Agenda and minutes

At this point, members are asked to declare any personal or prejudicial interests they may have in the business on this agenda.

Members were invited to declare at this point in the meeting any personal or prejudicial interests they might have in the business on the agenda.

Councillor Pierce declared a personal non-prejudicial interest in Plans item 4a  (Proposed University Campus lying between Field Lane, Common Lane, A64 Trunk Road and Hull Road, York) as a member of the Heslington East Community Forum and former member of staff and student of the University.

To approve and sign the minutes of the last meeting of the Planning Committee held on 25 February 2009.

RESOLVED:             That the minutes of the last meeting of the Committee held on 25 February 2009 be approved and signed by the Chair as a correct record.

It is at this point in the meeting that members of the public who have registered their wish to speak can do so. The deadline for registering is by 5pm the day before the meeting. Members of the public can speak on specific planning applications or on other agenda items or matters within the remit of the committee.

To register please contact the Democracy Officer for the meeting, on the details at the foot of this agenda.

It was reported that there had been no registrations to speak at the meeting under the Council’s Public Participation Scheme on general issues within the remit of the Committee.

This item invites Members to determine the following planning application:

Members considered the report of the Assistant Director (Planning and Sustainable Development), relating to the following planning application, outlining the proposals and relevant planning considerations and setting out the views and advice of consultees and officers.

Erection of a biomass boiler, 2 no. gas oil boilers and associated fuel tanks, fence enclosure, access and landscaping [Heslington Ward]

Consideration was given to a reserved matters application, submitted by the University of York, for the erection of a biomass boiler, 2 no. gas boilers and associated fuel tanks, fence enclosure, access and landscaping.

Officers circulated an update, which had been prepared following further discussions with the applicant. This covered the following points:

• Amendment of Condition 4 to read: “Full details of the biomass boiler to be installed in the proposed premises including maximum power output shall be submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority before the authorised development is commenced. The biomass boiler shall not thenceforth be used other than in accordance with the written approval of the Local Planning Authority”;

Reason: To protect the amenity of nearby residents;

• Condition 8 to be deleted as it duplicated Condition 4;
• Condition 11 to be amended to remove reference to foul drainage as no foul drainage was intended for the site;
• Items ii) and v) of the informative to be deleted as they duplicated the provisions of the Outline Permission;
• In view of the difficulties in sourcing fuel for the proposed boiler, the applicant, had requested that Condition 10 be amended to alter the radius for sourcing the biomass fuel from 25 to 40 km;
• In response to a Member enquiry, further discussions had taken place with the University’s agent and it was confirmed that there would be a maximum of 3 fuel deliveries by HGV per week. This was felt to be acceptable and colleagues in Highway Network Management confirmed that this would be acceptable;
• Copies of plans detailing an example of a biomass boiler installation and the planting plan for the site were also circulated.

Officers further updated, that following legal advice, they had been advised to further amend Condition 4 to request details of the delivery and sourcing of biomass fuel to be submitted for approval by the Local Planning Authority before the development commenced.

Representations in objection to the application were received from a resident of Field Lane adjacent to the site. She confirmed that she supported the principle of the development and the use of biomass fuel but expressed concerns in particular the need for a 1000KW Gas Oil Boiler back up system when the main Biomass Boiler was only 250Kw.  She pointed out that Condition 4 was confusing, that the length of the temporary permission should be reduced and requested Members to arrange for the monitoring of energy use by the University and to refuse permission for the Gas Oil boilers.

A representative of the University’s Planning Consultants confirmed that the biomass boiler would provide 10% of the annual energy needs for Cluster 1. He made representations in support of the proposals and confirmed that wood chips were a sustainable renewable fuel, which they were confident, could be sourced locally. He also stated that they were investigating the possibility of sourcing fuel from the University’s land in the longer term.

Members then questioned the following points:

• Expressed concern regarding the need  ...  view the full minutes text for item 56a