricity supply network cannot accommodate the additional demand arising from the proposed development including the new compressor unit and as such a separate electricity sub-station is needed. The station needs to be isolated from the compressor station to meet safety requirements and also so that Central Networks have independent 24-hour access to the substation.
The proposed operator facilities building is required because the additional compressor, vents and other equipment at the site requires additional control systems which will need to be located within the existing building and will utilise the existing office accommodation. As a result the proposal includes replacement office accommodation for the existing staff. It is understood that the existing office accommodation is insufficient as it stands in any case and as such the proposed office accommodation represents a substantial increase in floor area over and above the size of the existing office. The new building would provide 329 square metres of floor space and would incorporate a large open plan office with a conference room, mess room/kitchen and associated toilets and store room. It is understood that there are 12 permanent members of staff at the site all of whom require a work station, however a number of other staff including 7 pipeline technicians will use the accommodation although they will not need work stations. It is also understood from the applicants supporting statement that a substantial amount of storage space is required for the storage of various plans and records that have to be retained on site. The proposed conference room will be used for daily briefings where operations, maintenance and contractor personnel meet. It is understood that such a facility is an essential requirement for the safe operation of the site and that its use is restricted to operations related to the compressor station itself. It is considered that despite the large size of the building it is necessary for the safe operation of the site.
In light of all of these issues it is considered that there is a need for the proposed development that has to be met at this site that constitutes very special circumstances to justify the development in the context of established Green Belt policy.
Appearance and Landscaping
In terms of appearance the proposed development has been designed to be functional and will be viewed in the context of the existing compressor station. The additional vents to the existing vent structure would have very little visual impact when compared with the existing situation. The proposed new vent stack would stand next to the existing stack and would be of similar design and appearance, although it would be shorter and narrower. The new vent stack would replace an existing chimney at the entrance to the site which is more prominent and visually intrusive than the proposed development as it is located in a more prominent position and is a solid chimney as oppose to the scaffold type construction of the proposal which permits some views through the structure. The landscaping to the eastern boundary of the site is quite limited due to the lack of space between the boundary of the site and the vent stacks. This side of the site is bordered by a railway embankment which is raised by up to approximately 6 metres above the ground level within the site thus helping to screen this side of the site. Through an appropriate condition the planting to the eastern boundary could be enhanced to provide some additional vegetation to screen the proposed stack.
The proposed electricity sub station lies outside of the boundaries of the existing compressor station, however it would stand along side the boundary and on an area of low lying ground set away from the road. As a result it would be sited in a relatively inconspicuous location with potential for landscape planting around the site since the application includes a strip of land around the edge of the sub-station. It is considered that this area leaves scope for planting to obscure views of this development.
The proposed operator facilities building would lie within the confines of the existing compound and as such its visual impact when read against the existing structures would not be that significant. The proposed facility would also enable the removal of a small group of porta-cabins one of which is blue in colour and a blue storage container. This will help to tidy up the site while the blue portacabin and container are currently quite prominent due to their incongruous colour.
In light of these comments it is considered that the proposed development would be acceptable given the overriding need for the development when considered against policies GP1 and GP2 of the adopted Local Plan Review.
Amenity issues
In terms of amenity the site is remote from the village of Churchover although residents with open views over the countryside will no doubt see the various stacks as they do at present. The proposed vent stack will replace an existing chimney and as such the overall impact is no greater although the proposed stack would be closer to the nearest property – Ford Cottage which lies to the east of the site. This property is screened by the railway embankment which lies immediately to the east of the site. It is considered that the additional visual impact of this stack would not be excessive. In terms of the visual impact on the wider area it is considered that while the development would be detrimental to the openness and character of the area the need for the development and the potential for landscaping to mitigate these impacts it is considered that the proposal would not have an excessive visual impact.
Two residents of the area have raised concerns regarding noise and vibration from the site. The applicants have submitted information that considers the potential noise levels in relation to nearby properties against British Standards. The Council’s Environmental Health Officers are satisfied that this information demonstrates that the development would not lead to noise nuisance. It is understood that none of the development proposed by this application would lead to any issues in relation to vibration issues. A resident has also requested triple glazing to mitigate against the noise impact, however this is considered to be an unreasonable requirement particularly as it is considered that the proposed development will not have a significant noise impact.
In terms of air pollution it is understood that the proposed vents would not lead to any additional venting of gases at the site and is simply required to comply with modern regulations. Venting takes place for approximately 15 minutes and occurs two to four times a year. It is understood that the gas is vented at high velocity at a height of 20 metres to ensure maximum dispersion. On this basis it is considered that the proposed development would not lead to significant air pollution issues. The proposed development would therefore comply with the requirements of policies GP3, GP11 and GP13 of the adopted Local Plan.
Other issues
The proposed operator facilities’ building presents an opportunity to provide disabled access to the facility which is not currently available. The proposal incorporates a disabled access ramp access to the building as well as disabled facilities within the building in accordance with policy GP8 of the adopted Local Plan.
In terms of highway safety it is considered that it is only the proposed electricity sub-station that will lead to additional vehicle movements to and from the site and even then these are likely to be infrequent and for maintenance and repair engineers only. As a result it is considered that the proposed development would not have a significant impact on highways safety and would comply with policy T3 of the adopted Local Plan.
The proposed electricity sub-station involves development on land currently used for agriculture. Policy E4 of the adopted Local Plan seeks to protect high quality agricultural land from development. In this case the land is not of sufficient grade to be protected by this policy in any case the overriding need for the proposed development in terms of the national gas transmission system would outweigh the loss of this small area of grazing land.
Churchover Parish Council have asked for a number of conditions to be imposed on any permission for this development. These are conditions that were previously imposed for a development in 1999 for a new compressor unit. The first of these conditions is for a routing plan for contractors vehicles to prevent them going through Churchover village. Government guidance advises against the use of such conditions suggesting that they should not be used to control the passage of vehicles over the public highway. It is however possible to require the applicants to put up advisory notices to direct traffic and it is suggested that such a condition be used in this case. The Parish Council have also asked for various noise conditions such as those attached to the 1999 permission. This permission was for a new compressor unit which exceeded the height restrictions for permitted development rights. The noise issues associated with a compressor unit are very different from those associated with the vent stacks and electricity substation now proposed. Since the Council’s Environmental Health Officers are satisfied with the noise implications arising from this development and have not suggested any conditions it is not considered appropriate to include these previously used conditions. The Parish have also asked for the previously approved compressor unit to be re-painted a more appropriate colour, however it is not possible to require this as the existing unit does not form part of this application. In any case the existing unit is not considered to be overly prominent in its current colour. It is however considered appropriate to require the submission of details of the colour of the buildings proposed by this current development. Although the proposed compressor unit can be constructed as permitted development the applicants are still required to apply for prior approval for the details of the design and external appearance of the building which will enable its colour to also be controlled.
Conclusion
In conclusion it is considered that although the proposed development constitutes inappropriate development in the Green Belt it is considered that there is an overriding need for this development in terms of the transmission of gas supplies across the national network that constitutes very special circumstances to justify the proposed development subject to appropriate conditions and controls being put in place to mitigate its impact.
Recommendations
That the application be approved subject to the following conditions:
- The development to which this permission relates must not be begun later than the expiration of five years from the date of this permission.
- Before any development is commenced a comprehensive scheme detailing both hard and soft landscaping shall be submitted to and approved by the Local Planning Authority. This scheme shall include screen planting to the south and eastern boundaries of the site adjacent to the proposed vent stack and to land adjacent to all 4 sides of the proposed electricity sub-station. The details to be submitted shall include planting plans with written specifications, a schedule of plants noting species, plant sizes, numbers and density, finished levels and means of enclosure together with an implementation programme.
- Trees and shrubs approved in accordance with Condition No.2 above shall be planted no later than the first planting season following completion of the development and trees and shrubs so planted shall be properly maintained for the five years following planting, any failures being replaced during the following planting season.
- Full particulars of the colour and texture of the materials to be used on all external surfaces shall be submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority before any development is commenced and the development shall only be constructed using the approved materials.
- Prior to the commencement of work on site clearly visible and legible notices shall be posted at the site access advising construction traffic to turn right out of the site and head west and to also approach the site from this direction.
- The existing emergency vent stack shown to be demolished on plan No. NA1000011B that was received by the Local Planning Authority on 16th August 2006 shall be demolished and the land restored to its former condition within 2 months of the replacement emergency vent stack hereby approved being brought into use.
- The proposed operator facilities building shall only be used for purposes associated with the use of the site as a gas compressor station and for no other purposes other than with the prior written consent of the Local Planning Authority.
Reasons: