Officer Planning Assessment Report

Department of Local Government and the Environment ### Rheynn Reiltys Ynnydagh as y Chymmyltaght Murray House, Mount Havelock, Douglas, Isle of Man, IM1 2SF Director of Planning & Building Control M.I. McCauley, M.R.T.P.I. --- Planning application 05/02023/B – Erection of a facility which will receive and process animal waste, arising from meat and agricultural industries, into a form suitable for incineration/power generation. Vacant land to rear of EFW Plant, Richmond Hill, Braddan, Isle of Man. #### Introduction 1. The aim of this statement is to provide background information to the planning application and to set out the views of the Planning Directorate in respect of the proposed development. #### Proposed development 2. It is acknowledged that the planning application submission is accompanied by an environmental statement and a non technical summary. Both of these documents provide a greater depth of explanation of the proposed development than can be reasonably provided by this statement. However, the nature of the proposed development can be summarised as follows. 3. The application site comprises of a parcel of land located to the rear of the EFW Plant, within the Richmond Hill area of Braddan. 4. The development proposed by the planning application comprises of the erection of a facility to operate as an animal waste processing plant. The facility is designed to receive and treat all the animal waste on the Island, providing the Isle of Man with an independent animal waste treatment process that is not reliant on any other facility and removes the need for animal waste to be exported for treatment. It is understood that the proposed facility will replace the existing facility at East Baldwin, which has reached the end of its effective life and is problematic in terms of its operation, maintenance and efficiency. Subject to the approval of this planning application it is intended that the existing facility at East Baldwin will close. 5. The basic footprint of the building proposed by the planning application site measures 46.10 metres by 37.10 metres. The height of the roof of the proposed building measures 10.29 metres at its highest point and 6.45 metres at its lowest point. The proposed building has an associated chimney that measures approximately 27.00 metres in height. The overall design and material finish of the proposed building echoes the design and material finish of the adjacent EFW Plant. 6. The supporting information submitted with the application states that the facility will be accessed via the existing vehicular access to the EFW Plant and that it is intended to be operated six days a week. It is estimated that 80% of all traffic to the facility will be associated with the delivery of waste to the facility and that the maximum number of heavy goods vehicle movements would be 8 per day. The facility is designed to employ seven to nine people. #### Planning history 7. There have been two previous planning applications that had application sites that encompassed all or part of the application site for this current planning application: 87/04676/A – Approval in principle to develop land to form commercial/industrial estate. Field no. 0055, adjacent to Pulverisation Plant, Middle Farm, Braddan. The planning application was initially considered and refused on the 25th March 1988, with the initial refusal decision notice issued on the 18th April 1988. 02/00399/B – Creation of temporary contractors compound for materials storage, pre fabrication, car parking and staff facilities. Field to south of Incinerator Plant, Richmond Hill, Braddan. The planning application was initially considered and approved on the 15th August 2002, with the initial approval decision notice issued on the 19th August 2002. This development was related to the construction of the EFW Plant and the approval was granted on a temporary basis until such time that the facility was operational. 8. The land to the north and north-east of the application site has been the subject of approved planning applications that has resulted in the development of an EFW Plant and a civic amenity site. ### Planning policy 9. The current local plan that covers the application site is the Isle of Man Planning Scheme (Braddan Parish District Local Plan) Order 1991, which was adopted by Tynwald on the 10th July 1991. This order is accompanied by and should be read in conjunction with a written statement (Planning Circular 6/91). Under this document the application site is within an area that is part within an area for reclamation and part within an area of open space (agricultural). There are no policies within the written statement that specifically relate to the development of the application site. 10. The existing local plan is in the process of being revised through the Braddan Parish Plan. A draft version of this document has been to public inquiry and the report of the appointed Planning Inspector into that public inquiry has been published. Under the draft version the application site is within an area that is specifically zoned for waste treatment and recycling. Policy B/EI/PR/5 of the document states: > "The land immediately to the south and east of the new Energy from Waste Facility will be designated as suitable for waste recycling and treatment purposes where the Department considers that such uses are most appropriately provided in close proximity to the new disposal facility and where such uses may be carried out without detriment to the surrounding area in visual, environmental or other terms with particular regard to the proximity of and possible impact on the adjacent water course. Development proposals must also be accompanied by landscaping which will soften the impact of any new built development." Whilst it is recognised that limited weight should be given to an unadopted document it is clear from the policy B/EI/PR/5 that the application site is viewed as being potentially suitable for a development of the type proposed by this planning application. Indeed, it is considered appropriate to recognise that the nature and form of development within the area surrounding the application site has significantly changed since the publication of the Isle of Man Planning Scheme (Braddan Parish District Local Plan) Order 1991 and that such change is being reflected in the emerging Braddan Parish Plan. ### Assessment 11. The assessment of the proposed development is considered to fall into an examination of two issues. Those two issues are the need for the facility and the impact of the facility, both of which cover a number of separate sub-issues. 12. In terms of the need for the facility it has to be recognised that the existing facility at East Baldwin is the cause of environmental health concerns that affect the amenity of properties within the surrounding area. Effectively this existing facility has reached the end of its operational life and a replacement facility is required. The Island requires an animal waste processing plant and by its very nature such a facility does not lend itself to being located in urban or general industrial areas. As is explained within the supporting statement submitted with the planning application there is a clear operational relationship of the proposed facility to the operation of the adjacent EFW Plant. 13. In terms of the impact of the facility there are a number of sub-issues to examine, including visual, traffic and environmental impact. 14. The visual impact of the facility is considered to be suitably limited by reason of its scale and massing in comparison to the adjacent EFW Plant. This relationship can be clearly seen in the submitted drawings and in particular by drawing no. PL09. Visually, the impact of the facility will not be significantly increase the existing impact of the EFW Plant. On this basis the visual impact of the proposed development is considered to be acceptable. 15. As identified by the applicant the traffic impact of the facility's operation is limited. The levels of vehicle movements generated by the facility are relatively low and the existing highway network is capable of accommodating such movements. It is considered that the operational impact of the facility will not unduly impact on the existing highway network and, by reason of the access arrangements, that the movements will not adversely affect the amenity of any property within the surrounding area. 16. In terms of environmental impact it is recognised that the facility is an enclosed operation that utilises modern filtration systems to appropriately control odour and other nuisance that could arise from the operation. If approved, that everyday operation of the facility and therefore issues of noise, odour and environmental pollution will be strictly controlled through environmental health legislation. As a stringently controlled operation it is accepted that there will be appropriate measures beyond those imposed by the planning system that will suitably protect the amenity of any property within the surrounding area. ### Recommendation 17. It is recommended that the planning application is approved subject to the imposition of appropriate conditions. The following set of recommended conditions include, where deemed appropriate, the conditions suggested by the applicant and submitted as part of the planning application. These suggested conditions are not an exhaustive list and are suggested on the basis of the submission prior to any hearing. ### Conditions 1. The Development hereby permitted shall commence before the expiration of four years from the date of this notice. 2. This approval relates to drawing no.s PL05, PL07, PL08, PL09 and PL10 date stamped the 21st October 2005. 3. Prior to the commencement of development details of the colour and material finishes to be used in the construction of the external elevations of the development must be submitted to and agreed by the Planning Authority. 4. With the exception of emergency operation events that benefit from the prior written consent of the Planning Authority there shall be no delivery of waste to the site: (a) before 07:00 hours or after 18:00 on Mondays to Fridays; (b) before 07:00 hours or after 14:00 on Saturdays; (c) on Sundays; or (d) on any public holiday. 5. Wheel washing facilities shall be provided, to the satisfaction of the Planning Authority, during the construction phase of the development. 6. Fuel oil used for standby and start up shall be stored in appropriately designed and bunded tanks. The bund capacity shall be capable of containing 110% of the volume of the tank. 7. No waste shall be delivered by the operator to the site except that for which the plant has been specifically designed to treat. 8. All waste material shall be unloaded and transferred within the building and not in the open air. 9. All solid residues from the plant, including ash from the thermal treatment plant, shall be removed from the site in suitable and appropriately sealed containers for re-use or disposal at an appropriately licensed facility. + landscaping / tree screen River protection. 10. Car parking areas (other than areas used temporarily for parking during construction) shall not be used other than by persons employed at or visiting the site. 11. No visible plume, except that generated by water vapour, shall be emitted from the stack except during the first 15 minutes of starting up from cold, at which time visible smoke shall not exceed Ringelmann Shade 1. This statement has been prepared by Mr A Holmes BA(Hons) DipTP(UC) MRTPI, Planning Officer, on behalf of Planning Directorate of the Department of Local Government and the Environment. Signed _________________________ Dated 8/2/06