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Client Reference: 407\AsphaltPlant
Prepared For:
C. KNIVETON LTD.
Signed: ______________________
Dalgleish Associates Ltd
Date: 14th May 2008
Dalgleish Associates Ltd Mineral, Planning and Environmental Consultants Cathedral Square Dunblane FK15 0AH Tel: 01786 822339 Fax: 01786 822899
This report is an supporting statement accompanying the planning application by C Kniveton Ltd for temporary planning permission for the erection and temporary operation of an asphalt plant.
If permitted the proposed asphalt plant will be utilised exclusively to provide asphalt for use in the construction of the Ronaldsway Airport Runway End Safety Area [RESA].
Planning permission is sought for a period of seven months from June to December 2008.
Planning permission is sought for the temporary erection and operation of a mobile asphalt plant. Temporary additional office/welfare facility portacabins will be erected to the rear of the existing site offices.
The boundaries of the planning application area are shown in red on the Site Location Plan, Figure 1. The site is centred on national grid reference SC 229390469575.
The site is located some 700 m to the north-east of the A12 road. The village of Ballasalla is located approximately 1 km to the west of the proposal, Ronaldsway Airport being located some 800 m to the south-west. The closest residential property is Ballawoods which is located at a distance of some 450 m to the north-east.
The application area extends to some 1.0 ha and comprises land currently utilised by C Kniveton Ltd for block storage [Figure 2 refers] and is made up of concrete and aggregate hardstanding.
The land to the south and west is occupied by the block works and the former Old Turkeyland Quarry, which was infilled to near ground level with inert waste, and is currently utilised as a lined disposal site for IBA. The land immediately to the north and east, and in the wider surrounding area, is in agricultural use.
The proposed plant is an Ermant TSM225 mobile asphalt plant which has a maximum capacity of 200 tonnes per hour, the likely average production output being in the region of 150 tph . The typical plant layout is shown in Figure 3 and illustrated in Figure 4. The plant varies in height, the feed hoppers being in the region of 4.6 m , the bag filter stack and mixer being about 10.5 m , the loading conveyor to the mixer [the highest part of the plant] being 15.5 m .
As previously stated, the asphalt plant will be utilised exclusively to service the RESA project. It is not possible to safely construct all aspects of the runway end safety area works and to keep the Airport operational without night-time working. Night-time possession of the runway for the contractor is likely to commence at 21.30 hours with the handover effected early the following morning likely around 05.00 hours.
Accordingly, to allow for the flexibility required to provide asphalt for all necessary operations, as indicated in the planning permission for the runway end safety area work, it is proposed that the asphalt plant operational hours be 24 hours a day throughout the week.
Lighting will be required for health and safety purposes. All safety lighting will be focussed on the area of activity only and will be hooded and sited to minimise visual intrusion.
The application area relates to a temporary change of use of land currently utilised for an existing lawful development [block production and storage].
The application area has also been the subject of a planning application for a facility for the processing and maturation of incinerator bottom ash [IBA]. This application [Ref: 07/01611/B] was the subject of a conjoined public inquiry in January 2008. As the conjoined inquiry is ongoing no decision has been issued to date. The proposed utilisation of the site for asphalt production is a temporary operation and would not restrict the utilisation of the site for IBA processing in the longer term.
The planning framework against which the proposal falls to be assessed is set by the Isle of Man Strategic Plan [Written Statement 20th June 2007].
Development should make the best use of resources by [a] maximising 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.
The proposal makes use of an existing industrial site and will utilise the existing weighbridge. As the proposal maximises the use of the site which is strategically located to serve the RESA project and offers direct access onto the RESA site the proposal is considered to demonstrate efficient use. The proposal will have no significant amenity impact.
Proposals for development must: [a] Protect or enhance the fabric and setting of Ancient Monuments, Registered Buildings, Conservation Areas, buildings and structures within National Heritage Areas and sites of archaeological interest, [b] protect or enhance the landscape quality and nature conservation value of 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.
There are no designated sites as identified within Strategic Policy 4[a] within the general proximity of the proposal. With respect to 4[b], whilst the proposal is within an Area of Scenic Significance the application area is an existing industrial development area and there will be no significant additional landscape or visual impact. There are no nature designations within such proximity as to be affected by the proposal. With
respect to 4[c], there will be no significant potential for disturbance or for environmental pollution; the limited impacts identified will be for a temporary period only.
With respect to environmental policies the proposed temporary works are considered to be in accordance with the relevant Environmental Policies 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 22, 40 and 41. With respect to Environmental Policy 24, as the development is temporary and it has been demonstrated that environmental impacts are minimal, it is considered that a full Environmental Assessment is not necessary.
The RESA project has been assessed with respect to transportation. As the proposed asphalt plant will use private internal haul routes only the planning policies relating to transportation are not relevant.
It is proposed that the asphalt plant will be temporarily located within an area currently utilised for block storage. The application area and environs is an artificial landform which has been created as a result of previous quarrying operations and the existing block making operations, and it is this current form which must be taken as the baseline for any landscape and visual impact assessment of the proposal.
The existing landuse is considered to have a moderate impact on the landscape. As this area no longer appears as a natural landform its utilisation for asphalt production would have no significant impact in terms of the existing landscape. There will be no impact on the Landscape Character of the wider area.
In terms of visual impact, there is very little intervisibility between the proposed location of the asphalt plant and sensitive receptors in the surrounding area. There is a rise in the topography to the south-west, west and north-west which effectively precludes views from other residential properties on the outskirts of Ballasalla.
The only viewpoint from residential properties is afforded from the north-west. In this direction the closest residential properties are Ballawoods and Arragon Moar, which are respectively located at distances of some 450 m and 750 m to the north-east. Figures 5 and 6 provide 3-D visualisations of the existing view from these properties and the view whilst the asphalt plant is in operation.
At these properties the existing views are of an industrial area. At Arragon Moar the existing view will continue with no significant change in the area of occupation, the visual impact due to the height of the plant being negligible. At Ballawoods the introduction of the asphalt plant will be more apparent and an additional slight visual impact will be experienced. However this visual impact will be temporary, lasting only for the operational life of the RESA project [some 7 months].
Dependant on location views across the plant area may be available from the south, south-east and east from footpaths along the coast. As the proposal will be visually similar to the existing landuse, and it will be viewed with the former quarry operations in the foreground and the block making plant as a backdrop, any visual impact is assessed as negligible/slight and temporary.
Vibrock Ltd, acoustic consultants, have assessed the potential noise impact of replacing the existing plant [attached report R08.5491/AF]. Having carried out a noise assessment of the proposed plant Vibrock predicted that the noise levels received at the nearest residential receptors are within acceptable parameters for this type of location [Vibrock Report, Section 8, Conclusions, refers].
As previously identified, operations in respect of the RESA project require to be undertaken overnight, to allow the airport to function normally throughout the day. Accordingly, whilst the predicted noise levels for asphalt production are slightly higher than the levels which would normally be considered for night-time working, the asphalt production is necessary to allow the completion of the RESA project and the levels are unlikely to be discernible as a separate noise source from the on-going works on the RESA site.
As the asphalt plant is fitted with filters compliant with Environment Agency emissions controls in the UK, emissions meet environmental criteria for this type of plant. In addition, having consideration of the separation distances between the operation and the closest receptors, no impacts are anticipated with respect to dust and air quality.
The new asphalt plant will to be located within the block plant area which lies within the existing site drainage management system. The asphalt plant is largely selfcontained with double skinned fuel tanks. The bitumen is not soluble in water and consequently the potential for contaminated run-off from this source is negligible. No impacts on surface or groundwater are anticipated.
Due to the lack of availability of materials on the Island all materials for asphalt production are being supplied from off Island. This relates to the importation of some 50,000 tonnes of material. The importation of materials to the site is considered to be covered by the RESA construction application.
With specific reference to the delivery of asphalt, all vehicles leaving Old Turkeyland will travel along the existing private haul route directly onto the RESA site with no requirement to access the public highway.
There are no known archaeological features within the application area. As the site is currently under industrial use the potential for unknown archaeological features on such disturbed land is negligible. As there is no alteration to the landscape character, and no significant change in the visual impact of the existing site, there is no potential for a visual impact on the setting of archaeological features outwith the site.
With respect to the consideration of alternatives, whilst the existing static plants on the Island would be unlikely to be capable of supplying the volume of asphalt required, were the asphalt to be transported from one of the existing static asphalt plants this would entail the haulage of asphalt through the village of Ballasalla throughout the night on a regular basis for the duration of the project and it is considered that this would have a significantly greater potential to cause disturbance.
The proposal relates to the temporary erection and operation of an asphalt plant at Old Turkeyland.
The location of the plant at Old Turkeyland ensures that it is strategically located with respect to direct supply to the RESA project which cannot be completed without the provision of asphalt.
The proposal has been reviewed in terms of potential environmental impact and it has been established that the operation can be undertaken within acceptable environmental parameters.
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