|
Date: |
24 April 2025 |
Ward: |
Dringhouses And Woodthorpe |
|
Team: |
West Area |
Parish: |
Dringhouses/Woodthorpe Planning Panel |
|
Reference: |
24/02209/GRG3 |
|
Application at: |
Honeysuckle House Herdsman Road York |
|
For: |
Installation of 27no. Air Source Heat Pumps (ASHP) |
|
By: |
City Of York Council |
|
Application Type: |
General Regulations (Reg3) |
|
Target Date: |
3 March 2025 |
|
Recommendation: |
Approve under General Regs 3 Council Dev |
1.0 PROPOSAL
1.1. This application seeks consent for the installation of 27no. Air Source Heat Pumps (ASHP) at Honeysuckle House.
1.2. Honeysuckle House is a council-owned apartment block located within Dringhouses. It comprises of 27no. flats which are spread over two floors, with some outdoor landscaping surrounding the building. The original planning application for the building was approved in 1989 for the “erection of two storey building to form sheltered housing comprising 27 flats”. The building comprises largely of brick and concrete tiles, includes a car parking area at the entrance and is visually prominent from Herdsman Road, Wain’s Road and Wain’s Grove.
2.0 POLICY CONTEXT
2.1. Planning law requires that applications for planning permission must be determined in accordance with the development plan unless material considerations indicate otherwise (section 38(6) Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004).
CITY OF YORK LOCAL PLAN
2.2. The Local Plan was adopted on 27 February 2025. The policies from the plan carry full weight in the determination of all planning applications. Policies relevant to the determination of this application are:
D1 Placemaking
D11 Extensions and Alterations to Existing Buildings
CC1 Renewable and low carbon energy generation and storage
ENV2 Managing Environmental Quality
3.0 CONSULTATIONS
Public Protection
3.1 Concerned about the noise from the air source heat pumps impacting on the amenity of nearby residents. Advise that the applicant commission a noise assessment to ensure L90 background levels are not exceeded at nearby surrounding properties when all units are running at full capacity at the same time.
3.2 Following receipt of the noise report, further comments that it demonstrates that during the daytime the representative L90 background noise levels at the nearest receptors will not be exceeded. The L90 background noise levels during the nighttime period will generally not be exceeded. However on Sunday 9 March into Monday 10 March the L90 background noise levels did fall significantly and so the L90 on that night was constantly exceeded. These were still relatively low noise levels and internal levels within the flats should be barely perceptible. Planning condition suggested.
Woodthorpe and Dringhouses Planning Panel
3.3 Appreciate the green credentials of heat pumps but question the noise factor created by the 27 pumps, especially for those tenants on the ground floor.
4.0 REPRESENTATIONS
4.1. One representation received making the following comments:
· Not sure scheme is financially viable to the Council.
· Question whether the ASHPs will serve the flats and/or communal areas.
· Concern about noise pollution from units.
· Concern about the aesthetics of the units on the outside of the building.
5.0 APPRAISAL
Key Issues
- The
principle of the development
- Visual amenity
- Environmental quality and noise
The Principle Of The Development
5.1. Local Plan policy CC1 supports the development of renewable and low carbon energy developments. Development will be permitted where impacts on relevant considerations, including noise, are demonstrated to be acceptable.
5.2. The 27no. Air Source Heat Pumps (ASHP) will provide hot water and thermal heating for each apartment. In principle the proposal will meet the requirements of the Local Plan with respect to increasing energy efficiency and promoting low carbon/renewable energy generation.
Visual Amenity
5.3. There are a significant number of ASHPs being proposed around or near the perimeter of the building. The drawings illustrate the locations for the proposed 27no. air source heat pumps around the block. Each ASHP will serve one apartment unit. Generally, they will tend to be clustered in groups of 2, 3 or 4 around or close to the perimeter of the building, depending on their distance from the apartment windows. All will be located at ground level, either freestanding or mounted against the building, with any pre-insulated pipework to be hidden underground or within the external walls of the building.
5.4. At the west elevation of the apartment block facing Wain’s Road, a total of 10no. ASHPs are proposed. They would be situated adjacent to the boundary hedge. At the north elevation of the apartment block, 4no. ASHPs will face Herdsman Road, with a cluster of 4no. adjacent to the main entrance of Honeysuckle House. A group of 3no. and then 2no. ASHPS are proposed at the south elevations within the outside garden area up against the external wall, as well as 4no. facing directly onto Wain’s Grove. There will be no ASHPs facing towards the east elevation.
5.5. Where possible, they are located in more visually discreet locations where they are less visible from the road. The ASHPs facing Wain’s Road adjacent to the hedge would not result in adverse visual harm, with the existing hedge providing sufficient visual screening. Other ASHPs would be situated within the garden areas away from the main public vantage points. Whilst the ASHPs would be more visually noticeable at the south and north elevations, this would not result in such a level of visual harm to the street scene that should warrant a refusal of the application. Therefore, the scheme is considered to comply with policy D1 of the Local Plan, which seeks to protect local environments and D11 which states that proposals to alter or add to existing buildings will be supported where the design responds positively to its immediate architectural context, local character and history in terms of the use of materials, detailing, scale, proportion, landscape and space between buildings.
Environmental Quality and Noise
5.6. Local Plan policy ENV2 states that development will be permitted where it does not unacceptably harm the amenities of existing and future occupants and neighbouring communities in terms of noise pollution . The Noise Impact Assessment concluded that the estimated noise impact from the proposed plant installations would be below background noise levels during the daytime, however during the night time background noise levels were exceeded one night during the survey period. The Public Protection Officer advised that noise levels within the flats should be barely perceptible and as such it is considered that there would not be unacceptable harm. Further noise protection planning conditions would not be reasonable or necessary.
6.0 CONCLUSION
6.1 The proposed works would provide low carbon heating for the apartments and would not result in unacceptable harm to residential or visual amenity. The scheme is considered to comply with policies D1, ENV2, D11 and CC1 of the Local Plan.
7.0 RECOMMENDATION: Approve under General Regs 3 Council Dev
1 TIME2 Development start within three years
2 The development hereby permitted shall be carried out in accordance with the following plans:-
Proposed GF Area A Heating Design Intent: YC2401 HH-APP-XX-00-DR-M-602 T1
Proposed GF Area B Heating Design Intent: YC2401 HH-APP-XX-00-DR-M-603 T1
Site Location Plan: YC2401-APS-XX-XX-DR-B-001 T1
Block Plan: YC2401-APP-XX-XX-DR-B-000101 T1
Reason: For the avoidance of doubt and to ensure that the development is carried out only as approved by the Local Planning Authority.
8.0 INFORMATIVES:
Notes to Applicant
1. POSITIVE AND PROACTIVE APPROACH
In considering the application, the Local Planning Authority has implemented the requirements set out within the National Planning Policy Framework (paragraph 39) in seeking solutions to problems identified during the processing of the application. The Local Planning Authority took the following steps in order to achieve a positive outcome:
- Advised the applicant to commission a noise assessment in order to address concerns on residential amenity highlighted during the consultation period.
Contact details:
Case Officer: Sam Francis
Tel No: 01904 554414