Agenda item

Extension to existing warehouse. [Osbaldwick and Derwent Ward] [Site Visit]

Members considered a major full application by Rosti Automotive Stamford Bridge, for an extension to an existing warehouse.

Officers circulated details of a substitute informative, in respect of the construction proposals for the site, relating to hours of work, deliveries, noise, plant and machinery, bonfires and contamination, for inclusion in the suggested conditions.

Members requested that the landscaping condition should be applied to the lifetime of the development rather than for a period of five years.

David Bolton, the applicant’s agent, spoke in support of the application, acknowledging the site’s Green Belt location and their submission of a case for ‘very special circumstances’ which sought to outweigh the harm caused to the Green Belt. He confirmed that the facility was a key site in the Jaguar supply chain supporting 400 local jobs and had provided local investment of £5m. He also confirmed acceptance of the suggested alteration to the landscaping condition if permission was granted.

Following further discussion it was

Resolved:  That the application be approved subject to the conditions listed in the report and the following amended Condition and Informative:

Amended Condition 5

No development shall take place above foundation level until there has been submitted and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority a detailed landscaping scheme which shall illustrate the number, species, height and position of trees, shrubs  and hard landscaping.  This scheme shall be implemented within a period of six months of the completion of the development.  Any trees or plants which within the lifetime of the development die, are removed or become seriously damaged or diseased shall be replaced in the next planting season with others of a similar size and species, unless alternatives are agreed in writing by the Local Planning Authority.

Informative:

The developer's attention should also be drawn to the following which should be attached to any planning approval as an informative.

1.      All demolition and construction works and ancillary operations, including deliveries to and dispatch from the site shall be confined to the following hours:

Monday to Friday 08.00 to 18.00

Saturday   09.00 to 13.00

Not at all on Sundays and Bank Holidays.

2.      The work shall be carried out in such a manner so as to comply with the general recommendations of British Standards BS 5228-1:2009 + A1:2014 and BS 5228-2:2009 + A1:2014, a code of practice for "Noise and Vibration Control on Construction and Open  Sites".

3.      Best practicable means shall be employed at all times in order to minimise noise, vibration, dust, odour and light emissions.

4.      All plant and machinery to be operated, sited and maintained in order to minimise disturbance.  All items of machinery powered by internal  combustion engines must be properly silenced and/or fitted with effective and well-maintained mufflers in accordance with manufacturers instructions.

5.      There shall be no bonfires on the site.

6.      In the event that contamination is found at any time when carrying out the approved development, the findings must be reported in writing immediately to the Local Planning Authority. In such cases, an investigation and risk assessment must be undertaken and where remediation (clean-up) is necessary a remediation scheme must be prepared, which is subject to the approval in writing of the Local Planning Authority. Following completion of measures identified in the approved remediation scheme a verification report must be prepared, which is subject to the approval in writing of the Local Planning  Authority. Should City of York Council become aware at a later date of suspect contaminated materials which have not been reported as

described above, the council may consider taking action under Part 2A of the Environmental Protection Act 1990.

Reason:     The facility is an intermediate component storage facility for a major motor component manufacturer who has a long running supply contract with Jaguar/Land Rover in the West Midlands.  For an intermediate storage facility there are very specific locational requirements in terms of relationship to the host manufacturing site and the strategic highway network. At the same time the applicant has provided detailed information to demonstrate that the proposed extension to the facility could not reasonably be accommodated at either of the two local manufacturing plants and a detailed site search exercise which demonstrates that no other suitable non-Green Belt sites are available. It is felt that subject to appropriate landscaping the impact of the proposal upon the local landscape would be minimal and that the provision of the extension would safeguard local employment in the area. Having attached substantial weight to the harm to the Green Belt in the overall planning balance, it is considered that the considerations set out above  in support of the proposal  are of sufficient weight to clearly outweigh all the harms identified so as to amount to the very special circumstances necessary to justify an exception to Green Belt policy in this case.