Decision details

Chorley Borough: application number. LCC/2017/0095
Importation of soils to meet stability requirements for approved residential development and cutting back of rock outcrop to provide a stable landform on land at Little Quarry, Hill Top Lane, Whi

Decision status: Recommendations approved

Is Key decision?: No

Decisions:

A report was presented on an application for the importation of soils to meet stability requirements for approved residential development and the cutting back of a rock outcrop to provide a stable landform on land at Little Quarry, Hill Top Lane, Whittle-le-Woods.

 

The report included the views of Chorley Borough Council, Whittle-le-Woods Parish Council, Clayton–le-Woods Parish Council, the Coal Authority, the County Ecology Service, the Environment Agency, Historic England, Lancashire County Council's Highways Development Control, Natural England, the Ramblers' Association, the Canal and River Trust and details of 88 representations received.   The views of County Councillor Mark Perks and Chorley Borough Councillor Eric Bell were also reported.

 

Members of the committee visited the application site on 21 May 2018. This included a walk along Hill Top Lane to the junction of Chorley Old Road.

 

The Development Management Officer presented a PowerPoint Presentation showing an aerial view of the site and the nearest residential properties. The committee was also shown an illustration of the proposed finished contours, the main areas of infill and slope cut and photographs of the site, the site entrance and approach roads.

 

The officer reported that the Environment Agency had submitted further views. These views together with advice from the officer was set out in the Update Sheet circulated at the meeting and attached at Annex A to the Minutes. 

 

The Officer also advised that a number of minor changes had been made to the submitted plans to clarify proposed re-profiling of the eastern rock outcrop. It was therefore recommended that conditions 4, 22 and 24 be amended as set out in the Update Sheet at Annex A to the Minutes.

 

Councillor P Higham, Councillor E Bell and County Councillor M Perks, the Parish, District and County Councillor for the area respectively, addressed the Committee and raised the following concerns:

 

  • The HGVs would have an adverse impact on local residents in terms of dust, noise and air pollution - an air quality assessment should be undertaken.
  • The proposed water management plan was inadequate – water from the quarry spills out of a gully onto Chorley Old Road and into properties.
  • This application would not stabilise the site – it was unsuitable for housing.  The quarry should be left undisturbed, to allow for natural stabilisation.
  • The applicant does not adhere to conditions and allows mud to be tracked out of the site.

·  The application should be refused to allow local residents some quality of life – the area was blighted by quarries.

·  The local roads cannot accommodate 20 tonne HGVs.

  • The proposed development would exacerbate the current flooding problems.
  • Details of the water management plan should be agreed prior to the determination of the planning application.

 

Mr Sedgwick spoke on behalf of the applicant. He informed the committee that the site was the subject of a housing site allocation in the Chorley Local Plan.  It was explained that additional material would be deposited on the site in order to stabilise it prior to any housing development.  The collapsed sandstone block in the northern part of the site would be cut back from the top downwards to stabilise it and prevent water run through.  This would produce a gradient that would drain effectively into settlement lagoons and a sustainability pond and then under control, into the highway drain.

 

The Officers responded to questions raised by the Members in relation to signage, the number of vehicle movements and water drainage.

 

Following further debate, it was agreed that officers be asked to impose an additional condition which would allow for the stability of the site to be independently monitored following the completion of works.

 

Resolved: That planning permission be Granted subject to the conditions set out in the report to the committee, the inclusion of the amended conditions as set out in the Update Sheet and the inclusion of an additional condition requiring the stability of the site to be independently monitored following the completion of works.

.

Report author: Jonathan Haine

Date of decision: 23/05/2018

Decided at meeting: 23/05/2018 - Development Control Committee

Accompanying Documents: