Agenda and minutes

Venue: Council Chamber, County Offices, Newland, Lincoln LN1 1YL

Contact: Steve Blagg  Democratic Services Officer

Items
No. Item

11.

Apologies/replacement members

Minutes:

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors I G Fleetwood, S R Kirk and H Spratt.

 

The Chief Executive reported that under the Local Government (Committee and Political Groups) Regulations 1990, he had appointed Councillors Mrs P Cooper in place of Councillors H Spratt, for this meeting only and Councillor R B Parker in place of Councillor Mrs J E KIlley, until further notice.

12.

Declarations of Members' Interests

Minutes:

The Chairman declared that all members of the Committee had been lobbied in connection with the request to reduce the 40mph speed limit to 30mph speed limit for safety reasons at Linwood (minute 15).

 

Councillor L A Cawrey requested that a note should be made in the minutes that she knew the originator of the correspondence in connection with a request to reduce the speed limit at Linwood and had not discussed the matter with the originator and therefore would take part in the discussion and voting thereon (minute 15).

 

Councillor D McNally requested that a note should be made in the minutes that he was the Executive Support Councillor for Commercial and Environmental Management and would withdraw from the meeting when the planning application was discussed as the applicant had a contract with the Council (minute 16).

13.

Minutes of the previous meeting of the Planning and Regulation Committee held on 14 May 2018 pdf icon PDF 180 KB

Minutes:

The Chairman stated that an amended set of minutes had been circulated to Members before the meeting.

 

RESOLVED

 

That the minutes of the previous meeting of the Committee held on 14 May 2018, be approved as a correct record and signed by the Chairman subject to "Councillor H Spratt" being added to the list of apologies and the word "not" being added after the word "and" in minute 6, bullet point 7.

14.

Traffic Items

15.

Linwood B1202 and Great Limber A18 - Requests for Speed Limit Reduction pdf icon PDF 106 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Committee received a report in connection with requests to reduce the existing 40 mph speed limits to 30 mph at Linwood B1202 and Greater Limber A18.

 

The report detailed the existing conditions and the proposals. Offices stated that both local Members supported the proposed reductions in the speed limits.

 

Comments by the Committee and the responses of officers, where appropriate, included:-

 

·         What time of the year were the surveys carried out? Officers stated that the survey for Linwood was carried out in November 2017 and for Great Limber October 2017. The Member noted that neither dates were during the peak motorbike season.

·         Enforcement of the 30mph speed limits would be an issue.

·         The current speed limits through Great Limber varied over a short distance which affected the driving experience for drivers.

·         What were the reasons for the request to reduce the speed limit? Officers stated that there were many reasons for the request to reduce the speed limit including speed and accidents

·         Had officers considered extending the 30 mph speed limit in Great Limber as residential properties existed on both sides of the road? Officers explained the process of implementing a speed limit and in this case it was proposed to slow traffic down before the 30 mph limit commenced.

·         What accidents had taken place in Linwood to justify the imposition of a speed limit? Officers stated that various accidents had taken place in Linwood.

·         The safety of residents was more important than what a driver experienced.

 

On a motion by Councillor D Brailsford, seconded by Councillor L A Cawrey, it was –

 

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

 

That a reduction in the speed limit in Linwood and Great Limber as detailed in the report be approved so that the necessary consultation process to bring this into effect may be pursued.

16.

County Matter Applications pdf icon PDF 2 MB

Additional documents:

17.

Partially retrospective application to vary Condition 3 of planning permission N74/1238/12 to enable the tonnage of waste handled by the energy recovery/recycling and carpet recycling/polypropylene recovery operations to be increased from 65,000 tonnes to 260,000 tonnes per annum at Wilsford Heath Materials Recovery Facility, High Dike, Ancaster - JHG Planning Consultancy Ltd - 18/298/CCC To vary condition 2 of planning permission N74/1232/12 to enable the tonnage of waste plasterboard received at the site to be increased from 65,000 tonnes to 100,000 tonnes per annum at Wilsford Heath Materials Recovery Facility, High Dike, Ancaster - JHG Planning Consultancy Ltd - 18/299/CCC Partially retrospective application for the retention of a water storage tank, two residual materials storage compounds and proposed development of two additional residual materials storage compounds at Wilsford Heath Materials Recovery Facility, High Dike, Ancaster - JHG Planning Consultancy Ltd - 18/297/CCC pdf icon PDF 1 MB

Minutes:

Mr O Grundy, representing the applicant, commented as follows:-

 

·         The proposed developments sought an additional 230,000 tonnes per annum of recyclable waste to be received and processed.

·         The Materials Recovery Facility had recently transitioned to a 'just in time' system of product supply, which meant that production of Solid Replacement Fuel (SRF) and other recycled materials was timed to coincide with scheduled deliveries. This minimised the need for large scale stockpiling of baled fuel and gypsum products. Two new SRF product storage areas had been constructed and these provided sufficient space to accommodate an additional 1900+ SRF bales. These measures would allow the proposed increased tonnages of waste plasterboard and dry mixed recyclable materials to be amply accommodated within the established facility. The Environment Agency had now granted the site a permit for the processing of up to 360,000 tonnes of material per annum.

·         An environmental impact assessment had been submitted and the intensification of operations would not have any adverse impact upon the surrounding area. Traffic flow along the local highway network would increase by approximately 140 trips per day. It was proposed to provide a right turn lane within the section of High Dike Road adjoining the site access and to introduce travel planning measures.

·         44 jobs would be created. Should planning permission be refused, the company would need to make redundancies to remain commercially viable. Planning permission would have a significant positive impact upon the local economy.

·         It was important to support developments that addressed the management of waste streams. The applications would allow an increased quantity of waste to be processed within an established facility. This reduced the need for further waste management development upon outlying sites. The proposals were sustainable and compliant with all relevant planning policy.

 

Oliver Grundy's responses to questions included:-

 

·    A wheel wash had not been provided on the site because the site handled dry waste and a good system of cleanliness was maintained on the site. Mud on the road came from agricultural traffic as there were a number of farms in the area.

·    The RDF comprised polymer compounds including rigid plastics and hydro-carbons and there was a growing demand for this for fuel.

·    With regard to operating the "just in time" or increasing the storage capacity of the site he stated that the applicant was increasing the capacity of the site and maximising the existing space as there were not any designated areas for storage on site at the moment.

·    An explanation was given of how the mini-bus service for employees would work.

 

Comments by the Committee and the responses of officers, where appropriate, included:-

 

·         The planning conditions did not specify when the right turning facility would be installed and in view of the damage already caused to the verge near the applicant's site this condition needed to be implemented as soon as possible. Officers stated that the works would be secured through a S278 Agreement and a condition had been recommended as part of planning application No. 18/0299/CCC. Officers  ...  view the full minutes text for item 17.

18.

To vary condition 28 of planning permission N47/66/0360/00. The proposed variation would amend the restoration details submitted and approved with the original planning application and further details submitted and approved 5 March 2003, at Norton Disney Quarry, Norton Disney - Cemex UK Operations Ltd - 18/0476/CCC pdf icon PDF 2 MB

Minutes:

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  ...  view the full minutes text for item 18.

 

 
 
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