Agenda item

(Service Manager – Development Management) To consider the attached report for the resurfacing of application site to be used for parking by Sainsbury’s Waltham Point workers during the construction of a new multi storey car park. Once complete the site will be used for parking of HGV trailers.

The Service Manager for Development Management, A Marx, presented a report for the resurfacing of the site to be used for parking by Sainsbury’s Waltham Point workers on a temporary basis during the construction of a new multi-storey car park; once complete the site would be used for the parking of the HGV trailers. The planning permission would be subject to the completion of a Section 106 Legal Agreement.

A Marx informed the Committee that the application site was located on the Brooker Road industrial estate on the southern edge of Waltham Abbey and just to the north of the M25 motorway. The site is approximately 0.5ha in size and was covered in hardstanding. The site was previously used for the storage of scaffolding, but this use had since ceased and the site was currently vacant. The surrounding area contained a number of industrial style buildings, palisade fencing, significant areas of car parking and had the character and appearance of an industrial estate with a mix of different employment uses.

Planning Officers had concluded that the proposal would facilitate the delivery of up to 350 new employment opportunities on an existing and well-established nearby distribution centre which was operated by Sainsbury’s Supermarkets. The application site had been proposed for allocation in the Local Plan for employment uses and sought to provide temporary parking for existing staff at the nearby distribution centre for approximately 10 months, whilst new parking areas were delivered to facilitate an increase in staff. There are no conflicts with the Development Plan or the Local Plan and as such the proposal was recommended for approval, subject to a legal agreement and conditions.

The Committee noted the summary of representations received in respect of this application and heard from the Applicant’s Agent before proceeding to debate the application.

A Marx clarified the following points for the Committee:

·         the intended surface of the temporary car park was not known but the site was already fully concreted with a surface drainage plan;

·         parking for vehicles at the site would be a sui generis use and any other use in the future would require further planning permission; and

·         there were no parking restrictions in force on Brooker Road at the moment and there had been no objections from Essex Highways to the application.

Decision:

(1)        That planning application EPF/2211/21 at 100 Brooker Road in Waltham Abbey be granted planning permission, subject to:

(a)        the completion of a Section 106 Legal Agreement to achieve the following:

            (i)         Heavy Goods Vehicles (HGV) associated with the storage of the    HGV trailers to be stored on the site must not use any route within 200m         of the Epping Forest Special Area of Conservation; and

(ii)        upon first operation of the multi storey car park approved under planning reference EPF/2103/21 on the Waltham Point Distribution Centre, the use of 100 Brooker Road for the parking of vehicles shall cease; and

            (b)        the following planning conditions:

1…The development hereby permitted shall be begun before the expiration of 3 years from the date of this permission.

2…The development hereby permitted shall be carried out in accordance with the details shown on the approved plans listed below:

DR-A-9011 P03 Brooker Rd Location Plan; DR-A-9008 P03 Brooker Rd Existing Site Plan; DR-A-9009 P04 Brooker Rd Temp Proposed Site Plan; and DR-A-9010 P05 Brooker Rd Proposed Site Plan.

3…No development shall take place, including any ground works or demolition until a Construction Management Plan has been submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority. The approved Plan shall be adhered to throughout the construction period. The Plan shall provide for the following all clear of the highway:

•           Safe access into the site.

•           The parking of vehicles and site operatives and visitors.

•           Loading and unloading of plant and materials.

•           Storage of plant and materials used in constructing the        development.

•           Wheel washing and underbody washing facilities.

4…Prior to the first occupation of the development the vehicle parking and turning areas as indicated on the approved plans shall be provided, hard surfaced, sealed and marked out. The parking and turning areas shall be retained in perpetuity for their intended purpose.

5…Prior to preliminary ground works taking place, details of surface water disposal shall be submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority. The development shall be implemented in accordance with the approved details, and shall be provided on site prior to the first occupation and shall be retained for the lifetime of the development.

6…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.