**Document:** Planning Officer Report
**Application:** 12/01128/B — Erection of a sludge import, thickening and storage facility
**Decision:** Permitted
**Decision Date:** 2012-10-17
**Parish:** Santon
**Document Type:** report / officer_report
**Source:** https://planningportal.im/a/3243-santon-meary-veg-sewage-treatment-works-sludge-import-thickening/documents/1277298

---

# Planning Officer Report

## Planning Officer Report And Recommendations [Table omitted in markdown export] [Table omitted in markdown export]

## Officer's Report

## THIS APPLICATION IS REFERRED TO THE PLANNING COMMITTEE DUE TO THE SCALE OF THE PROPOSALS

### The Site

1. The site is the curtilage of the Meary Veg sewage treatment facility to the south east of the steam railway line in Santon. The site is accessed by a minor, single track road which leads from the Old Castletown Road (A25) at Oatlands past two farm dwellings associated with Meary Veg Farm (Withaney and Thie ny Hawin) and the entrance to Ballaquiggin Farm buildings (which have been the subject of two applications for redevelopment into a single dwelling (PAs 07/2361 and 12/0397) which can be seen from the access into the Meary Veg Sewage Treatment site. Access from the minor road is via a private road which is mainly single track with passing places, which is also a public footpath. The footpath leads from the minor road (which is also part of the Raad ny Foillan long distance footpath system) up to The Isle of Man Water and Sewerage Authority (IOMWSA) offices (the former Balnahowe farmhouse) and turns south before splitting into two routes - one leading down past the sewage treatment facilities to join the Raad ny Foillan on the coast, and the other leading south towards Meary Voar before turning west towards Arragon House.

2. The topography of the site is that there is a general slope downward from the office buildings towards the coast, with a dip midway between the coast and the offices around the point where the proposed structures are to be located, before rising again with the existing sewage treatment buildings to the north east of the footpath. To the south east of the edge of the site are the Isle of Man Clay Pigeon Shooting Club facilities.

3. The site has old, traditional farm buildings at the north western end, which have been converted to the offices and facilities for the IOMWSA. To the south east of these buildings are the sewage treatment facilities - a collection of agricultural-style clad large span buildings, silo-like structures and surface level tanks. The site is 430m in length at its longest point and 234m wide.

4. The site and its buildings are readily visible from the footpath running alongside the site. The site is visible in parts from the Raad ny Foillan to the north, at field gate entrances: the main footpath is bounded by dense bramble hedges which are generally too high to see above or through. At the time of the first site visit there was no sound emitting from the site.

On the second site visit there was a low sound (like a dryer or distant aeroplane engine noise) emitted from the existing sludge treatment buildings alongside the footpath.

### The Proposal

5. Proposed is new built development on the southern side of the site, to the immediate north of the existing sludge treatment buildings (silo and three clad buildings descending in height from south to north). The development takes the form of three sludge storage tanks (one for thickened sludge) which are each 11m high and 9.4m in diameter and finished in dark green cladding. Each tank will have a pedestrian walkway at the top for maintenance and pipework at a height of 2.8 above ground level, connecting all three.

6. Also proposed are a septic waste tank, kiosk and two odour control units. The site will be levelled to accommodate the buildings and a grassed bank created between the tanks and the footpath. Around 100 saplings are to be relocated from this part of the site to another area within the site. The area will be concreted with vehicular access.

7. The tanks are intended to accommodate sewage sludge imported from the various regional treatment works and septic waste from the Island as well as provision for storage and gravity thickening this sludge and indigenous sludge on site. The facility will accept thickened sludge from the larger satellite works, interworks sludge from smaller satellite works and septic waste streams. Access is already available to this part of the site from within the site itself and lays are to be provided to allow tankers to wait whilst others are being unloaded. Additional lighting is proposed at the tanker unloading points.

8. Surface water will be directed to a chamber from where flows can be directed off site via an interceptor to a ditch running alongside the site or the pumping station. Odour control will be provided through the covering of tanks where possible, filling tanks from the bottom to avoid disturbing the surface, the avoidance of sludge build up to avoid anaerobic activity, good maintenance of equipment and the avoidance of spillages and such spillages being cleaned up immediately when they occur. Approximately 4400 sq m of material will be excavated to make way for the development: the end site for this has not yet been determined.

9. The development will introduce a new source of odour emission due to a new vent system in the new buildings. Odour is likely to be emitted from the site due to the materials being processed containing hydrogen sulphide or ammonia. The concentration of the emitted pollutant is typically measured in parts per billion (ppb) which will have an equivalent odorant concentration, measured in European odour units where 1 OUe is the factor of dilution of odorant in 1 cubic metre necessary to exceed the threshold of detection in 50% of people (DEFRA regulations 2006). Whether a smell is considered a nuisance, is determined not only by its offensiveness (the odour character but also the intensity, frequency, duration and location. The measurement of prevailing winds indicates that the majority of wind is westerly and south westerly with most conditions being considered "calm". The EIA concludes that the level of 1.5OUe per cubic metre will be exceeded only in one place – a length of around 150m on the footpath alongside the site. However, it is considered by the applicant that the smell at this point will only slightly exceed the recommended threshold and the location is not considered to be particularly sensitive (not permanently occupied for example).

10. Surveys at the junction of the A25 and the works access indicate that the existing operation generates on average 29 arrivals and 60 departures during the day with an arrivals peak between 8am and 9am and departures between 12-1pm and another at 3-4pm. Heavy vehicles and goods vehicles access the site through the dedicated gated private works access which avoids the twists and turns and narrow carriageway of the minor road and delivers vehicles from the A25 to the private road leading to the works. Smaller vehicles can drive down the public minor road to the site and they have not been surveyed. The site presently accommodates 65 parking spaces and a further 6 will be provided as part of this scheme to

service the proposed facilities. It is estimated that the proposed new facilities will generate one additional HGV movement per day from Jurby and by 2012 up to 2 HGV movements. Flatbed HGVs transporting sludge pellets from Meary Veg will increase by around 1 vehicle movement per week (1 movement equals in and out). Oil fuel deliveries are likely to increase by up to 2 HGVs per week.

11. Visually, the applicant suggests that the development will not result in any adverse impact as the buildings will be contained within the existing site and the development will result in improvements in sewage treatment with resultant improvements in water quality.

12. Tests have been undertaken and the watercourses near the site do not run into any other watercourses or drains and there is no risk of contamination. Nor is there risk of or to increased flooding from the sea or waterways.

13. In terms of noise the applicant indicates that there are fourteen sources of noise emission from the site, not all of which operate concurrently, and few of which operate all the time. The noise prediction tests for the nearest living accommodation to the site, for daytime and nighttime, are assessed to meet the required standards.

### Planning Status And Policy

14. The site lies within an area designated on the Town and Country Planning (Development Plan) Order 1982 as of High Landscape Value and Scenic Significance. Following a Development Order in 1995, the site was designated as a site for Sewage Disposal Works within a wider area of High Landscape Value and Scenic Significance.

15. As such, the proposed development complies with the land use designation of the site and should be subject to the considerations in General Policy 2:

"Development which is in accordance with the land use zoning and proposals in the appropriate Area Plan and with other policies of this Strategic Plan will normally be permitted, provided that the development:

a) is in accordance with the design brief in the Area Plan where there is such a brief; b) respects the site and surroundings in terms of the siting, layout, scale, form, design and landscaping of buildings and the space around them; c) does not affect adversely the character of the surrounding landscape or townscape; d) does not adversely affect the protected wildlife or locally important habitats on the site or adjacent land, including water courses; e) does not affect adversely public views of the sea; f) incorporates where possible existing topography and landscape features, particularly trees and sod banks; g) does not affect adversely the amenity of local residents or the character of the locality; h) provides satisfactory amenity standards in itself, including where appropriate safe and convenient access for all highway users, together with adequate parking, servicing and manoeuvring space; i) does not have an adverse effect on road safety or traffic flows on the local highways; j) can be provided with all necessary services; k) does not prejudice the use or development of adjoining land in accordance with the appropriate Area Plan; l) is not on contaminated land or subject to unreasonable risk of erosion or flooding; m) takes account of community and personal safety and security in the design of buildings and the spaces around them; and n) is designed having due regard to best practice in reducing energy consumption."

16. Waste Policy 1 is also applicable:

"Waste management installations, including landfill sites, civic amenity sites and facilities for the bulking up, separation, recycling or recovery or materials from waste will be permitted provided that:

a) there is an acknowledged need for the proposal in accordance with the approved Waste Management Strategy;

b) there is no unacceptable adverse impact on local residents in terms of visual amenity, dust, noise, or vibration or as a result of the traffic generated thereby;

c) there would be no unacceptable adverse effect on:

i. landscapes, geology/geomorphology and features of special interest or attraction

11. Ancient Monuments or their settings

iii. Registered Buildings or their settings or features of architectural importance iv. the character and appearance of Conservation Areas v. suites of archaeological interest vi. sites containing species or habitats or international, national or local importance vii. land drainage and water resources viii. areas of woodland or the Island’s timber resources or ix. designated National Heritage Areas. d) the proposal is acceptable in terms of access arrangements and highway safety e) in the case of landfill sites working shall be in accordance with a phased scheme of restoration and landscaping f) the proposal does not sterilise other significant mineral deposits g) the proposal will not have an unacceptable adverse impact on airport safety by, for example, increasing the risk of bird strike.

Landfill will only be permitted where it can be demonstrated that there is no alternative method for managing that waste. An application involving the installations of facilities referred to in this policy will require the submission of an Environmental Impact Assessment."

17. There are also policies which protect ancient monuments, flooding, water courses, none of which is relevant in this case as these elements have not been identified by the applicant, policy guidance or third parties as an issue.

### Planning History

18. The sewage treatment facilities were initially approved under PA 99/0845. Subsequent to this, applications have been submitted and approved for the installation of a mezzanine floor and staircase to an existing tractor store (PA 05/0510), installation of an additional cake silo (PA 01/0208), the construction of a concrete base as a foundation for the installation of an oil;/water separation unit (PA 07/0593) and the increase in the height of an existing storage silo (PA 07/1504).

### Representations

19. Highways Division indicate that the proposal meets the required highway standards.

20. Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture Wildlife Division express concern about the potential of the site to support lizards and orchids, both of which are protected under the Wildlife Act, 1990.

21. Residents of Balnahow farm, which lies approximately half a mile away to the north express concern about smell nuisance, stating that they already experience this and the proposal will surely only make this worse. They also consider that additional buildings will adversely affect their view.

### Assessment

22. The proposed works fall within the area designated for sewage treatment and the proposed building is right alongside existing buildings: the tallest part of the proposed buildings will be 2.4m higher than the adjacent sludge treatment building. The proposed

---

*Data sourced from the Isle of Man public planning register under the [Isle of Man Open Government Licence](https://www.gov.im/about-this-site/open-government-licence/).*
*Canonical page: https://planningportal.im/a/3243-santon-meary-veg-sewage-treatment-works-sludge-import-thickening/documents/1277298*