Agenda and minutes

None received.

Members are asked to consider any Pecuniary and Non-Pecuniary Interests they may have to disclose to the meeting in relation to matters under consideration on the Agenda.

None declared.

The Committee are asked to agree that the Minutes of the last meeting held on 9^th December 2020 be confirmed and signed by the Chair.

Resolved:- That the Minutes of the last meeting held on 9 December 2020 be confirmed.

The Update Sheet will be considered as part of each related agenda report.

The Update Sheet was circulated prior to the meeting and attached as a supplementary agenda item.

A report was presented on an application for the retention of 3 silos at Whitemoss Landfill Site, White Moss Road South, Skelmersdale.

The report included the views of West Lancashire Borough Council, Lathom South Parish Council, the Environment Agency and details of 5 letters of representation received objecting to the proposal. The views of the CPRE West Lancashire Branch, West Lancashire Borough Councillors Pryce – Roberts, Cummins and West and County Councillor Julie Gibson were also reported.

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 photographs of the access road and the silos.

The officer drew attention to the Update Sheet which contained an additional representation from a local resident and details of an amendment to Condition 4 of the proposed planning permission to include the addition of the following wording to the end of condition 4:

'and for written records of every such inspection, maintenance or replacement action to be maintained and made available for inspection by the County Planning Authority'

The officer also read out a written statement on behalf of County Councillor Julie Gibson (copy set out at Annex A to the Update Sheet). Councillor Gibson raised health and safety concerns and requested that the committee visit the site before determining the application.

In response, officers advised that they were not prepared to conduct a site visit during lockdown due to safety concerns associated with the COVID-19 pandemic.

The committee was also informed that following the publication of the Update Sheet, a further representation had been received from CPRE West Lancashire Branch. The CPRE maintained that there were omissions in the committee report in respect of background papers and that the report gave insufficient weight to the consultation responses. They also reiterated their concerns about the health and safety of people and the environment and maintained that the application should be the subject to an Environmental Impact Assessment and that the development should be considered under the Development Consent Order regime.  The committee was also shown a photograph submitted by the CPRE showing evidence of a dust release from one of the silos.

The officer explained that the dust emissions from one of the silos had been caused by a fault on a pressure relief valve. The equipment was repaired but then developed a further fault so was taken out of use and has since been replaced. The issue did not appear to have occurred on either of the other two silos and therefore there was no reason to conclude that there was a fundamental issue that could not be overcome.

In response to questions raised by the Committee, the officer explained that as the silos were sealed containers there was no need to erect bunds or a building over the silos to provide for further dust mitigation. Subject to a condition requiring dust mitigation measures to be fitted to the silos and maintained in operational condition, the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5.

A report was presented on an application for the erection of a recycling wash plant to process selected wastes at Common Bank Works, Common Bank Lane, Chorley.

The report included the views of Chorley Borough Council, Charnock Richard Parish Council, the Environment Agency, Lancashire County Council Highways Development Control, United Utilities and details of 12  letters of representation received objecting to the proposal. The views of the Borough Councillor Aaron Beaver were also reported.

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 photographs of the site from various aspects, the wash plant, the access road and the adjacent public footpath to the north of the site.

The officer also drew attention to the Update Sheet which contained an additional representation from a local resident and officer advice in relation to such.

The Committee was reminded that as a result of the Covid-19 outbreak, members of the public who had formally requested to speak at the committee meeting and who met the criteria, had been invited to give their views in the form of a written statement to be read out in full by officers at the meeting. An officer therefore read out a written statement on behalf of a local resident, and Chorley Borough Councillor Aaron Beaver (copy set out at Annex A to the Update Sheet).

Officers responded to questions raised by the committee in respect of the retrospective nature of the application, the comments raised by United Utilities in relation to noise and drainage and the impact of the proposal on the adjacent public footpath.

Resolved: Thatplanning permission be granted subject to conditions set out in the report to the committee. 

A report was presented on an application for the change of use of land and building to a sui generis waste recycling use for the recycling and storage of plastic contained in waste electronic and electrical equipment at Unit 21-22 Roman Way, Longridge Road, Preston.

The report included the views of Preston City Council's Environmental Health Officer, LCC Highways Development Control, LCC Ecology Service, the Environment Agency and details of 5 letters of representation received objecting to the proposal.

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 photographs of the site from various aspects and an illustration showing the site layout plan.

Officers confirmed that the site was to the east and not the west of the M6 Junction 31a as stated on page 2 of the report and responded to the questions raised by the committee in relation to the hours of working.

Resolved: Thatplanning permission be granted subject to conditions set out in the report to the committee.

A report was presented on an application for the erection of a new wash plant facility for processing of reclaimed aggregates at Tower House, Stopgate Lane, Simonswood.

The report included the views of Knowsley Metropolitan Borough Council, LCC Highways Development Control, the Environment Agency, United Utilities and details of one letter of representation received objecting to the proposal.

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 photographs of the site from various aspects and an illustration showing the proposed wash plant.

The officer drew attention to the Update Sheet which contained the further views of United Utilities. To address the comments of United Utilities, it was recommended that condition 8 be modified as follows:

8.   The processing and wash plant including all stockpiles of processed materials shall be sited on an impermeable concrete base. The surface of the concrete base shall be graded in such a way that all water draining off the plant and stockpile areas is collected and recycled in the washing plant. Any collected surface water exceeding the requirements of the wash plant shall be discharged into the existing drainage system shown on drawing P270.3-205A. No surface water shall be allowed to discharge either directly or indirectly into the public sewer.

Resolved: That subject the amendment to condition 8 as set out above, planning permission be granted subject to conditions set out in the report to the committee.

A report was presented on an application the installation of new and replacement 2.4m and 3m high fences and gates to enclose the school site and the construction of pedestrian walkway, with new entrance path at Haslingden High School, Broadway, Haslingden.

The report included the views of the Coal Authority, LCC Highways Development Control, the Environment Agency and details of one letter of representation received objecting to the proposal.

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 photographs of the site from various aspects and an illustration showing the fencing heights and locations.

Resolved: Thatplanning permission be granted subject to conditions set out in the report to the committee.

It was reported that since the last ordinary meeting of the Committee on 9 December 2020, four planning applications had been granted planning permission by the Head of Service Planning and Environment in accordance with the county council's Scheme of Delegation.

Resolved: That the report be noted

An item of urgent business may only be considered under this heading where, by reason of special circumstances to be recorded in the Minutes, the Chairman of the meeting is of the opinion that the item should be considered at the meeting as a matter of urgency.  Wherever possible, the Chief Executive should be given advance warning of any Member’s intention to raise a matter under this heading.

None.

The next meeting of the Development Control Committee will be held on Wednesday 3 March  2021 at 10.30 a.m.

Resolved: That the next virtual meeting of the Committee be held on Wednesday 3 March, 2021 at 10.30am.