Decision details

A report was presented on an application for the variation of condition 1 of permission 07/11/0739 to allow the development to continue until 01 June 2031 and variation of condition 26 of permission 07/11/0739 to allow site operations from 06.30am Mondays to Fridays, in relation to the extraction of sand and restoration to agricultural land by the importation of waste at Lydiate Lane Sand Quarry, Lydiate Lane, Farington, Leyland.

The report included the views of South Ribble Borough Council, the County Council's Highways Development Control, the County Ecological Service, the Environment Agency, Highways England, and details of 12 letters of representation received including letters from the borough councillors for Farington East in South Ribble.

The Committee visited the site on the 8 July 2016.

The Development Management Officer presented a PowerPoint presentation which included an aerial photograph of the site, the nearest residential properties and the adjacent Cuerden Strategic Site. The committee was also shown photographs of the site and various site layout and site location plans.

The Officer reported orally that a number of comments had been received in relation to the Committee report and the applicant's slope stability assessment.  The comments and the officer advice in relation to such and in relation to Public Footpath numbers 6, 7 and 9, Cuerden were set out in the Update Sheet. (Copy set out at Annex A to the Minute Book and published as a supplementary report to the agenda).

The Planning Director of Turley (planning consultants) addressed the Committee on behalf of his client. The Committee was informed that a time extension at the quarry could have a negative impact on the development of the adjacent Cuerden Strategic Employment Site.  The Director reiterated the concerns raised in the report and in the Update Sheet with regard to slope stability. He requested that the Committee defer determination of the application until a full and detailed geo-technical assessment had been submitted by the applicant or preferably, until the applicant had agreed to carry out, on an annual basis, further assessment work including a topographical survey. It was hoped this would provide an appropriate level of certainty. It was suggested that this could be done through the imposition of the proposed additional conditions set out in the Update Sheet.

The agent for the applicant addressed the committee and spoke in support of the application. The Committee was advised that:

•  The principle of quarrying and restoring the site had already been established.

•  Topographical surveys were already carried out on an annual basis.

•  The applicant had submitted a geo-technical assessment.  This satisfactorily demonstrated that the previously approved and currently proposed extraction boundaries were not be likely to lead to any slope failure beyond the site boundary.

Resolved: The planning permission be granted subject to the conditions set out in the report to the Committee.