Agenda item

Parish Councillor Terry Johnson, who was against certain aspects of the application, commented as follows:-

 

·    Norton Disney had lived with the Gravel Industry for some 20+ years and had wanted to see good quality restoration. Overall, Cemex was endeavouring to meet the village's expectations and supported most of the issues they raised in their application. The Parish Council did not agree to the retention of the bund on the western boundary, which Cemex sought to retain.

·    The bund was never intended as a permanent structure but as a store of topsoil to be spread on the restored site to assist regeneration. The bund was covered with bracken and in some places saplings but in the winter months it appeared as a formidable structure and was out of keeping in a Country Park.

·    The applicant had suggested the bund was well developed as a habitat and should be retained. 

·    The Parish Council believed that all the bunds had developed in a similar manner although there was no suggestion the others were to be retained, only this one. Cemex now believed this bund was surplus to their requirements and to leave it in place would provide them with a cheaper restoration.

·    The applicant reported they had an abundance of silt that they needed to dispose of and it was not clear what they intended to do with this silt but it was unlikely that it would be used to create shallows in the lake. The silt was being mixed with some topsoil’s and spread throughout the site and work in relation to this had been ongoing for several days and desert conditions were being created.

·    Silt was not a good growing medium. If the intention was to regenerate grasses, which could be used for summer grazing/hay making, a richer proportion of organic material would do this better and promote sustainability.

·    Norton Disney was proud to have been included within the boundaries of the Witham Country Park and there were numerous commercial, historic and leisure type developments that fitted into a Park environment. The Lancaster Bomber Sculpture at Brills Farm in celebration of the RAF was due to start in the near future.

·    The Parish Council hoped for restoration of the highest standard where vestiges of the Industrial era were much in the past and therefore requested that the bund was removed and the soil used to assist regeneration as it was intended.

 

Parish Councillor Terry Johnson in response to a question from the Committee stated that he had not given any consideration to maintenance of the bunds, considered it an eyesore and hoped to see it removed.

 

Joe Weller spoke in favour of the retention of the bund and commented as follows:-

 

·    He owned White Hall Farm which whose boundary met Norton Disney quarry. He ran a small working Farm and Equestrian Business.

·    His colleague, Jonathan Wilkinson, owned the woodland adjacent to the western bund which he managed commercially as Norton Disney Timber.

·    Since the original plans for the Quarry restoration were set out 20 years ago much had changed ecologically on the western portion of the bund.

·    It had a flourishing environment and it would be an ecological tragedy to destroy something that had taken the last 20 years to mature.

·    The western bund formed a natural boundary to the restoration site acting as a feature in its own right and also incorporated an increase in tree planting in the specific area of the western bund.

·    The restoration quarry managers had stated that they had more than enough topsoil to complete the restoration without the use of the western bund.

·    The retention of the western bund would leave a natural and ecologically thriving boundary which would enhance the overall restoration.

·    With the exception of the Parish Council none of the other professional bodies had any objection to this variation.

 

Joe Weller in response to questions from the Committee stated that by "natural" environment this included, amongst others, self-seeded oaks and wild animals and enhanced an already environmentally mature area. With regard to maintenance of the bund the bund already comprised mature flora.

 

Comments by the Committee and the responses of officers included:-

 

·    What area was covered by the bund? Officers explained the area and geographical location of the bund and stated that it was not required for restoration purposes.

·    More information was required about the bund including a photograph of it to allow the Committee to make a decision.

·    It was noted that neither the Woodland Trust nor the Wildlife Trust had objected to the retention of the bund.

·    It was noted that there were trees both in front and behind the bund and if the bund was removed these trees would also have to be removed. Officers agreed that the trees would need to be removed.

·    The bund blended in to the landscape.

 

A motion by Councillor Mrs M J Overton to defer consideration of the application for more information about the bund was not supported.

 

On a motion by Councillor D McNally, seconded by Councillor P A Skinner, it was –

 

RESOLVED (11 votes for, 0 votes against and 1 abstention)

 

That planning permission be granted subject to:-

 

(a) The applicant and all other persons with an interest in the land, entering into a Deed of Variation to amend the existing S106 Planning Obligation dated

26 February 2007so as to secure a new route for the permissive footpath and

the Long Term Management of the former Norton Disney Quarry.

 

(b) The completion of the Deed of Variation referred to in (a), above, the Executive Director of Environment and Economy be authorised to grant

planning permission subject to the conditions and reasons detailed in the report.