MEMORANDUM 22 May 2008
To: Members of the Development From COUNTY SECRETARY’S
Control Committee DEPARTMENT
Chief Officers Ask for Adrian Service
Ext 25564
Minicom 6611
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DEVELOPMENT CONTROL COMMITTEE
13 MAY 2008
MINUTES
ATTENDANCE
MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE
N E Agar, N K Brook (substituting for M D R Muir), G R Churchard,
B N W Hammond (Chairman), D A A Peek, E T Roach, E N Singam, W A Storey,
J W A Usher (Vice - Chairman).
Upon consideration of the agenda for the Development Control Committee meeting on
13 May 2008, as circulated, copy annexed, action was taken or decisions were
reached on individual items as recorded below.
MEMBERSHIP
To note that N K Brook has been appointed to replace M D R Muir as a member of this Committee for this meeting only.
MINUTES
The Minutes of the meeting of the Committee held on 15 April 2008 were approved as a correct record.
PUBLIC PETITIONS
No petitions to be presented to this meeting had been received.
NOTIFICATION OF OTHER BUSINESS
None notified.
MOTIONS
None notified.
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1. WELWYN HATFIELD BOROUGH – APPLICATION FOR THE RECYCLING OF AUTOMOTIVE WASTE AT LAND OFF TRAVELLERS LANE, WELHAM GREEN, NORTH MYMMS
[Officer contact : Iain Leech Tel : 01992 556225]
Mr D Silbermann on behalf of the Brent Group made a presentation opposing the planning application.
[Councillor W A Storey declared a personal non pecuniary interest in this item as a Member of North Mymms Parish Council, stating that he had not taken part in the discussion or voting on what views should be expressed to the Hertfordshire County Council’s Development Control Committee. He remained in the Chamber and took part in the discussion and voting on this application.]
The Development Control Manager, County Development Unit, Environment Department clarified the situation concerning the current use of the site which had formerly been used as a landscape / builders yard and had been leased out for general use.
In response to a question, the Development Control Manager advised that if planning consent was granted a condition would be imposed restricting the level of noise to a maximum of 10 decibels above normal background noise experienced plus insulation works to the building housing the small metal bailer and metal shearer.
In response to concern expressed about the possibility of heavy goods vehicles
reversing out of the site, the Development Control Manager stated that this issue could be addressed by providing a turning area within the site.
Concern was expressed about the possibility of a considerable number of HGV movements rather than large van movements to and from the site and there was a
need to strike an acceptable balance of type of vehicle using the site if and when consent was granted.
The Development Control Manager stated that it was the intention to visit the site
and monitor various aspects of this site’s operation especially within the initial
12 months and to carry out a minimum of 6 visits.
The Local County Councillor for Hatfield Rural stated that he had lived in North Mymms for over 40 years and had personal knowledge of the operation of this site
and adjoining roads over this period and on balance felt that this proposed planning consent would be beneficial in giving controls over vehicle movements and operation of the site to the County Council.
RESOLVED
That, for the reasons set out in the report, the Director of Environment be authorised to grant planning permission subject to conditions to include :
a) hours of operation;
b) vehicle numbers limited to a daily maximum of 36 (18 in and 18 out) on weekdays and 18 (9 in and 9 out) on Saturdays;
c) restriction on additional machinery on site:
d) details of site drainage and groundwater protection;
e) details of access improvements, fencing, portacabin and site layout including turning area;
f) details for noise attenuation.
2. WELWYN HATFIELD BOROUGH – APPLICATION TO INCREASE CAPACITY OF AN EXISTING LIQUID WASTE TREATMENT PLANT AND TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF DAILY VEHICLE MOVEMENTS AT 30 BURROWFIELD, WELWYN GARDEN CITY
[Officer contact : Iain Leech Tel : 01992 556225]
Mr R Kersey on behalf of Welwyn Garden City residents made a presentation opposing the planning application.
The Head of the County Development Unit, Environment Department advised that the application was partially retrospective in that the two additional storage tanks now being requested consent for had already been erected on site and were within the bunded area.
The Labour Group Development Control Committee Spokesman advised that the local County Councillor for Welwyn Garden City South opposed the planning application on the following grounds :-
· the site is very small;
· the Burrowfield Industrial estate is already very congested;
· the proposed fourfold increase in traffic movements is excessive for a site of that size;
· no objection to the tanks already in place but I support the local residents in their objection to the increase in traffic movements on an already congested industrial estate; and
· residents have regularly complained about the overall traffic movements on the estate [including the Lefarge site almost opposite the Honeywagon site who increased their volume of traffic without permission and when the residents discovered this and complained retrospective permission was granted anyway without consultation. You can see why the residents and many of the businesses on the estate are not very happy]. and the lack of any monitoring or enforcement on the estate as a whole so such a large increase which will not be monitored or enforced is unacceptable.
The Highways Development Control Manager for Eastern Herts, in response to a question advised how an assessment was made of increased vehicle movements as to whether they would be acceptable and what would trigger the need for further investigations to be undertaken. In respect of this current proposal which was considered modest he did not feel there were grounds to limit the daily maximum below 80 on weekdays.
Doubt was expressed about the technical data given about the amount and rate of liquid and solid waste assessed to be produced i.e. 98,000 litres of liquid waste culminating in 18,000 tonnes of solid waste being separated - which was purely an
operational issue which would not have any consequences on vehicle movements or need additional storage tank space.
RESOLVED
That, for the reasons set out in the report, the Director of Environment be authorised to grant planning permission subject to conditions to include :
a) hours of operation;
b) HGV numbers limited to a daily maximum of 80 (40 in and 40 out) on weekdays and no movements of HGVs at weekends or bank holidays;
c) limit on quantity of waste materials stored on site;
d) details of foul and surface water drainage;
e) no infiltration of surface water;
f) parking of HGVs on site only;
g) any further relevant conditions attached to the existing planning permission reference 6/0136-02.
3. WELWYN HATFIELD BOROUGH –
A) APPLICATION FOR USE OF LAND FOR RECYCLING OF BUILDERS’ WASTE AND CONCRETE BATCHING AND CHANGE OF USE OF EXISTING HOUSE AS COMPANY OFFICES ON LAND AT BURNSIDE, HERTFORD ROAD, HATFIELD, (B.P. Mitchell Ltd, Application No. 6/0734-08 CM521)
B) APPLICATION FOR USE OF LAND FOR RECYCLING OF BUILDERS’ WASTE ON LAND AT BURNSIDE, HERTFORD ROAD, HATFIELD, (Peters Bros Ltd, Application No. 6/0966-07 CM521)
[Officer contact : Felicity Hart Tel : 01992 556256]
The Development Control Manager, County Development Unit, Environment Department advised that no formal comments had been received from Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council apart from those made by its Environmental Health Department as contained in paragraph 5.1 of the submitted Agenda report.
In response to a question, the Development Control Manager advised that the Burnside site was one of the largest building materials recycling sites in Hertfordshire handling a high level of inert waste such as building rubble handling approximately 1/10 of Hertfordshire total building rubble.
The Development Control Manager stated that both applications had demonstrated special circumstances as the land lies within the Green Belt, in particular the economic benefits to recycling waste materials, locating advantages plus putting forward proposals to improve the local environment and visual amenity
The Committee in considering the general problem experienced of mud being brought onto the road by vehicles leaving this site, concluded that the current triangular grassed area at the site access with the A414 Hertford Road could be improved by hard surfacing being provided plus providing shared wheel washing facilities and revising its drainage arrangements.
The Chairman on behalf of the Committee thanked the officers for the enforcement activities undertaken with this site prior to these planning applications being brought forward for determination.
RESOLVED
That, for the reasons set out in the report, the Director of Environment be authorised to grant planning permission for use of land for recycling of builders’ waste and concrete batching and change of use of existing house as company offices on land at Burnside, Hertford Road, Hatfield, application no. 6/0734-08 cm521 subject to conditions to include:
a) Permitted operations;
b) Permitted development operations;
c) Maintenance of equipment;
d) Noise levels;
e) Dust;
f) Litter;
g) Vehicle movement restriction;
h) Register of vehicles and loads;
i) Landscaping scheme;
j) Retention of oak tree;
k) Structural details of retaining wall;
l) Car parking layout;
m) Hatfield Hyde Brook scheme to protect embankment;
n) Hours of operation;
o) Lighting;
p) Use of offices only in connection with site use;
q) Limit on throughput of tonnage of material;
r) Wheel wash and drainage;
s) Restriction on height of stockpiles;
t) Improvements to hard surfacing triangular area at access with A414 Hertford Road.
B) APPLICATION FOR USE OF LAND FOR RECYCLING OF BUILDERS’ WASTE ON LAND AT BURNSIDE, HERTFORD ROAD, HATFIELD, (Peters Bros Ltd, Application No. 6/0966-07 CM521)
RESOLVED
That, for the reasons set out in the report, the Director of Environment be authorised to grant planning permission for use of land for recycling of builders’ waste on land at Burnside, Hertford Road, Hatfield, application no. 6/0966-07 cm521 subject to conditions to include:
a) Permitted operations;
b) Permitted development operations;
c) Maintenance of equipment;
d) Noise levels;
e) Dust;
f) Litter;
g) Vehicle movement restriction;
h) Register of vehicles and loads;
i) Landscaping scheme;
j) Hours of operation;
k) Lighting;
l) Limit on throughput of tonnage of material;
m) Wheel wash and drainage;
n) Restriction on height of stockpiles;
o) Yard area to be hard surfaced;
p) Car parking layout;
q) Occupation of dwellinghouse to be restricted to persons currently or last employed on site;
r) Restriction on use of Peters Bros Office to be used as ancillary to permitted use of site;
s) Improvements to hard surfacing triangular area at access with A414 Hertford Road.
A L Laycock
County Secretary
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