Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Robert Everitt and Peter Stevens.

Any Member who is substituting for another Member should so indicate together with the name of the relevant absent Member.

The following substitutions were declared:

Councillor Betty McLatchy substituting for Councillor Peter Stevens; and

Councillor Frank Warby substituting for Councillor Robert Everitt.

(Councillor Peter Stevens had previously indicated that to avoid the perception of pre-determination and bias due to his close association with the applicant in his capacity as Portfolio Holder for Operations, he would not be present during the consideration of Planning Application No: DC/17/0521/FUL).

Report No: DEV/SE/17/031

Creation of municipal operational hub comprising waste transfer station, household waste recycling centre (including reuse building), fleet depot (including offices), public realm maintenance depot and associated infrastructure including accesses, internal roads, parking, weighbridges, landscaping scheme and shared use path to connect existing footway on Barton Hill to proposed accesses

(Councillors Paula Fox, David Nettleton and David Roach declared local non-pecuniary interests as Members of Suffolk County Council and remained in the meeting for the consideration of this item.)

Planning Application DC/17/0521/FUL - Creation of a municipal operational hub comprising waste transfer station (WTS), household waste recycling centre (HWRC) (including reuse building), fleet depot (including offices), public realm maintenance depot and associated infrastructure accesses, internal roads, parking, weighbridges, landscaping scheme and shared use path to connect the existing footway on Barton Hill to proposed accesses. 

This application had been referred to the Development Control Committee because it was a Major Development, the Parish Council had objected, and because the applicant was the Council.

Full planning permission was sought for the above and the application had been amended since submission to include amendments to the surface water drainage scheme; landscaping scheme; and to provide additional information regarding fuel storage and pollution prevention.  A Member site visit had also been held prior to the meeting.

Following the publication of the agenda and papers for this meeting, the Case Officer advised of the following matters:

(a)     A further letter of objection had been received from the Chairmen of Fornham St Martin cum St Genevieve Parish Council; Fornham All Saints Parish Council; and Great Barton Parish Council, who wished to reiterate their concerns regarding:

·         the scope of the Transport Assessment (TA);

·         the Highway Authority’s (Suffolk County Council) response to the application;

·         congestion;

·         safety; and

·         the cumulative impact of the development in association with planned growth in the area.

(b)     A letter of representation had been received from the occupants of ‘Sharon’, Livermere Road, Great Barton, who expressed concern regarding, in their opinion:

·         the conflict with local planning policies;

·         the use of a greenfield site;

·         the inappropriate site selection process;

·         a precedent would be set for future development in the countryside; and

·         residents’ views were not adequately accounted for.

Due to a technical system error, this response had been submitted as a result of consultation letters being sent to three households after the consultation period had expired.  Each household had previously commented on the application and the occupants were advised that their previous comments would be taken into account.  Members were therefore advised that this error would not prejudice the consideration of the application, as proposed.

(c)     An additional condition was proposed, which would require details regarding the handling of foul water to be submitted for approval by the Local Planning Authority (LPA) to provide flexibility for the development to connect to the mains sewer, if achievable.

(d)     Proposed condition 24, should be amended to state:

“Within a 12 month period a maximum of 106,496 tonnes waste and material for recycling may be accepted at the Waste Transfer Station.  The operator shall keep a record of all imported material which shall be made available to the Local Planning Authority upon request.”

(e)     That if the Committee resolved to approve the application (subject to conditions), officers would write to the Secretary of State advising him of  ...  view the full minutes text for item 334.