Agenda item

The Board considered a report of the Chief Executive, a copy of which, marked ‘Agenda Item 7’, is filed with these minutes.

In accordance with the procedures for making representations to the Board Vicky Dennison (local resident), Colin Perks (local resident) and Alistair Clemence (Hungarton Parish Council) spoke against the proposals, and Graham Clark (Berrys) spoke on behalf of the applicant.

Mrs. B. Seaton CC and Mr. S. J. Galton CC spoke as the local members and both raised concerns about lorries travelling to and from the site through their divisions. Mr. Galton CC also raised concerns regarding the landscape and visual impact of the proposals.

In response to a question from a member as to whether a principle of development had been established on the site the Chief Executive confirmed that the fact that the Board had previously granted planning permission for a very similar proposal on the site was a material consideration and stated that although there had been changes in planning policy at both a national and local level since that earlier planning permission had been granted those policy changes did not affect the recommendation to grant planning permission on the current application.

The Chief Executive also confirmed that there was no specific timescale for when an Environmental Statement (ES) would become out of date. However, the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) needed to be sufficiently robust and it was for the Local Planning Authority to determine whether the ES was adequate. In this case the Chief Executive was of the view that the ES submitted with the planning application was sufficiently up to date and addressed all the relevant issues.

The Director of Environment and Transport confirmed that five passing bays were proposed to be created on Hungarton Lane at the points where the road was too narrow for vehicles to pass each other and at other points on Hungarton Lane it was possible for two HGVs to pass each other.

The Director of Law and Governance confirmed that it was not usual practice to draft a Section 106 agreement for an application such as this until the Board had approved the application in order to ensure that the agreement fully reflected the views of the Board. The Director advised that the Section 106 agreement from the previous application relating to the site was available for members to view should they wish to see it.

In response to concerns raised by a member regarding the environmental sustainability of the site the Chief Executive confirmed that planning policy did not set out specific environmental standards, such as achieving carbon neutrality and therefore it was not possible to secure such standards by planning condition or Section 106 agreement. However, the Chief Executive advised that officers would be able to discuss this with the applicant in order to convey the Council’s stance regarding the environment.

While members were broadly supportive of the officer recommendation to approve the application (subject to conditions and Section 106 agreement), members sought assurances from the Chief Executive that officers would seek to impose an additional planning condition to secure tighter restrictions on HGV movements late at night to safeguard the amenity of local residents. In response, the Chief Executive agreed that it would be possible to impose an additional condition, subject to having discussions with the applicant to understand any constraints that this would have on the operation of the business.

RESOLVED:

(a)       That the application be permitted subject to:

i.                 conditions nos. 1-15 set out in the appendix to the report;

ii.                the prior completion of a Section 106 legal agreement covering HGV routeing;

iii.              An additional planning condition being imposed to restrict HGV movements late at night, the details of which under the scheme of delegation be delegated to the Chief Executive following prior consultation with the Chairman and the spokespersons Mr. B. Crooks CC and Mr. S. D. Sheahan CC. In exercising the delegation the Chief Executive will note the comments made at the meeting by Mrs. B. Seaton CC and Mr. S. J. Galton CC.

(b)      That a Note to Applicant be sent requesting the applicant to consider how best to ensure that the Poultry Units and Anaerobic Digestion Facility are sustainable and operated in the most environmentally friendly way.