Agenda item

To receive and consider the attached report of the Chief Planning Officer regarding an application for side extensions to existing factory, rear courtyard canopy and new sugar silo to rear, new hgv service/parking yard and new staff car park to rear

  Plans, drawings and photographs were displayed at the meeting.  A Members site visit had taken place earlier in the day

  Officers presented the report which sought approval to extensions and alterations at the Britvic Factory, Swinnow Industrial Estate, which had been been operating on the site since 1974

  The proposals were outlined to Panel with Members also being informed of the extent of the investment in the business and new jobs the development would create

  Members were advised that the applicant’s original proposals had attracted 21 objections, mainly relating to the impact on residential amenity.  It was noted that residential dwellings were located close to the site and that a new residential estate situated opposite the site had been completed recently.  Following notification of the revisions made to the scheme local residents had been given further opportunity to comment

  In terms of distances from the proposed staff car park to the residential dwellings, these were acceptable to Officers.  The level of staff parking had also been reduced from 185 to 145, with Highways being satisfied on this level of provision.  Local concerns had also been raised about the 24 hour use of the site, however as this already took place, it was considered unreasonable to restrict the hours of use as part of the application under consideration

  In relation to boundary treatments, acoustic fencing would be provided and the existing conifers on the site would be conditioned to be maintained to at least 5.5 metres in height

  The Panel heard from an objector who attended the meeting and outlined his concerns about the application which included:

·  the scale of the development

·  the proximity of residential development

·  impact on residential amenity and concerns about the impact of the construction process

The Panel then heard representations on behalf of the applicant who

provided information to Members which included:

·  the nature of the initial consultation with local residents; an acceptance this could have been better and that improvements to this had now take place

·  that the scheme had been amended in response to matters raised in the consulation

·  the extent of the investment in the plant and the jobs which would be created

·  the need for condition 9, which related to switching off reversing beeps on HGVs within the rear loading bay area to be reconsidered as this raised health and safety issues, particularly for third party drivers which were used by the company

Members discussed the application, with the key issues raised relating

to:

·  noise nuisance and the mitigation measures being proposed.  The Chair invited the applicant’s noise expert, who was in attendance to respond to questions from the Panel

·  the number of complaints received by the company relating to noise nuisance.  The applicant’s representative stated the company received a small number of complaints on this, with one being received last year which had now been resolved

·  condition 9; the implications of this for the applicant and whether the condition could be lawfully enforced

The Head of Planning Services suggested if the Panel was minded to

approve the application, that condition 9 be reworded to require the submission and agreement of a noise management plan for the evening hours and for the agreed scheme to be monitored.  Additional conditions were also suggested to control the lighting to the car park and on the building, in the interests of protecting residential amenity

The Panel considered how to proceed

RESOLVED -  To defer and delegate approval to the Chief Planning

Officer, subject to the conditions set out in the submitted report; the rewording of condition 9 to require the submission and agreement of a noise management plan for the evening hours and for the agreed scheme to be monitored and two additional conditions relating to the control of lighting to the car park and the building