Agenda item

(Service Director (Planning Services)) To consider the attached report.

The Service Director (Planning Services) presented a report with regard to the proposed erection of an extension to an existing glasshouse at Villa Nursery, Reeves Lane, Roydon and the construction of an attenuation and irrigation lagoon, provision of a perimeter maintenance track and associated landscaping.

Members noted that the application had been referred to the District Development Management Committee for determination, as the floor area of the proposed glasshouse extension was in excess of 10,000 square meters and was therefore required to be considered by the Committee, in accordance with Article 10 of the Council’s Constitution.

The Committee was advised that the application site was a well-established working nursery containing 3.73 hectares of glasshouses and other ancillary buildings. The Service Director (Planning Services) reported that the nursery specialised in the growing of salad vegetables for distribution to local retailers and that, excluding the area of the proposed development, the majority of the site already comprised glasshouses and a large packing shed

Members noted that the application related to an area of land which was currently in agricultural use, located within the boundaries of the Metropolitan Green Belt and the Nazeing and South Roydon Conservation Area, on the edge of the designated glasshouse area covered by Policy E13A of the current Local Plan. The Service Director (Planning Services) reported that access to the site was by a surfaced lane that ran east from a priority junction with Reeves Lane.

The Committee was advised that the application sought the erection of a 2.7 hectare extension to the existing glasshouse, northwards by 60 to 112 metres and westwards by 56 to 72 metres.  Members noted that the extension to the glasshouse would measure 6 metres to the eaves and 8 metres to the ridge of the bay and would be constructed of aluminium framed glazing panels to match the existing glasshouses. The Service Director (Planning Services) reported that land on the western side of the development would be used to fill in land on the eastern side of the glasshouses to create a level base and that, on the western side, ground levels to the glasshouses would therefore fall by between 0.4 and 2.0 metres and to the east would be raised by between 1.7 metres and 1.9 metres. Members noted that all existing field boundaries, hedgerows and significant trees were to be retained or enhanced as a result of the proposed development.

The Service Director (Planning Services) advised the Committee that the main issues for consideration in respect of the application related to the impact of the proposed development on  the openness of the Green Belt, the suitability of the site for employment use and the impact of the development on the character and appearance of the site, neighbouring residential amenity, highway safety and surface water drainage. Members were advised that the proposal was not inappropriate development within the Green Belt and, subject to the imposition of conditions relating to tree screening, would cause limited harm to the openness and character of the Green Belt. The Service Director (Planning Services) reported that the possible harm to the character and appearance of the Conservation Area arising from the proposed development was considered to be insubstantial when weighed against the benefits to the rural economy and the long-term viability of the local nursery industry.  The Committee was advised that the impact of the development on the living conditions of neighbouring residential dwellings would not be excessive and that the parking requirements of the proposal could be accommodated on site and would not significantly decrease highway safety.

The Committee was advised that the applicant was willing to enter into a legal agreement to ensure that the development aided the management and monitoring of air quality within the District in order to protect the integrity of the Epping Forest Special Area of Conservation and that it was recommended that planning permission be granted for the proposed development.

RESOLVED:

That planning application EPF/2732/18 be approved, subject to thecompletion within six months of a Section 106 Agreement to secure appropriate financial contributions towards mitigation of air pollution impacts on the Epping Forest Special Area of Conservation (SAC) and measures to prevent 7.5 tonne (or heavier) vehicles turning north out of the site access into Reeves Lane, in addition to the following conditions:

(1)       The development hereby permitted must be begun not later than the expiration of three years beginning with the date of this notice;

(2)       The development hereby permitted will be completed strictly in accordance with the approved drawing no’s:

SK02, SK03, SK07 REV B, SK09,  3452/10,  Tree Schedule (BS5837) dated 22/6/18, TCTC-15117-PL-01, CLS18072001 Rev1, Transport Statement dated September 2018 by EAS, 11th October 2018, Preliminary Ecological Appraisal, Preliminary Bat Roost Assessment, Great crested Newt HSI Survey,  by Reid and Co dated October 2018, Heritage Impact Assessment by Asset Heritage Consulting dated Sept 2018 reference: PB/9681, Flood Risk Assessment and Drainage Strategy, December  2018 by EAS, PLANNING STATEMENT/DESIGN AND ACCESS STATEMENT, REF: 3452/PS/DAS, Arboricultural Planning Report: Impact Assessment and Method Statement by Tracy Clarke dated October 2018 reference TCTC-15117 and email dated 12/3/18;

(3)       The external finishes of the development hereby permitted shall match in material, colour, style, bonding and texture those of the existing building;

(4)       Prior to any above ground works, full details of both hard and soft landscape works (including tree planting of primarily coniferous type) and implementation programme (linked to the development schedule) shall be submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority. These works shall be carried out as approved. The hard landscaping details shall include, as appropriate, and in addition to details of existing features to be retained: proposed finished levels or contours and lighting and functional services above and below ground. The details of soft landscape works shall include plans for planting or establishment by any means and full written specifications and schedules of plants, including species, plant sizes and proposed numbers /densities where appropriate as well as details of additional Poplar trees to be planted along the edges of the site which will surround the extension hereby approved. If within a period of five years from the date of the planting or establishment of any tree, or shrub or plant, that tree, shrub, or plant or any replacement is removed, uprooted or destroyed or dies or becomes seriously damaged or defective another tree or shrub, or plant of the same species and size as that originally planted shall be planted at the same place, unless the Local Planning Authority gives its written consent to any variation;

(5)       If any tree, shrub or hedge shown to be retained in the submitted Arboricultural reports is removed, uprooted or destroyed, dies, or becomes severely damaged or diseased during development activities or within 3 years of the completion of the development, another tree, shrub or hedge of the same size and species shall be planted within 3 months at the same place, unless the Local Planning Authority gives its written consent to any variation. If within a period of five years from the date of planting any replacement tree, shrub or hedge is removed, uprooted or destroyed, or dies or becomes seriously damaged or defective another tree, shrub or hedge of the same species and size as that originally planted shall, within 3 months, be planted at the same place;

(6)       Within 6 months of the completion of the development hereby approved, 1 Electric Vehicle Charging Point per every 10 spaces shall be installed and retained thereafter;

(7)       No works shall take place until a detailed surface water drainage scheme for the site, based on sustainable drainage principles and an assessment of the hydrological and hydro geological context of the development, has been submitted to and approved in writing by the local planning authority. The scheme should include but not be limited to: Detailed engineering drawings of each component of the drainage scheme. A final drainage plan which details exceedance and conveyance routes, FFL and ground levels, and location and sizing of any drainage features;

(8)       A written report summarising the final strategy and highlighting any minor changes to the approved strategy. Additional safety features should be put in place due to the use of a 1 in 1.5 side slope for the attenuation lagoon.  The scheme shall subsequently be implemented prior to occupation;

(9)       No works shall take place until a scheme to minimise the risk of offsite flooding caused by surface water run-off and groundwater during construction works and prevent pollution has been submitted to, and approved in writing by, the local planning authority. The scheme shall subsequently be implemented as approved;

(10)    No works shall take place until a Maintenance Plan detailing the maintenance arrangements including who is responsible for different elements of the surface water drainage system and the maintenance activities/frequencies, has been submitted to and agreed, in writing, by the Local Planning Authority. Should any part be maintainable by a maintenance company, details of long term funding arrangements should be provided;

(11)    The applicant or any successor in title must maintain yearly logs of maintenance which should be carried out in accordance with any approved Maintenance Plan. These must be available for inspection upon a request by the Local Planning Authority;

(12)    The development be carried out in accordance with the flood risk assessment (Dated 04-12-2018) and drainage strategy submitted with the application unless otherwise agreed in writing with the Local Planning Authority;

(13)    The proposed use of this site has been identified as being particularly vulnerable if land contamination is present, despite no specific former potentially contaminating uses having been identified for this site. Should any discoloured or odorous soils be encountered during development works or should any hazardous materials or significant quantities of non-soil forming materials be found, then all development works should be stopped, the local planning authority contacted and a scheme to investigate the risks and/or the adoption of any required remedial measures be submitted to, agreed and approved in writing by the local planning authority prior to the recommencement of development works. In such instances, following the completion of development works and prior to the first occupation of the site, sufficient information must be submitted to demonstrate that any required remedial measures were satisfactorily implemented or confirmation provided that no unexpected contamination was encountered;

(14)    This permission shall not be implemented unless and until the recommendations set out in section 6 and 7 of the Preliminary Ecological Assessment by Reid Co dated October 2018 are followed have been fully undertaken and these mitigation measures shall be maintained for the duration of the use. These concern a lighting strategy, great crested newt precautionary methodology (or survey), a method statement for reptiles and breeding bird methodology, the creation of a new pond, tree and wildflower planting, bird and bat boxes and enhancements for hedgehogs and invertebrates; and

(15)    All material excavated from the below ground works hereby approved shall be removed from the site prior to first use of the extension and lagoon hereby approved unless otherwise agreed in writing by the Local Planning Authority.