Application Ref: / 3/2016/1206 /
Date Inspected: / 18/01/2017
Officer: / AB
DELEGATED ITEM FILE REPORT: / APPROVAL
Development Description: / Proposed children’s nursery with associated car parking and landscaping.
Site Address/Location: / Land at Barrow Brook Enterprise Park North Road Barrow BB7 9WD
CONSULTATIONS: / Parish/Town Council
Barrow Parish Council has considered this application and welcomes thecreation of extra employment in the village. The Parish Council has no objections to the plans in principle but would like the following comments to be considered:
1. The application showsa total of 24 full time staff / 16 part time staffbut only includes20 parking spaces. This does not providesufficient parking spaces for staff, parents andvisitors and could lead to inconsiderateparking in nearby areas andpossibly traffic congestion. The application states that 30 car parking spaces could be provided and this should be recommended.
2. The proposal will increase traffic exiting and entering the A59 via Holm Road. There are already significant delays at peak times for motorists on Holm Road and there have been several near-miss accidents as motorists take risks to speed up their journey. There should be a s106 requirement to improve safety at this junction, perhaps with part-time traffic lights and a pedestrian crossing.
3. The Parish Council is concerned how surface waterdrainage and sewage discharge will be dealt with as the appropriate documents are not included online. This area of Barrow has experienced flooding in recent years and any additional building work must be carefully planned to minimise the flood risks.United Utilities should be fully consulted. With regard to surface water discharge,the applicationindicates the possible use of rainwater harvesting and underground storage tanks and this should be recommended, along with any alternatives which do not increase pressure on existing systems, for examplepermeable parking surfaces. However, if the holding tanks located beneath the Printworks car park are to be considered, the Parish Council recommends a thorough review of their effectiveness as theyare now over 15 years old and didnot copewithflooding in December 2015. The drainage through Barrow Brook has increased significantly since the Bloor Homes estate was built and additional pressure from all of the proposed developments on Barrow Enterprise Park should be considered.
It appears that the sewage discharge will run through pipes via the Barrow Brook Estate andthen connect to the Victorian mains combined surface water/sewage pipe running along Whalley Road. This system is very old andhas been put under extreme pressure with the recent growth inBarrow.During December 2015, Whalley Road was flooded and thiscaused the pipes to backlog, water came throughroad gullies andmanhole coversandcaused the sewage holding tank at the rear of Catlow Terrace to leak, causing distress, sewageand flooding issues for some village residents. It is the view of the Parish Council that this system needs to be assessed before any additional sewage systems are added.
CONSULTATIONS: / Highways/Water Authority/Other Bodies
LCC Highways:
No objections.
Lead Local Flood Authority:
No comments.
United Utilities:
None received.
CONSULTATIONS: / Additional Representations.
One letter of objection has been received relating to the following:-
- Proposal represents move away from original proposal at Barrow Enterprise Park which was for clean office development
RELEVANT POLICIES:
Ribble Valley Core Strategy:
Key Statement DS1 – Development Strategy
Key Statement DS2 – Sustainable Development
Key Statement EN2 – Landscape
Key Statement EN4 – Biodiversity and Geodiversity
Key Statement EC1 – Business and Employment Development
Key Statement EC2 – Development of retail, shops and community facilities and services
Policy DMG1 – General Considerations
Policy DMG2 – Strategic Considerations
Policy DMG3 – Transport and Mobility
Policy DME1 – Protecting Trees and Woodlands
Policy DME2 – Landscape and Townscape Protection
Policy DME3 – Site and Species Protection and Conservation
Policy DME6 – Water Management
Policy DMB1 – Supporting Business Growth and the Local Economy
National Planning Policy Framework
RELEVANT PLANNING HISTORY:
3/2016/0848 - Proposed erection of two drive-through restaurant units and two food units with associated car parking and landscaping works. Approved
3/2014/0179 - Construction of B8 self-storage unit with B1 office accommodation, associated car parking and landscaping. Approved
ASSESSMENT OF PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT:
Proposed Development for which consent is sought:
Consent is sought for the erection of a children’s nursery with associated car parking and landscaping at land at Barrow Brook Enterprise Park, North Road, Barrow.The site comprises around 0.28 hectares of undeveloped grassland located to the west of the Co-op food store and petrol station and to the east of the Total Foods Ltd. building. The land is bound to the north by post and rail fencing and on land immediately to the south planning permission has recently been granted for the development of two drive through restaurants and two food units, along with the provision of car parking and associated landscaping.
In 2014 planning permission was granted at the site, and the land immediately to the south, to erect a self-storage warehouse with ancillary office space. This permission is still extant but has not been implemented.
Full planning permission is sought for the erection of a children’s nursery. The nursery would accommodate up to 110-120 children in various age groupings and it is expected that up to the equivalent of 32 full-time jobs would be created. Proposed opening hours are 6.30am to 18.30pm Monday to Friday and 9.00am to 16.30pm Saturday. The nursery building would be located on the northern section of the site with parking and access to the south. Landscaping would be provided around the building. The building itself would be single storey in height with a maximum height of 4.2m above ground level and would have metal clad walls with aluminium framed windows and doors. The building would have a flat roof with glazing below the eaves to give the impression of a floating roof. The nursery would have large glazed opening on all elevations and three playrooms and reception at ground floor and a basement measuring 13.2m x 7.2m would provide staff facilities including kitchen and laundry room.
Landscaping for the scheme includes a 1.8m fence around the majority of the site, with 1.8m high railings adjacent to the car park. The existing oak tree in the south east section of the site would be retained and additional planting would be provided around the site. There are three separate play areas proposed to the north and west of the building and these would be surfaced with paving, rubber mulch and amenity grass along with sensory planting.
Access to the site would be from the new road to the south which would also serve the food and drive through restaurants located to the south of the site. 20no. parking spaces would be provided to the south (front) of the nursery building.
Observations/Consideration of Matters Raised/Conclusion:
The main considerations in determining this application are the principle of the development, the design and visual appearance of the proposals, the impact of the development on the amenity of the area, the ecological impact of the proposals and its effect on highway safety. Each of these considerations are discussed below.
Principle of Development
The Ribble Valley Core Strategy highlights the limited number of employment opportunities available in the Borough, which results in a high level of daily out commuting to access employment opportunities. Key Statement EC1 ‘Business and Employment Development’ directs employment development towards the main settlements of Clitheroe, Whalley and Longridge as preferred locations to accommodate growth together with, amongst others, land at Barrow Brook Enterprise Site.The Barrow Brook Enterprise Park comprises a mix of land uses including residential, commercial, office and industrial. The site is well located for employment purposes, adjacent to the A59, and there is a clear evidence base which was used in the formulation of the Core Strategy in identifying the importance of the Barrow Brook Enterprise Site as part of the Borough’s employment land strategywhich sought to encourage employment within the business and general industrial categories.
Whilst the application does propose development in an employment site that is principally, though not exclusively, linked to B1 to B8 uses, it can also be considered that the use could be complementary to other uses already present in the locality. A key observation is that the proposed use is employment generating and would create a number of local employment opportunities, and therefore this proposal supports the underlying strategic approach within the Core Strategy. The equivalent of 32 full-time jobs are expected to be created and it is noted that despite an extant consent and being earmarked for employment use by the Council the land remains undeveloped.
The Barrow Brook Business Village/Barrow Enterprise Site is identified as the Council’s main strategic employment area within the adopted Core Strategy. Key Statements DS1, DS2 and EC1 of the Core Strategy confirms that this site is the Borough’s principle strategic location for employment and clarifies the commitment that the Authority has in encouraging employment generating businesses on this site. In view of the above, it is considered that the principle of the development is acceptable in this location. The proposal would comply with the aims of Policy DMB1 by supporting the local economy and would not result in a significant loss of employment land to the extent that it would prove harmful to the borough’s strategic employment land requirement nor would it unduly prohibit the use of the wider employment site for its intended purpose.
Design and Appearance
Barrow Brook Enterprise Site is characterised by a mix of uses and buildings in a variety of designs. The proposed nursery building would have a high-quality contemporary design. It would be single storey in height and would relate well to the scale and height of existing and proposed buildings in the immediate locality including the Co-op store and garage, Mcdonald’s restaurant and the recently approved food and drive through restaurants. The proposed external materials would also compliment those used in the construction of buildings adjacent to the site. The landscaping scheme includes boundary tree planting and ornamental hedging. Amenity grassland areas would be retained as part of the three outdoor play areas which would each serve a different age group with different external accommodation and access. The proposed landscaping would contribute significantly to the appearance of the development site and the immediate area and it is considered that the proposals would comply generally with Policy DMG1 of the Core Strategy. However, no boundary treatment is indicated along the front of the site to delineate public and private space and some means of enclosure would be expected. Should consent be granted, the applicant would be required to submit a revised landscaping scheme.
Impact on Residential Amenity
The nearest residential properties to the development site are located on Hey Road around 120m south-east. It is not considered that noise from the outdoor play areas would have an adverse impact on the residential amenities of the occupants of these dwellings. The landscaping at the site periphery would also serve to soften any noise emanating from the site. Existing and proposed commercial land uses adjoining the site are not noise sensitive and it is not considered that the nursery would have any adverse impact on adjacent businesses.
Other Issues for Consideration
A noise assessment has been undertaken to determine whether noise levels at the site are acceptable for the proposed use. There are upper noise limits for nursery school rooms and the noise assessment is submitted in order to provide evidence that the noise levels internally would be acceptable. The noise assessment summarises that noise levels are dominated by traffic on the A59 but were not particularly high and the predicted noise within the playrooms is expected to be well within recommended limits. The Council’s EHO has confirmed that the proposal raises no noise issues.
An ecological survey and impact assessment have been conducted at the site. There is minimal semi-natural vegetation of significant importance on or close to the site boundaries nor is there any suitable habitat for protected or important species although there is one oak tree to the east that has moderate potential for roosting by bats. The land is therefore of limited ecological importance and there would be no negative ecological impact arising from the development of the site.
The single mature common oak (T1) is proposed to be retained in the context of the development. A footpath would encroach within the root protection area of the tree and as such it is proposed that the footpath is to be constructed on existing ground levels, without excavation, usinga cellular root protection system to reduce soil compaction and distribute weight to ensure there is no harm to the tree roots. A hedgerow along the northern site boundary would also be retained and spaces in the hedge infilled with an appropriate native mix. The Council’s Countryside Officer has raised no objection to the proposals subject to compliance with the recommendations contained in the Arboricultural Impact Assessment dated December 2016 and submission of a Method Statement for the installation of the Cellweb root protection system.
With regards surface water drainage, the planning application is supported by a flood risk assessment (FRA) and drainage strategy. The site is within Flood Zone 1 and flooding is not considered to be an issue subject to a satisfactory surface water drainage system. The outline proposal is to drain the site into the mains sewer via a cellular storage tank to hold excess water after rain and allow controlled discharge. Subject to consent being granted, detailed design of the system would be required to be submitted to the LPA prior to commencement of development. Barrow Parish Council raise concerns relating to the drainage of the site. Whilst the Lead Local Flood Authority have been consulted they have not objected to the development proposals. Should consent be granted, conditions would be attached requiring the submission of an appropriate surface water drainage scheme. In the event of surface water draining to the public surface water sewer, the pass forward flow rate to the public sewer must be restricted to 5 l/s.
Regarding highway safety, Barrow Parish Council has raised concerns regarding the increase in traffic exiting and entering the A59 via Holm Road as a result of the development. These concerns are not shared by the County Surveyor who has raised no issues regarding highway capacity. The County Surveyor has raised no objection to parking provision within the site, however; he has insisted on the provision of a 2m wide footpath along the site frontage. The footpath would provide a better pedestrian link through the site in accordance with the Council’s Policy DMG3 which attaches considerable weight to the availability of infrastructure to serve those moving to and from the development making particular reference to provision made for access by pedestrians, cyclists and those with reduced mobility. NPPF paragraph 69 also states that decisions should aim to “provide safe and accessible developments, containing clear and legible pedestrian routes”. Amended plans have been submitted to satisfy this requirement and therefore the proposed development is considered acceptable in terms of highway safety.
Conclusion
The proposed development would comply with the Council’s wider strategic objectives and Core Strategy Policy DMB1 by supporting the local economy. Whilst it is noted that Barrow Enterprise Site is a strategic site linked to B1 to B8 uses it is considered that the loss of ‘B Use Class’ employment land as a result of the development would not prove harmful to the borough’s strategic employment land requirement and would result in the provision of an alternative employment generating use. The proposals would not result in unacceptable harm to the amenity of the area and it is recommended that the application be approved.
RECOMMENDATION: / That planning consent be approved.