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Application No.: 08/01042/B Applicant: C Kniveton Ltd Proposal: Temporary operation of a mobile asphalt plant Site Address: - Old Turkeyland Quarry - Balthane Road - Balthane - Ballasalla - Isle Of Man --- ### Considerations Case Officer: Miss S E Corlett Photo Taken: - Site Visit: - Expected Decision Level: Planning Committee --- ### Written Representations --- ### Consultations Consultee: Highways Division Notes: Do not oppose Consultee: Malew Parish Commissioners Notes: No objection Consultee: Chief Fire Officer Notes: Note received Consultee: Inland Fisheries Development Manager Notes:** ---
The site represents part of Old Turkeyland former quarry which has been used for the creation of building blocks, located to the north east of Ronaldsway Airport and accessed from Balthane Road, from the A5 Douglas Road. The Balthane Road continues through Balthane Industrial Estate to the former quarry where the road ends and becomes a public footpath which leads towards Arragon Veg and beyond to the north east.
The site lies within an area designated as Area for Surface Mineral Working (limestone) on the Isle of Man Planning Scheme (Development Plan) Order 1982.
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Permission was granted in 1997 for an extension to the blockworks kiln (PA 97/1829) and ten years later permission was sought for the creation of a facility for the processing and maturation of bottom ash from the Energy From Waste Plant (PA 07/1611). This application, together with an application for the storage of bottom ash within the New Turkeyland quarry, (PA 07/1612) is presently being considered by an independent inspector along with the Department's proposal for landfill at Archallagan (07/00812).
Proposed now is the operation of an asphalt plant on the site for a temporary period exclusively to facilitate the construction of a new runway extension and remedial works to the existing runway at Ronaldsway Airport. The plant will be mobile and associated portacabins will be installed for offices and welfare facilities. The night-time working at the airport is scheduled between the hours of 2130hrs and 0500hrs but it is proposed that the asphalt plant be available to be operational 24 hours a day throughout the week.
The temporary use of the site for the asphalt plant will not compromise the longer term aim of the operator to use the site for processing and maturation of bottom ash if approval is granted to PA 07/1611.
The layout of the site will take the form of stockpiles of graded aggregate in the north of the site, a generator, silo, filter, mixer, tanks, feeder bins and cabins. The photograph of such an operation is included in the application and shows structures little different in appearance and size than cement mixers with some chutes and framing. The largest individual structures appear to be the portacabin offices. As with the previous application for the processing and maturation of the bottom ash, there will be a visual impact from the north east from the stockpiled material but from this view, the existing block plant is already visible. The colour of the metal plant may be visible.
The height of the plant varies between 4.6m high for the hoppers and the filter stack and mixer being somewhere in the order of 10.5m and the conveyor - the highest part of the plant, being around 15.5m.
The Isle of Man Fire and Rescue Service recommends liaison regarding fire precautions which are not a material planning matter and should not be referred to in the planning decision notice.
Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry Fisheries raise no objection subject to no development being undertaken within 8m of any watercourse.
Department of Transport Highways and Traffic Division and Malew Parish Commissioners indicate that they have no objection to the application.
The Airport works are scheduled to take up to 2 years to complete although this application suggests that the operational life of the runway extension is 7 months and the plant will not be operational after then. The site is already an industrial one and has been for some time, it having previously been a quarry which has been infilled.
The applicant cites the following Strategic Plan policies in support of their application:
Strategy Policy 1 which states: "Development should make the best use of resources by:
a) Optimising the use of previously developed land, redundant buildings, unused and under-used land and buildings and re-using scarce, indigenous building materials;
b) Ensuring efficient use of sites, taking into account the needs for access, landscaping, open space and amenity standards and
c) Being located so as to utilise existing and planned infrastructure, facilities and services".
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and
Strategic Policy 4 which states: Strategic Policy 4; "Proposals for development must:
a) protect or enhance the fabric and setting of Ancient Monuments, Registered Buildings (1), Conservation Areas (2), buildings and structures within National Heritage Areas and sites of archaeological interest;
b) protect or enhance the landscape quality and nature conservation value or urban as well as rural areas but especially in respect to development adjacent to Areas of Special Scientific Interest and other designations; and
c) not cause or lead to unacceptable environmental pollution or disturbance"
and also suggests that the proposal complies with the following:
Environment Policy 1 - The countryside and its ecology will be protected for its own sake. For the purposes of this policy, the countryside comprises all land which is outside the settlements defined in Appendix 3 at A.3.6 or which is not designated for future development on an Area Plan. Development which would adversely affect the countryside will not be permitted unless there is an over-riding national need in land use planning terms which outweighs the requirement to protect these areas and for which there is no reasonable and acceptable alternative".
Environment Policy 2 - The present system of landscape classification of Areas of High Landscape or Coastal Value and Scenic Significance (AHLVs) as shown on the 1982 Development Plan and subsequent Local and Area Plans will be used as a basis for development control until such time as it is superseded by a landscape classification which will introduce different categories of landscape and policies and guidance for control therein. Within these areas the protection of the character of the landscape will be the most important consideration unless it can be shown that:
Environment Policy 3 - Development will not be permitted where it would result in the unacceptable loss of or damage to woodland areas, especially ancient, natural and semi-natural woodlands, which have public amenity or conservation value.
Environmental Policy 4 - Development will not be permitted which would adversely affect: (a) species and habitats of international importance; (b) protected species of international importance or their habitats; or (c) proposed or designated Ramsar and Emerald Sites or other internationally important sites. (b) species and habitats of national importance: (i) protected species of national importance or their habitats; (ii) Wildlife Sites are defined in Appendix 1 (iii) proposed or designated National Nature Reserves, or Areas of Special Scientific Interest; or (iv) Marine Nature Reserves; or (v) National Trust Land.
Some areas to which this policy applies are identified as Areas of Ecological Importance or Interest on extant Local or Area Plans, but others, whose importance was not evident at the time of the adoption of the relevant Local or Area Plan, are not, particularly where that plan has been in place for many years. In these circumstances, the Department will seek site specific advice from the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry if development proposals are brought forward.
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Environment Policy 6 - The Department will seek to identify and designate such 'National Heritage Areas' in collaboration with other Government Departments and appropriate agencies in order that buildings, archaeological sites and areas of special ecological, landscape and/or scientific value within them are recognised for their national importance, are a focus for environmental enhancement and are given additional protection from unwarranted development.
Environment Policy 7 - Development which would cause demonstrable harm to a watercourse, wetland, pond or dub, and which could not be overcome by mitigation measures will not be permitted. Where development is proposed which would affect a watercourse, planning applications must comply with the following criteria:
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:
i) pollution of sea, surface water or groundwater; ii) emissions of airborne pollutants; and iii) vibration, odour, noise or light pollution.
Environment Policy 40 - Development will not be permitted which would damage, disturb or detract from an important archaeological site or an Ancient Monument or the setting thereof.
Environment Policy 41 - The Department will require that archaeological evaluations be submitted prior to the determination of proposals affecting sites of known or potential archaeological significance. In cases where remains are affected but preservation in-situ is not merited, the Department will expect to secure excavations and/or recording in advance of construction work either by the imposition of suitable conditions attached to a planning permission or through a formal agreement entered into with the developer.
In addition to this, it is suggested that the proposal also satisfies the Strategic Aim which is "To plan for the efficient and effective provision of services and infrastructure and to direct and control development and the use of land to meet the community's needs, having particular regard to the principles of sustainability whilst at the same time preserving, protecting, and improving the quality of the environment, having particular regard to our uniquely Manx natural, wildlife, cultural and built heritage" as the proposal will reduce the time and resources and disruption to those living alongside haulage routes which would be incurred through the production of the asphalt further from the site of the end user.
The site has the advantage of being some distance from residential property - the closest properties are 450m (Ballawoods) and 750m (Arragon Mooar) and already being used for processing and industrial purposes.
In terms of noise, the application includes a report from acoustic consultants who suggest that the existing railway embankment will provide some attenuation of noise emitted from the plant and that a further barrier up to 3m in height is constructed on the north eastern boundary and that the impact of the tonal reverse warning system on the wheeled loading shovel should be mitigated by the fitting of a device which emits a white noise spectrum. The predicted noise level from the operation of the plant as experienced at Ballahick Farm, to the south of the site is 39dB LAeq, 1hr. This is considered to meet good design criteria for bedrooms as set out in BS 8233.
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The level at Ballawoods, the closest residential property is likely to be 47 dB LAeq. 1 hr which is 2 dB higher than advised in the World Health Organisation's Guidelines for Community Health but that the plant is unlikely to be in production between 2300-0700hrs so the perceptible difference is not likely to be significant.
The Environmental Protection Officer has been consulted in respect of likely noise levels from the development and has suggested the following conditions which are now acceptable to the applicant:
The noise measurement shall be made according to BS 4142:1997.
The applicant and the Environmental Protection Officer have discussed the last of these conditions and as the asphalt plant is likely to be operating only when the runway works are being carried out, there will already be noise from the operations on the runway it may be that the condition requiring cessation of the asphalt plant in the evenings at the weekend is not considered reasonable. There is also the fact that the longer the plant is operating in any given period, the shorter the overall period of working is likely to be.
The provision of the plant so close to the end use site is to be encouraged and there are few suitable locations where such operations could be carried out so far from residential property. As such, the application is recommended for approval.
The Department of Transport and the local authority are, by virtue of the Town and Country Planning (Development Procedure) Order 2005, paragraph 6 (5) (c) and (d), considered "interested persons" and as such should be afforded party status.
Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry represent a statutory authority and raise material concerns and as such should be afforded party status in this instance.
Recommended Decision: Permitted Date of Recommendation: 31.07.2008 Conditions and Notes for Approval / Reasons and Notes for Refusal
C : Conditions for approval N : Notes attached to conditions R : Reasons for refusal
C 1. The development hereby permitted shall commence before the expiration of four years from the date of this notice.
C 2. This permission relates to the temporary operation of an asphalt plant as shown and described in the information and plans reference FIG 01 - 06 inclusive all received on 22nd May, 2008.
C 3. Operation of the asphalt plant in the evening and at night (1900 - 0700 hrs) shall only be for production of asphalt for the construction of the Ronaldsway Airport Runway End Safety Area excluding taxi ways etc.
C 4. The specific level of the noise emitted from the asphalt plant site shall not exceed LAeq, 1 hour (free field) 47 dB at Ballawoods and 39 dB at Ballahick Farm. The noise measurement shall be made according to BS 4142:1997. C 5. Upon completion of the runway works which require material from the proposed asphalt operation, all plant must be removed from site within three months of the date of the last operation of the plant. in accordance with this approval.
C 6. Prior to the commencement of the proposed use as permitted, there must be a further barrier up to 3 m in height is constructed on the north eastern boundary to mitigate noise nuisance from the proposed operations.
Decision Made : Committee Meeting Date :
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