Agenda item

Change of use of land and building to a bus depot including an extension to the north elevation of the main building complex and a detached single storey office building, and hardstanding (retrospective) (resubmission) [Strensall Ward]

Members considered a full application from York Pullman Bus Company Ltd for a change of use of land and building to a bus depot including an extension to the north elevation of the main building complex and a detached single storey office building, and hardstanding (retrospective) (resubmission).

The Applicant, Tom James (Managing Director, York Pullman Bus Company Ltd), spoke in support of the application. He outlined the very special circumstances for approval of the application as being job losses, the loss of home to school transport in York and emergency work for major rail providers. He was asked and explained the York Pullman bus sites in York explaining that other sites had been considered and discounted because of their unsuitability.

In relation to Pottery Lane access he was asked and confirmed that he would be agreeable to funding passing places and to changing the types of trees used to screen the site.  

Andrew McGuinness (Regional Manager, Northern & Yorkshire Regions, CPT UK and Vice Chair, York Quality Bus Partnership), spoke in support of the application. He explained that CPT represented bus operators and he noted the impacts of the loss of operating facilities and development opportunities for bus operators in York. He also noted the cost implications of moving the location of the depot.

Bill Woolley spoke in support of the application. He noted that he worked for Rufforth Estates and had no involvement in the application. He noted that local operators in York had been lost with York Pullman being the only independent bus operator remaining. He noted the operators contribution to home to school transport and that the benefits of the application outweighed the harm to the Green Belt.

John Chapman (Strensall Parish Councillor) spoke in objection to the application. He noted that Strensall Parish Council always supported local employment and home to school transport, however, the application failed to demonstrate the case for very special circumstances.

In response to a Member question, officers confirmed that the North Yorkshire County Council response regarding home to school transport was included in the committee report.

Following debate it was:

Resolved: That the application be approved subject to referral to the Secretary of State (if required) and the following conditions (the wording of which to be agreed by the Assistant Director, Chair and Vice Chair:

Condition 1 – Plans

Condition 2  - Highway work condition regarding the provision of two passing places on Pottery Lane

Condition 3 - Landscaping plan to include a mixed nature hedge instead of leylandii.

Condition 4 - Electric vehicle recharging points

Condition 5 - Submission of lighting scheme.         

Reason:     The proposed development would constitute appropriate development in the Green Belt that does falls within the listed exceptions in paragraphs 145 and 146 of the National Planning Policy Framework (2018). The considerations put forward by the applicant are considered to amount to the very special circumstances that are required to clearly outweigh the totality of harm to the Green Belt and other harm identified.  The proposal is therefore not considered to be contrary to paragraphs 143 - 146 of the National Planning Policy Framework.