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Application No.: 17/00810/B Applicant: Island Aggregates Ltd Proposal: Extension of existing concrete yard Site Address: Island Aggregates Ltd Concrete Plant Oatlands Quarry Oatlands Road Santon Isle Of Man Case Officer : Miss S E Corlett Photo Taken: 23.08.2017 Site Visit: 23.08.2017 Expected Decision Level: Planning Committee Recommended Decision: Permitted Date of Recommendation: 04.09.2017 _________________________________________________________________
C : Conditions for approval N : Notes attached to conditions
Reason: To comply with article 14 of the Town and Country Planning (Development Procedure) (No2) Order 2013 and to avoid the accumulation of unimplemented planning approvals.
must be protected from machinery and operations during the course of the works either by fencing or signage or other course of action with prior approval of the Department.
Reason: To protect the wildlife of the area and to minimise damage to the rest of the area N 1. The works must not result in the spread of species under Schedule 8 of the Wildlife Act 1990. Reason: to protect the wildlife of the area.
This approval relates to the location plan, site plan and plan reference IA02G17 as well as the Preliminary Ecology Report prepared by Manx Wildlife Trust and dated June 2017 and all received on 31st July, 2017.
_______________________________________________________________ Interested Person Status – Additional Persons
None _____________________________________________________________________________
THIS APPLICATION IS REFERRED TO THE PLANNING COMMITTTEE AS THE SITE IS NOT DESIGNATED FOR DEVELOPMENT
1.1 The site is the curtilage of an existing concrete plant which lies on the south western side of Oatlands Road to the rear of Oatlands Farm. Access to the site is from Oatlands Road, to the north of Oatlands Farm and along a lane which also serves the area to the north which accommodates buildings used for storage in association with agriculture and the quarry which is not presently operational. - 1.2 The concrete plant accommodates a number of buildings within a generally hard surfaced area and includes a relatively tall structure which is visible from the Old Castletown Road (A25). There is a line of evergreen trees along the south eastern boundary of the site. THE PROPOSAL
2.1 Proposed is the extension of the existing yard to provide additional space for the manufacture and storage of concrete blocks in association with the existing operations on the site. The extension would be an additional 52m in length and 34m in width and coming around 30m before the south western end of the field in which the operation, quarry and other units, are located. - 2.2 No buildings are proposed on the site, although mobile plant will be utilised and an illustration of such used on their site elsewhere is provided. This is around 4m in height and moves around the site as the blocks are manufactured using concrete driven from the main plant and emptied into the machine which then emits the blocks which sit on the concrete apron for drying before onward distribution. - 2.3 The facility will enable blocks to be manufactured on the Island rather than imported from the UK and Ireland, providing a more sustainable service to the local construction industry and retaining more economic benefit on the Island.
2.4 The applicant has provided information relating to archaeology and ecology in the form of correspondence from Manx National Heritage and an ecological survey undertaken by the Manx Wildlife Trust. MNH advise that the general area is of interest to them because archaeological artefacts have been discovered from time to time. However, because of the level of disturbance that has previously taken place on the proposed site, there is very little likelihood of there being any significant archaeological remains and they would not be minded to request that archaeological conditions be attached to the development. - 2.5 The Manx Wildlife Trust have undertaken a study of the site, including both desktop research and on-site investigations undertaken in June 2017. It concludes that the nearest protected sites are some distance from here and their interest is not related to anything found on the application site. There are no records of legally protected plant or animal species on the site and indeed there is evidence of Japanese Knotweed, a Schedule 8 species which it is a criminal offence to plant or cause to spread, in the quarry. The site is not considered a speciesrich or interesting habitat and is classed for ecological purposes as species-poor semi-improved grassland. Non-native invasive species such as Montbretia and Hybrid Bluebell has been introduced through the importation of waste and which are distributed thinly over a wide part of the site. - 2.6 Whilst there is no record of lizards here, there is a stone wall on the eastern boundary of the site which could provide good lizard refugia and could be part of a lizard foraging territory. It is the view of MWT that there is sufficient distance from the wall to the development site not to affect the sustainability of any habitat used by any lizards. - 2.7 The lake within the former quarry comprises water infused with calcium through the silt and cement run-off into it and this creates an environment more suitable for invertebrates of ecological interest although silt and game fowl mitigate against this. Fairy Flax grows in small amounts around the lake and only a small amount is contained within the application site and protection should be afforded to the remainder during development. - 2.8 Whilst there is potential for frogs to exist in and around the lake, the nearby game fowl operation makes it unlikely that many frogs would survive in any significant numbers. - 2.9 They recommend that working should remain within the western boundary to minimise damage to the rest of the area and with care taken to minimise swamping the surrounding land with aggregate and a wall or bund is recommended. They also recommend mowing the site prior to commencing work to discourage lizards from occupying the site and the cutting should take place in the winter or at dawn at any other times when the lizards are inactive. The area to the east should be protected from machinery and operations during the course of the works. A silt trap should be introduced to prevent uncontrolled surface water run off during and after construction. Care must be taken in the disposal of any soil containing invasive species and the ground is unlikely to be suitable for agricultural re-use due to the presence of lumps of concrete. - 2.10 The application includes information on the noise levels for the propose machine which is already operational in their Northern Ireland site and this emits noise levels of a maximum of 109.9dB at a distance of 0.5m from the machine, reducing to 81 dB at a distance of 30m. These maximum levels are spikes within the manufacture process and which last around 10 seconds per cycle. The nearest residential property is 280m to the south (Ballakelly). - 2.11 The blocks which emerge from the machine are lower than the surrounding bund which is proposed to be created from material levelled on the site, and all that could be seen is the machine travelling across the site during its work. - 2.12 The applicant has explained by way of an e-mail dated 23.08.17, that up until February of this year, there were two producers of concrete blocks on the Island although at this stage one
of the producers, Knivetons, indicated that they were shortly to cease. What is now proposed will replace the facility previously provided by Knivetons but with a choice for local builders from there being two producers on the Island. It will also overcome the present situation where concrete blocks are imported from elsewhere in local projects. They believe that their current site, the application site, is highly suitable for this process due to its location close to Douglas and as the site already accommodates a concrete batching plant.
3.1 The site lies within an area designated on The Isle of Man Planning Scheme (Development Plan) Order 1982 as not designated for a particular purpose and within a wider area of High Landscape Value and Scenic Significance. The quarry is picked out as an Area for Reclamation. - 3.2 As such, there is a presumption against development here and the landscape is protected for its own sake as set out in Environment Policies 1 and 2 where the impact on the landscape is a particularly important determining factor. Exceptions to this stance are set out in General Policy 3 but the activities proposed do not fall within any of the categories listed. - 3.3 The draft Landscape Character Appraisal identifies the site as within an area of Incised Slopes - Santon. Within this area certain negative landscape features are identified, including the radio masts at Douglas Head and the Energy From Waste Plant chimney but no reference is made to the existing plant at Oatlands. The landscape guidance includes avoidance of anything which would intrude into the moderate sense of tranquillity and the existing field pattern and anything which would represent skyline development. - 3.4 The Strategic Plan contains advice about developments which may be potentially pollutive:
Environment Policy 22: Development will not be permitted where it would unacceptably harm the environment and/or the amenity of nearby properties in terms of:
4.1 The existing operation has been the subject of a number of applications for plant and buildings as well as the surrounding area where the existing sheds are situated. The mortar making equipment was renewed under a permission granted for 00/00336/B. Most recently, planning approval has been granted for a water borehole (16/00964/B). REPRESENTATIONS - 5.1 Highway Services indicate that there is no highway interest in the application (18.08.17).
5.2 Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture's Senior Biodiversity Officer agrees with the environmental report contained within the application that concludes that the impact on wildlife will be quite low and hopes that the recommendations contained within the wildlife report will be taken into account, particularly the protection of the fairy flax area outside of the footprint during construction and after, from inappropriate run-off, the mowing of the affected area to exclude lizards during April-October with the watching brief, the protection of the
ground from concrete run-off and the prevention of the spread of Schedule 8 species (30.08.17).
6.1 The issues here are whether the proposed development would have any adverse visual or environmental impact and if so, if there are any other material reasons why these concerns should be over-ridden. Whilst the site is not designated for development, the site has a lawful use for the manufacture of concrete and this is the starting point for any assessment, although there is no automatic approval for the expansion of this into the surrounding countryside, which is what is proposed in the current application.
6.2 The proposed additional area is unlikely to be seen other than from within the site, given its height above the surrounding landscape and the horizontal nature of the site and the proposed works, enhanced by the proposed low bund around the proposed works.
6.3 There is no evidence that there would be any harmful environmental impact from the proposed works provided that the preventative steps are taken as identified in the wildlife report. The development is some distance from the nearest residential properties, from which there have been no objections and the existing buildings, trees and plant, together with the proposed bund should ensure that there is no noise nuisance to those living in the vicinity. The noise levels provided support this although it should be noted that there are other legislative processes which can control nuisance to residents in the vicinity. As such, no conditions are required regarding noise levels emitted from the proposed development. - 6.4 The introduction of another concrete block producing facility on the Island has considerable benefits, providing competition and choice for those embarking upon building projects and also avoiding further importation of concrete blocks, which is currently occurring and which is not the most sustainable way of developing on the Island. This significant benefit which is environmental as well as economic and to the Island as a whole, is a material consideration.
7.1 Given that there would be no demonstrable harm from the proposal and the benefits which would accrue, the application is recommended for approval. - 8.0 INTERESTED PERSON STATUS
8.1 By virtue of the Town and Country Planning (Development Procedure) (No 2) Order 2013 (Article 6(4), the following persons are automatically interested persons:
8.2 The decision maker must determine:
I confirm that this decision has been made by the Planning Committee in accordance with the authority afforded to it under the appropriate delegated authority.
Decision Made : Permitted Committee Meeting Date: 18.09.2017
Signed : S CORLETT Presenting Officer
Further to the decision of the Committee an additional report/condition reason was required (included as supplemental paragraph to the officer report).
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