Agenda and minutes

County Councillors S Holgate and D Stansfield replaced County Councillors K Ellard and K Sedgewick at the meeting respectively.

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.

County Councillor Snape declared a non pecuniary interest in agenda item 5 as a member of Chorley Borough Council.

County Councillor Hayhurst declared a non pecuniary interest in agenda item 6 as the electoral division member for the area.

The committee are asked to agree that the Minutes of the last meeting held on the 7 September 2016 be confirmed and signed by the Chair.

Resolved: That the Minutes of the meeting held on the 7 September 2016 be confirmed and signed by the Chair

A report was presented on an application for amendments to the existing air extraction and filtration system consisting of a 25 metre high steel vent stack to replace the existing 16.6 metre high stack, three dust collectors, three system fans, cyclones, steel ducting and relocated shipping container housing a carbon filter unit at Unit 8, Burn Hall Industrial Estate, Venture Road, Thornton.

The report included the views of the County Council's Highways Development Control and Specialist Adviser (Ecology), Wyre Borough Council, the Environment Agency and details of two letters of representation received.

The Development Management Officer presented a PowerPoint presentation which included an aerial photograph of the site and the nearest residential properties. The committee was also shown a plan of the building, the proposed elevations and photographs of the site from the nearest residential properties on Springfield Terrace.

The Committee welcomed the proposed improvements to the working conditions within the waste transfer building but raised concerns with regard to the odour impacts of the proposal on the adjacent Cala Gran Holiday Park.  Following further debate it was Moved and Seconded that:

"The application be deferred pending further consideration of odour abatement technology and in particular, a carbon filter system. 

On being put to the vote, the Motion was Lost

Following further debate, the substantive Motion was put to the vote, following which it was:

Resolved: That planning permission be Granted subject to the conditions set out in the report now presented.

A report was presented on an application for an extension to the area of phased extraction of sand, gravel and clay, followed by infilling with inert waste for restoration purposes back to agriculture, woodland, and nature conservation including a 5m high screen bund at Sandons Farm, Sandy Lane, Adlington, Chorley.

The report included the views of Adlington Town Council, the Environment Agency, the County Council's Ecology Service, the Canal and River Trust, Natural England and details of six letters of representation received. 

The Development Management Officer presented a PowerPoint presentation which included an aerial photograph of the site and the nearest residential properties. The committee was also shown photographs of the site from various viewpoints and an illustration of the location plan and development plan.

The Committee visited the site on Monday 17 October 2016.

The Officer advised the Committee that further representations had been received since the publication of the agenda report. These included a representation from Lindsay Hoyle MP and a local resident. The representations together with the officer's advice are set out in the Update Sheet. (Copy set out at Annex A to the Minute book and attached as a supplementary agenda item).

Chorley Borough Councillor Graham Dunn addressed the Committee on behalf of the Borough Council.  Councillor Dunn reminded the Committee that the planning inspector had previously overturned the decision of the County Council and granted the original planning application having concluded that the quarry was too far away to impact on the visual amenity of the nearest residential properties.  It was pointed out that this proposal would halve the distance between the quarry and the residential properties thereby increasing the visual impact on residents. In addition, the proposed bund was higher and closer to the properties, and would therefore, further impact on visual amenity.  It was also pointed out that the proposal would exacerbate existing problems associated with wind-blown dust from the site. 

Officers responded to concerns raised by the Committee with regard to outstanding enforcement issues at the site, the noise from the site, the need for the minerals, the proposed timescale for extracting and restoring the site and the proposed start time of the operations on Mondays to Fridays.

Following further discussion, and in order to mitigate the impact of the proposals on the nearest residential properties, it was proposed to amend condition 16 to ensure that no mining operations, landfilling or restoration would take place except between the hours of 0800 to 1800 hours Monday to Friday. 

Resolved: That, subject to the applicant first entering into a s.106 Agreement for the extended management of landscaping, habitats and public access for a period of 10 years in addition to 5 years of aftercare controlled by condition (consistent with planning permission 09/05/0018), and an amendment to condition 16 to ensure that no mining operations, landfilling or restoration  shall take place except between the hours of 0800 to 1800 hours Monday to Friday, planning permission be granted subject to the conditions set out in the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5.

A report was presented on an application for the construction of earth bunded lagoon to store digestate from anaerobic digester plant at Stanley Villa Farm. Field off Mythop Road, Weeton.

The report included the views of Fylde Borough Council, Weeton-with-Preese Parish Council, the County Council's Highways Development Control, the Environment Agency, Network Rail, the County Council's Specialist Advisor (Ecology) and Specialist Advisor (Archaeology), LCC Lead Local Flood Authority, Ministry of Defence Lands – Safeguardings and details of one letter of representation received.

The Development Management Officer presented a PowerPoint presentation which included an aerial photograph of the site and the nearest residential properties. The committee was also shown photographs of the site from various viewpoints and an illustration of the site layout plan.

Officers responded to concerns raised by Members in relation to the location of the site and its proximity to Weeton Village. The views of the Council's Specialist Adviser (Ecology) were also discussed. 

Resolved: That planning permission be Granted subject to the conditions set out in the report to the Committee.

It was reported that since the last meeting of the committee, nine 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.

There were no items of urgent business.

The next meeting of the Development Control Committee will be held on Wednesday 7 December 2016 at 10.00 a.m. in Cabinet Room B - the Diamond Jubilee Room, County Hall, Preston.

Resolved: That the next meeting of the Committee be held on Wednesday 7 December 2016.