Agenda and minutes

Members of the public are welcome to attend our meetings to watch them in person at any of the venues across the County. Publicly accessible meetings held in County Hall will be webcast, which means they are available to be watched live or recorded on our website. Please see our webcasting notice here. The Committee may, in certain circumstances, resolve to hold part of the meeting in private. If this is the case, you will be required to leave the meeting.

Venue: Cabinet Room 'B' - The Diamond Jubilee Room, County Hall, Preston

Contact: Cath Rawcliffe  Tel: (01772) 533380, Email:  cath.rawcliffe@lancashire.gov.uk

Media

Webcast: View the webcast

Items
No. Item

1.

Apologies for absence

Minutes:

None received.

2.

Disclosure of Pecuniary and Non-Pecuniary Interests

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.

Minutes:

None declared.

 

3.

Minutes of the last meeting held on 11 September 2019 pdf icon PDF 129 KB

The Committee are asked to agree that the Minutes of the last meeting held on 11 September 2019 be confirmed and signed by the Chair.

Minutes:

That the Minutes of the meeting held on 11 September 2019 be confirmed and signed by the Chair.

4.

Lancaster City: application number LCC/2019/0021
The development of an energy recovery facility comprising: the erection and operation of an energy from waste building including offices, workshop and visitor/education facilities; air cooled condensers; internal access roads; car, cycle and coach parking; perimeter fencing; electricity sub-stations; weighbridges; weighbridge office; contractors office; water and diesel tanks; lighting; heat pipes; hardstandings; earthworks; landscaping and other ancillary infrastructure on land at Imperial Road, Heysham pdf icon PDF 557 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

A report was presented on an application for the development of an energy recovery facility on land at Imperial Road, Heysham.

 

Members of the Committee had previously visited the site at Heysham and an existing facility in Cannock, Staffordshire.

 

The report included the views of Lancaster City Council, Overton Parish Council, the Environment Agency, Natural England, the Wildlife Trust for Lancashire, Manchester & North Merseyside, the Health & Safety Executive, National Grid Company Plc, the county council's Highways Development Control, County Landscape Service, Ecology Adviser, County Archaeology Service, Lead Local Flood Authority and details of eleven letters of representation received.

 

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 various illustrations and a photomontage of the proposed facility together with an indicative process diagram and photographs of the site and access roads.

 

The Officer reported orally that further representations had been received from the applicant and UK Without Incineration Network (UKWIN).  The representations, together with officer advice in relation to such, were set out in the Update Sheet circulated at the meeting (copy set out at Annex A to the Minutes).  A late representation from a resident was also circulated at the meeting (copy attached as an addendum to the Update Sheet).

 

Mr Bridgwood, national planning manager for the applicant, Veolia, addressed the Committee and spoke in support of the application. He responded to the concerns raised in the late objection in respect of carbon benefits and dis-benefits associated with the process and raised the following summarised points in support of the application:

 

·  The applicant had received some very positive feedback from local residents during the consultation process.

·  The proposed development would help facilitate further development in the area by providing a heat connection to the site boundary to allow for the opportunity to export heat off-site.

·  Positive discussions had taken place with Lancaster and Morecambe College with regard to training needs and opportunities.

·  The applicant was working with the Wildlife Trust on an enhancement scheme for the Heysham Moss Site of Special Scientific Interest. 

·  The applicant was an experienced operator with 10 operational energy recovery facilities in the UK using a proven technology and a well-established track record.

·  The concerns raised by UKWIN had been dealt with and previously considered by inspectors at Public Inquiry. The Secretary of State had also confirmed that the proposal put forward would have significant climate benefits. 

 

The officer responded to questions raised by the Members with regard to the volume of available residual waste that could be redirected to energy recovery and the current operational capacity for Lancashire. Members also queried whether there was potential to extend Imperial Road through to Middleton Road to allow for vehicular access.

 

The officer also provided further advice in relation to the Environmental Impact Assessment.

 

Members of the Committee thanked the officer for his very detailed and comprehensive report.

 

Following further debate it was:

 

Resolved: That, after first taking into  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4.

5.

Planning applications and other development control applications determined by the Head of Planning and Environment in accordance with the County Council's Scheme of Delegation pdf icon PDF 203 KB

Minutes:

It was reported that since the last meeting of the Committee on 11 September 2019, seven 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

 

 

6.

Urgent Business

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.

Minutes:

There were no items of urgent business.

 

7.

Date of Next Meeting

The next meeting of the Development Control Committee will be held on Wednesday 27 November 2019 at 10.30 a.m. in Committee Room B - the Diamond Jubilee Room, County Hall, Preston.

Minutes:

Resolved: That the next meeting of the Committee be held on Wednesday 27 November 2019 at 10.30am

 

Annex A - Update Sheet pdf icon PDF 98 KB

Additional documents: