Agenda No.
1
HERTFORDSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL
DEVELOPMENT CONTROL COMMITTEE
TUESDAY 23 SEPTEMBER 2008 AT 10:00 AM
WELWYN HATFIELD BOROUGH
APPLICATION FOR A NEW LIQUID WASTE TRANSFER FACILITY AT
34 BURROWFIELDS, WELWYN GARDEN CITY, HERTFORDSHIRE
Report of the Director of Environment
Author: Conor Guilfoyle Tel: 01992 588 670
Local Member: Sue Jones
1 Purpose of Report
1.1 To consider planning application ref. 6/1545-08 for a liquid waste transfer facility at 34 Burrowfields, Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire AL7 4S
2 Summary
2.1 The application site at 34 Burrowfields occupies an area of approximately 69 metres x 21 metres. The site is located at the southern end of an existing industrial estate towards the south of Welwyn Garden City and is bordered by industrial units to the south, a railway line to the west, and industrial plant and units to the north. Access to the estate is off the A1000 via a T-junction which directly passes a number of residential properties on Chequers into Burrowfields which is a non-through road.
2.2 The applicant currently undertakes operations similar to this proposal at 30 Burrowfields. The lease for that site is soon due to expire, and therefore the purpose of this application is essentially to relocate existing operations to the nearby application site at 34 Burrowfields.
2.3 The applicant is seeking planning permission for a small waste transfer station for the reception and storage of tanked non-hazardous liquid waste. The waste is pumpable, liquid waste of low odour nature, typically interceptor waste, oil spillage and soluble oil. The waste would arrive by road tanker and would be sent direct to the storage tanks at the western side of the site. The waste would be compatible with the steel holding tanks and with all other waste received to ensure that no on-site reaction occurs.
2.4 The proposal would involve relocating the existing site gates inwards to prevent waiting vehicles from blocking the highway. In addition, the proposal includes a scheme of highway works to improve the site entrance. Run over areas would be constructed, new granite setts would define the entrance, and a wider radius to the site entrance would be constructed.
2.5 It is proposed to have 80 permitted daily HGV movements (40 in and 40 out). The proposed hours of operation would be 0600 – 1700 on Monday to Friday with no operations at weekends except for emergency maintenance purposes.
2.6 The principal issues to be taken into account in determining this application are:
· environmental impacts
· traffic/highways
3 Conclusion
3.1 The proposal seeks to relocate an existing waste transfer station to a nearby site at 34 Burrowfields. Therefore, in effect, it would not change the characteristics of the industrial estate. Whilst congestion is a major problem in the estate, the main cause of this is on street parking. The proposal would not lead to an increase in on-street car parking as vehicles would access the site directly and as such would be unlikely to give rise to further congestion. There is a demonstrable need for the facility and as such it is considered that the proposal would be acceptable.
3.2 The report therefore concludes that the Director of Environment should be authorised to grant planning permission subject to conditions to include:
- hours of operation - 07.00am - 17.00 pm Monday to Friday with no operations on Saturdays, Sundays, or Public and Bank Holidays, except Saturdays and Sundays for emergency maintenance only;
- 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.
- limit on quantity of waste materials stored on site
- no liquids or material likely to cause pollution of underground or surface water supplies to be deposited.
- details of foul and surface water drainage to be submitted to the Waste Planning Authority;
- parking of HGVs on site only.
4 Description of the site and proposed development
4.1 The application site at 34 Burrowfields occupies an area of approximately 69 metres x 21 metres. The site is located at the southern end of an existing industrial estate towards the south of Welwyn Garden City and is bordered by industrial units to the south, a railway line to the west, and industrial plant and units to the north. Access to the estate is off the A1000 via a T-junction which directly passes a number of residential properties on Chequers into Burrowfields which is a non-through road.
4.2 The applicant currently undertakes operations similar to this proposal at 30 Burrowfields. The lease for that site is soon due to expire, and therefore the purpose of this application is essentially to relocate existing operations to the nearby application site at 34 Burrowfields.
4.3 Existing works taking place on the site at 34 Burrowfields include a car garage at the front and a car mechanic operating at the rear, with the rest of the site lying empty. It is proposed to change the use the majority of the site to waste transfer. Part of the northern end of the site would continue to be used by the mechanic. However, the applicant intends to utilise the entire site for the waste transfer operations in the future.
4.4 The applicant is seeking planning permission for a small waste transfer station for the reception and storage of tanked non-hazardous liquid waste. The waste is pumpable, liquid waste of low odour nature, typically interceptor waste, oil spillage and soluble oil. The waste would be received by road tanker and then discharged into a set of separation tanks allowing the oil and silt to be contained whilst the residual grey water is discharged to foul sewer for which the company has consent from Thames Water. The solids and oil would then removed and taken for further licensed treatment before disposal at landfill.
4.5 The waste would be compatible with the steel holding tanks and with all other waste received to ensure that no on-site reaction occurs. The tanks would be positioned within a bunded enclosure on a raised concrete plinth. The bund wall would be 600mm high with a sheet lining on the base with bitumen lined walls. A protective barrier would be in place of the bunded area to prevent accidental drainage from vehicles backing into and damaging the bund wall.
4.6 Waste would be deposited and removed from the tanks during normal operational hours. Bunded skips would be used to receive residual dry waste from tankers. Diesel would be held in a bunded tank. Oils would be kept in drums that are also bunded.
4.7 The existing fencing on the east and rear of the site is a 1.5m high wire and post type. The west side of the site is bounded by 3m high galvanised steel fencing. The site entrance has double 1.5m high double opening steel gates.
4.8 The proposal would involve relocating the existing site gates inwards to prevent waiting vehicles from blocking the highway. In addition, the proposal includes a scheme of highway works to improve the site entrance. Run over areas would be constructed, new granite setts would define the entrance, and a wider radius to the site entrance would be constructed.
4.9 It is proposed to have 80 permitted daily HGV movements (40 in and 40 out). The proposed hours of operation would be 0600 – 1700 on Monday to Friday with none at weekends except for emergency maintenance purposes.
5 Consultations
5.1 Welwyn Hatfield Borough – comments awaited.
Environmental Health at Welwyn Hatfield Borough does not object to the proposed development.
5.2 The Environment Agency and Three Valleys Water have not responded.
5.3 Hertfordshire County Council as Highway Authority has no objections subject to conditions restricting daily vehicle movements to 80 (40 in, 40 out) daily and the carrying out of highway improvements as per plans submitted with the application before occupation of the site.
5.4 A total of 79 properties were consulted on the application and 5 letters objecting to the application were received. The issues of concern can be summarised as:
· congestion by way of insufficient off road parking.
· existing traffic levels are too high for such a narrow road.
· delivery vehicles in the estate unload at the roadside leaving little room for an increase in vehicle numbers.
· the road is not wide enough for two lorries to pass each other.
5.5 A site notice was erected on 26th August 2008.
6 Planning considerations
6.1 The relevant development plan policies are:
Hertfordshire Waste Local Plan 1995- 2005 (adopted January 1999)
Waste Policy 1 – Sustainable Development
Waste Policy 2 – Need for waste management facilities
Waste Policy 13 – Criteria for re-use, recovery, recycling and transfer of waste (except green waste composting) outside areas of search
Waste Policy 43 – Traffic
Welwyn Hatfield District Plan 2005 (adopted 15 April 2005)
Policy EMP1 (Employment Areas)
Policy EMP2 (Acceptable Uses in Employment Areas)
6.2 The principal issues to be taken into account in determining this application are:
· environmental impacts
· traffic/highways
Environmental Impacts
6.3 Policy 13 of the Hertfordshire Waste Local Plan describes suitable locations for waste facilities which includes land within or adjacent to an established or proposed general industrial area. The proposal is located within the Burrowfield Industrial Estate. The existing facility at 30 Burrowfields has planning permission, and therefore this proposal essentially involves relocating the existing operations to 34 Burrowfields. Policy EMP1 of the Welwyn Hatfield District Plan identifies the industrial estate as an employment area, stating that Class B uses (Class B uses include office, light and general industrial and storage uses) would be acceptable and that non-Class B uses would only be allowed where existing employment land are no longer required to meet future employment requirements.
6.4 Currently, with the exception of the existing facility which the proposal seeks to relocate to 34 Burrowfields, there are no existing liquid waste separation plants/transfer stations within Welwyn Garden City. The nearest facility is located in Stevenage, some 12 miles to the north. The need for this sort of waste facility within Welwyn Garden City has been demonstrated by continuing operations at the site. The site mainly accepts liquid waste from Hertfordshire with interceptor waste being accepted from locations nationwide. The proposed expansion of the site would therefore comply with Hertfordshire Waste Local Plan Policy 2.
Traffic/Highways
6.5 Burrowfield Industrial Estate is a busy site with a high level of vehicle movements and a high level of on street parking. As such it gets heavily congested. The main issue is on street parking which prevents two way traffic movements through the estate. Operations as part of the liquid waste transfer station would continue to involve vehicles accessing the site and either depositing waste or removing waste for further treatment or disposal albeit more frequently. No heavy goods vehicles would need to be parked on the public highway. HGVs would be parked on site overnight when not in use. Staff car parking on site would be proposed as part for this application. Hertfordshire County Council as highways authority has not objected to the proposal subject to a condition restricting daily vehicle movements.
6.7 The proposal seeks to relocate a similar facility nearby at 30 Burrowfields to 34 Burrowfields. The proposed vehicle movements would be the same as those at the existing facility at 30 Burrowfields. There is the possibility of another occupier moving to number 30 Burrowfields to carry out the same use along with associated vehicle movements. However, due to the vehicle numbers being spread over a 10 hour working day, the close proximity of the ‘A‘ road network and the established need for the facility it is considered that the proposed vehicle numbers would not cause significant additional congestion or sufficient disturbance to warrant refusal of the application.
6.8 In order to minimise disturbance to local residents, if planning permission was granted, then it is recommended that a restriction on the proposed hours of operation would be maintained so that operations would not start before 0700 during the day (finishing at 1700) and that there would continue to be no operations at weekends or bank holidays as per the existing planning permission.
6.9 The application site is located with an employment area (as identified in the Welwyn Hatfield District Plan). Policy EMP2 seeks to resist any other uses (except for uses classes B1, B2 and B8) within designated employment areas. Any proposals would have to accord with criteria i to v of the policy. Whilst the proposed use is sui generis it is not dissimilar to B2.B8 use.
6.11 The application site is located within close proximity to the strategic highway network. It is located within approximately 300m of the A1000 which provide links to the A414 and the A1(M). Vehicles would only travel along a 300m stretch of road through the Burrowfield estate until meeting the A1000.
6.12 Concerns were previously raised (in relation to a planning application for an increase in vehicle movements at 30 Burrowfield) that the proposed vehicle movements would not accord with part iii of Policy EMP2 as the proposed vehicle movements would harm the amenity of nearby residential properties. However, this is the case with all businesses at Burrowfields as vehicles have no alternative access routes to and from the estate.