Agenda item

Erection of a silage clamp and silos (retrospective application) [Rural West Ward]

Members considered a major full application by Askham Bryan College for the erection of a silage clamp and silos (retrospective application) within the existing farm unit located to the west of the campus on the brow of the hill.

Officers  provided an update to the report, highlighting that the Flood Risk Management Team had no objections to the development. They also proposed an amendment to Condition 1 to include the revised site plan as well as additional conditions to cover surface water drainage and landscaping. Members discussed the reasons why the silage clamps needed to be formally approved by the Committee.

Resolved:          

That the application be REFERRED to the Secretary of State and, provided that the application is not called in for their own determination, DELEGATED authority be given to the Assistant Director for Planning and Public Protection to APPROVE the application subject to the conditions listed in the report as well as the amended and additional conditions below:

Amended Condition 1

The development hereby permitted shall be carried out in accordance with the following plans:-

·        Drawing Number (05)20 Revision A ' Farm Area: Proposed Silage Clamp' received 15 March 2017;

·        Drawing Number LL01 Revision F 'Landscape Proposal' received 25 April 20147;

·        Drawing Number (05) 01 'Location Plan' received 15 March 2017

·        Drawing Number (05)25 Revision A ‘Proposed Site Block Plan’ received 12 June 2017;

Reason: For the avoidance of doubt and to ensure that the development is carried out only as approved by the Local Planning Authority.

Additional condition: Surface Water Drainage

The surface water drainage scheme for the development hereby approved shall be in accordance with Flood Risk Assessment and Drainage Statement (by Dosser Mason Clark Associates received 15 March 2017) and the Surface Water Drainage Design Proposals and Calculations, job number 12905 ( by Dosser Mason Clark Associates received 15 March 2017).

Reason: So that the Local Planning Authority may be satisfied that there is proper and sustainable drainage of the site

Additional condition: Landscaping

The approved landscaping scheme (Drawing Number LL01 Revision F received 25 April 2017’) shall be implemented within a period of six months of the granting of this planning permission. Any trees or plants which within a period of five years from the completion 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.

Reason: In the interests of the visual amenity of the area. To ensure that the screening of the silage clamp is undertaken.

Reason:

The application site is located within the general extent of the York Green Belt and serves a number of Green Belt purposes. As such it falls to be considered under paragraph 87 of the NPPF which states inappropriate development, is by definition, harmful to the Green Belt and should not be approved except in very special circumstances. Very special circumstances will not exist unless the potential harm to the Green Belt by reason of inappropriateness and any other harm are clearly outweighed by other considerations. National planning policy dictates that substantial weight should be given to any harm to the Green Belt.

In addition to the harm to the Green Belt by reason of inappropriateness, it is considered that the proposal would have a harmful effect on the openness of the Green Belt when one of the most important attributes of Green Belts are their openness and that the proposal would undermine 2 of the five Green Belt purposes. Substantial weight is attached to the harm that the proposal would cause to the Green Belt. The harm to the Green Belt is added to by the harm to the visual character and amenity identified in this report.

The proposed development is considered to constitute inappropriate development within the Green Belt, and by virtue of the scale and siting of the proposed development would impact and cause harm to the openness and visual amenity of the Green Belt.  The proposed development is required for the college to expand and compete, and improve existing courses, this is supported by local and national planning policy. The proposed development is agricultural in function and appearance and would be required in proximity to the current campus and cannot reasonable be sited elsewhere. The proposed silage clamp is in the same position and a similar scale to that approved in planning permission 13/02946/FULM. The principle of a slightly larger silage clamp in this location has been agreed in planning permission 13/02946/FULM. As such, even when substantial weight is given to the harm to the Green Belt, it is considered that very special circumstances exist that clearly outweigh the harm to the Green Belt and any other harm. 

Approval is recommended subject to the referral of the application to the Secretary of State under The Town and Country Planning  (Consultation) (England) Direction 2009 and the application not being called in by the Secretary of State for determination. The application is required to be referred to the Secretary of State as the development is considered to be inappropriate development in the Green Belt, and the proposed building would create floor space (1319.8 sq.m) which is in excess of the of the 1000 sq.m floor space threshold set out in the Direction.