Agenda item

Report No: DEV/WS/23/011

Planning application - ambulance hub including vehicle servicing, car parking and landscaping

Planning application - ambulance hub including vehicle servicing, car parking and landscaping

The application was referred to the Development Control Committee as it represented a departure from the Development Plan, in that the proposed use, which was Sui Generis, did not technically fall within the allocation for Suffolk Business Park, which was for B1 and B8 uses.

As part of his presentation to the meeting the Senior Planning Officer provided videos of the site by way of a virtual ‘site visit’.

Members were advised that Ward Member (Moreton Hall) Councillor Birgitte Mager had submitted a late representation on the application in relation to traffic/access and this was read out to the Committee.

Officers were recommending that the application be approved, subject to conditions as set out in Paragraph 86 of Report No DEV/WS/23/011 together with the amendments to Condition Nos 2, 8, 10 and 14 as referenced in the supplementary ‘late paper’ that was issued after publication of the agenda and lastly, also inclusive of a boundary treatment (fencing) condition as verbally outlined to the meeting.

During the debate reference was made to Councillor Mager’s comments concerning traffic/access.

In response the Service Manager (Planning – Development) explained that National Highways were consulted on the application and no objections had been raised. Furthermore, it was not possible to condition via a planning application which routes the operators had to take.

Considerable discussion took place on the Committee’s desire for the scheme to include solar panels on the roof.

The Service Manager (Planning – Development) explained that Policy DM7 in the Local Plan enabled the Planning Authority to require a BREEAM standard of excellence for schemes such as that seeking determination.

The agent for the application (James Pritchard) was present in the public gallery and the Chair permitted him to come forward and address the Committee in respect of their specific questions concerning solar panels.

Mr Pritchard advised Members that the intention was to install photovoltaic (PV) solar panels on the roof of the building, with any unused or surplus solar electricity to be exported to the grid.

Accordingly it was proposed by Councillor John Burns that the application be approved, as per the Officer recommendation, and this was duly seconded by Councillor David Smith.

Upon being put to the vote and with the vote being unanimous, it was resolved that

Decision

Planning permission be GRANTED subject to the following conditions:

1.   The development hereby permitted shall be begun not later than 3 years from the date of this permission.

2.   The development hereby permitted shall not be carried out except in complete accordance with the details shown on the approved plans and documents.

3.   The development shall achieve BREEAM Excellent standard. This must be evidenced by a BREEAM fully-fitted certificate upon completion. The development shall achieve a Final BREEAM Excellent rating in accordance with the requirements of the relevant BREEAM scheme. The projects Final Certificate must be issued to the local planning authority within a maximum of 6 months post completion.

4.   No development shall commence until details of the strategy for the disposal of surface water on the site have been submitted to and approved in writing by the local planning authority (LPA). The strategy shall be implemented and thereafter managed and maintained in accordance with the approved details.

5.   Within 28 days of practical completion of the last dwelling or unit, surface water drainage verification report shall be submitted to the Local Planning Authority, detailing and verifying that the surface water drainage system has been inspected and has been built and functions in accordance with the approved designs and drawings. The report shall include details of all SuDS components and piped networks in an agreed form, for inclusion on the Lead Local Flood Authority’s Flood Risk Asset Register.

6.   Prior to commencement of development details of a Construction Surface Water Management Plan (CSWMP) detailing how surface water and storm water will be managed on the site during construction (including demolition and site clearance operations) shall be submitted to and agreed in writing by the Local Planning Authority. The CSWMP shall be implemented and thereafter managed and maintained in accordance with the approved plan for the duration of construction. The approved CSWMP and shall include:

A.   Method statements, scaled and dimensioned plans and drawings detailing surface water management proposals to include:-

1.   Temporary drainage systems

2.   Measures for managing pollution / water quality and protecting controlled waters and watercourses

3.   Measures for managing any on or offsite flood risk associated with construction.

7.   If, during development, contamination not previously identified is found to be present at the site then no further development (unless otherwise agreed in writing with the Local Planning Authority) shall be carried out until the developer has submitted a remediation strategy to the Local Planning Authority detailing how this unsuspected contamination shall be dealt with and obtained written approval from the Local Planning Authority. The remediation strategy shall be implemented as approved.

8.   The areas to be provided for the storage and presentation for collection/emptying of refuse and recycling bins as shown on Drawing No. 21712-2011-T04 shall be provided in their entirety before the development is brought into use and shall be retained thereafter for no other purpose.

9.   The use shall not commence until the areas within the site shown on Drawing No. 21712-2011-P02 for the purposes of loading, unloading, manoeuvring and parking of vehicles has been provided and thereafter the areas shall be retained, maintained and used for no other purposes.

10.The use shall not commence until the facilities within the site shown on Drawing No. 21712-2011-T04 for the purposes of cycle parking have been provided and thereafter the area shall be retained, maintained and used for no other purposes.

11.Prior to first operational use of the site, at least 20 (twenty) car parking spaces shall be equipped with working electric vehicle charge points, which shall be provided for staff and/or visitor use at locations reasonably accessible from car parking spaces. The Electric Vehicle Charge Points shall be retained thereafter and maintained in an operational condition.

12.All mitigation and enhancement measures and/or works shall be carried out in accordance with the details contained in the Walkover Ecology Survey Report (James Blake Associates, September 2022) as already submitted with the planning application and agreed in principle with the local planning authority prior to determination.

13.Prior to any works above slab level, A Biodiversity Enhancement Strategy for protected and Priority species shall be submitted to and approved in writing by the local planning authority. The content of the Biodiversity Enhancement Strategy shall include the following:

a) Purpose and conservation objectives for the proposed enhancement measures;

b) detailed designs or product descriptions to achieve stated objectives;

c) locations, orientations, and heights of proposed enhancement measures by appropriate maps and plans;

d) persons responsible for implementing the enhancement measures;

e) details of initial aftercare and long-term maintenance (where relevant).

The works shall be implemented in accordance with the approved details prior to occupation and shall be retained in that manner thereafter.

14.All planting comprised in the approved details of landscaping (1042-SW-01 REVC and 1042-SW-02 REVC) shall be carried out in the first planting season following the commencement of the development (or within such extended period as may first be agreed in writing with the Local Planning Authority). Any planting removed, dying or becoming seriously damaged or diseased within five years of planting shall be replaced within the first available planting season thereafter with planting of similar size and species unless the Local Planning Authority gives written consent for any variation.

15.No development above ground level shall take place until details of a hard landscaping scheme for the site have been submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority. These details shall include proposed finished levels and contours showing earthworks and mounding;

surfacing materials; means of enclosure; car parking layouts; other vehicle and pedestrian access and circulations areas; hard surfacing materials; minor artefacts and structures (for example furniture, play equipment, refuse and/or other storage units, signs, lighting and similar features);

proposed and existing functional services above and below ground (for example drainage, power, communications cables and pipelines, indicating lines, manholes, supports and other technical features); retained historic landscape features and proposals for restoration where relevant. The scheme shall be implemented prior to the occupation of any part of the development (or within such extended period as may first be agreed in writing with the Local Planning Authority).

16.Prior to commencement of development, including any works of demolition, a Construction Method Statement shall be submitted to, and approved in writing by, the Local Planning Authority. The approved Statement shall be adhered to throughout the construction period. The Statement shall provide for:

A.   The parking of vehicles of site operatives and visitors

B.   Loading and unloading of plant and materials 

C.   Site set-up including arrangements for the storage of plant and materials used in constructing the development and the provision of temporary offices, plant and machinery

D.   The erection and maintenance of security hoarding including external safety and information signage, interpretation boards, decorative displays and facilities for public viewing, where appropriate 

E.   Wheel washing facilities 

F.    Measures to control the emission of dust and dirt during construction 

G.   A scheme for recycling/disposing of waste resulting from demolition and construction works

H.   Hours of construction operations including times for deliveries and the removal of excavated materials and waste

I.    Noise method statements and noise levels for each construction activity including piling and excavation operations

J.    Access and protection measures around the construction site for pedestrians, cyclists and other road users including arrangements for diversions during the construction period and for the provision of associated directional signage relating thereto.

17.All HGV and construction traffic movements to and from the site over the duration of the construction period shall be subject to a Construction and Deliveries Management Plan which shall be submitted to the planning authority for approval a minimum of 28 days before any deliveries of materials commence.

No HGV movements shall be permitted to and from the site other than in accordance with the routes defined in the Plan.

18.The site preparation and construction works, shall only be carried out between the hours of:

08:00 to 18:00 Mondays to Fridays

08:00 - 13.30 Saturdays

No times during Sundays or Bank Holidays without the prior written consent of the Local Planning Authority.

(If ‘quiet work activities’ are permitted by the Local Planning Authority upon receiving a formal request outside these hours they will not involve the use of generators, machinery and vehicles in external areas of the site).

19.Within 1 month of development commencing on the hereby approved building full details of the lockers, drying room (including heating source and how clothes and other items will be stored (rails/ hook/ benches)) shall be submitted to and approved in writing with the Local Planning Authority. The approved details shall be fully installed and available to staff before the building hereby approved is first brought into operation and thereafter retained. 

20.Notwithstanding the details included on the amended site plan, reference 21712-2011-T04, prior to development above ground level details of the treatment of the boundaries of the site shall be submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority. The details shall specify the siting, design, height and materials of the screen walls/fences to be constructed or erected and/or the species, spacing and height of hedging to be retained and / or planted together with a programme of implementation. Any planting removed, dying, being severely damaged or becoming seriously diseased within five years of planting shall be replaced by soft landscaping of similar size and species to those originally required to be planted. The works shall be completed prior to first use/occupation in accordance with the approved details. Notwithstanding the provisions of the General Permitted Development Order there shall be no further fencing or other means of enclosure, sited, erected or otherwise provided on the site unless as may have been agreed pursuant to this condition.