Agenda item

To receive and consider the attached report of the Chief Planning Officer regarding a reserved matters application to construct four B1/B2/B£ industrial and warehousing units with associated parking and servicing areas.

The report of the Chief Planning Officer presented a reserved matters application to construct four B1, B2 and B3 industrial and warehousing units with associated park and servicing areas at land between Gelderd Road, Asquith Avenue and Nepshaw Lane North, Gildersome.

Members visited the site prior to the meeting and site plans and photographs were displayed and referred to throughout the discussion of the application.

Further issues highlighted in relation to the application included the following:

·  Outline approval was approved in April 2015 which included the use of the site and access arrangements.  This approval included conditions for noise mitigation and traffic arrangements.

·  There was a small area of housing that was within the site – Belle Vue Terrace.  Mounding had been built up behind these properties along with acoustic fencing.

·  Proposed design of the units was shown – materials to be used would be subject to conditions.

·  There had been digging out of the site which would lessen the visual impact from Belle Vue Terrace, particularly when landscaping had matured.

·  There was sufficient distance between the units and residential properties.

·  Shadow surveys had been carried out.

·  There had been additional objections submitted which had not raised any new issues and were mainly due to noise and traffic which had all been resolved at the outline application stage.  There were no concerns from Highways.

·  Members were reminded that they were only being asked to consider appearance, scale, layout, landscaping and internal access.

·  The application was recommended for approval subject to conditions as outlined in the report and a further condition for provision of shower facilities.

A local resident and Parish Council representative addressed the Panel with concerns and objections to the application.  These included the following:

·  Residents of Belle Vue Terrace were concerned regarding the scale of the proposals.  They would be overbearing and block sunlight.

·  With the approved application in 2015, Unit 5 was positioned further away from residential properties and there would be a car park buffer zone.  Loading bays were now positioned directly behind houses and HGV vehicles would be accessing these.

·  The existing fencing and planting would not prevent any noise disturbance.

·  The Panel was urged to reject a 24 hour 7 day operation on the site and to see if the distance from houses could be increased.

·  In response to questions from the Panel, the following was discussed:

o  There had been changes to the proposed layout since outline permission was approved.  However, the layout plan tabled as part of the outline Approval was indicative only.

o  24 hour7 day operation was not proposed at the outline planning stage.  This issue was considered and a condition regarding background noise levels was considered appropriate at the time to retain flexibility for future occupiers.

o  The landscaping and fencing was not sufficient.  Aslthough this was addressed at the Outline Stage and had yet to be complted or established.

o  There would have been more objections to the application but there had been technical problems accessing the website to submit these.  Members were however aware of the concerns of local residents.

o  Consultation with the applicant.

The applicant’s representatives addressed the Panel.  Issues highlighted included the following:

·  The applicant was progressing the 2015 outline application.  The land had been identified in the UDP for employment.

·  Lidl had agreed to take on one of the units and this would create up to 500 jobs.

·  There had been extensive discussion with the Council regarding the development of the proposals.

·  Approval of this application would help to secure occupiers for the remaining plots and creation of more jobs.

·  The proposed layout had no greater impact on residents than the indicative layout shown at the time of the 2015 outline approval and noise from the development should remain low.

·  In response to questions from the Panel, the following was discussed:

o  Residents had been notified of the application and the applicant’s plans to progress work in November 2018.  The applicant would start landscaping works earlier than usual to meet concerns of the residents.

o  The distance between Unit 3 and the Belle Vue terrace was 52 metres.

o  The proposed occupiers of the units operated on a shift working basis and it would not be possible to move away from a 24 hour 7 day operation.

o  There had not been any further consultation since the submission of the reserved matters application.  There had been no further requests for consultation from Ward Members or Gildersome Parish Council.

o  Since the outline application, the floor space on site had been significantly reduced and this would mean less car parking and less traffic.

o  The proposals had been drafted in consultation with occupiers of the units.

In response to Members comments and questions, the following was discussed:

·  The layout had been designed based on the needs of the applicant and occupiers and offered benefits to the layout as seen in the outline application.  Due to a change in levels and landscaping the development would not be visible from properties at Belle Vue Terrace.

·  Sound levels could be monitored at the site and enforcement action taken if necessary.

·  There was an agreement that construction works should not start before 8.00 a.m.

RESOLVED – That the application be approved as per the officer recommendation and conditions outlined in the report.