Agenda item

The applicant Steve Bucknell spoke in favour of the application.

 

The Planning Officer introduced the application for Crematorium with access road, car parking, Garden of Remembrance, landscaping, ecological enhancement, sustainable drainage system and associated works. A presentation was delivered showing the existing site and proposed plans. It was explained that the plans included tree cover and screening planting, along with ecological mitigation.

 

Members were invited to ask technical questions and it was confirmed that the application did not require any s.106 contribution. Attention also focussed on the Highways implications. It was explained that a left-turn only exit road could be conditioned, along with ancillary measures, if required.

 

Local Member Cllr Mollie Groom, expressed her concerns for the Highways arrangements and said that she felt the site needed a roundabout.

 

Members of the public spoke as detailed above.

 

In the debate that followed, after first proposing and then withdrawing a proposal for approval including a mandatory turn- left condition, Cllr Bob Jones proposed the Officer’s recommendation, with an additional condition, requiring a safety audit on the Highways impact, and to address any issues identified. This was seconded by Cllr Mollie Groom and passed by the majority.

 

Resolved:

 

To GRANT planning permission, as per recommendation and the conditions contained in the report as amended by the updated conditions contained in Late items. Subject to an additional condition to require the submission and assessment of a road safety audit, including a requirement for the applicant to address any issues identified by the Audit. The wording of the condition delegated to Officers.

 

Subject to the following conditions:

 

1 The development hereby permitted shall be begun before the expiration of three years from the date of this permission.

REASON: To comply with the provisions of Section 91 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 as amended by the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004.

 

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

03 rev F - Site Plan

04 rev E - Site Plan

05 rev B - Floor Plan Single Chapel

06 rev A - Roof Plan Single Chapel

07 rev B - Elevations Single Chapel

08 rev B - Site Sections

10 rev A - Floral Tribute Plans and Elevations

Received 20 April 2017

2827.01A - Proposed Site Access

Received 22 June 2017

REASON: For the avoidance of doubt and in the interests of proper planning.

 

3 No development shall commence on site until a scheme of hard and soft landscaping has been submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority, the details of which shall include :

* location and current canopy spread of all existing trees and hedgerows on the land;

* full details of any to be retained, together with measures for their protection in the course of development;

* a detailed planting specification showing all plant species, supply and planting sizes and planting densities;

* finished levels and contours;

* means of enclosure;

* car park layouts;

* other vehicle and pedestrian access and circulation areas;

* all hard and soft surfacing materials;

* minor artefacts and structures (e.g. furniture, refuse and other storage units, signs, lighting, etc);

* proposed and existing functional services above and below ground (e.g. drainage, power, communications, cables, pipelines, etc, indicating lines, manholes, supports, etc);

The approved scheme of landscaping shall be carried out in full within or prior to the first planting season following the development's being first brought into use and maintained as such at all times thereafter.

REASON: The application contained insufficient information to enable this matter to be considered prior to granting planning permission and the matter is required to be agreed with the Local Planning Authority before development commences in order that the development is undertaken in an acceptable manner, to ensure a satisfactory landscaped setting for the development and the protection of existing important landscape features.

 

4 The protective fencing shall be erected in accordance with the approved details. The protective fencing shall remain in place for the entire development phase and until all equipment, machinery and surplus materials have been removed from the site. Such fencing shall not be removed or breached during construction operations. No retained tree/s shall be cut down, uprooted or destroyed, nor shall any retained tree/s be topped or lopped other than in accordance with the approved plans and particulars. Any topping or lopping approval shall be carried out in accordance British Standard 3998: 2010 "Tree Work - Recommendations" or arboricultural techniques where it can be demonstrated to be in the interest of good arboricultural practise.

If any retained tree is removed, uprooted, destroyed or dies, another tree shall be planted at the same place, at a size and species and planted at such time, that must be agreed in writing with the Local Planning Authority. No fires shall be lit within 15 metres of the furthest extent of the canopy of any retained trees or hedgerows or adjoining land and no concrete, oil, cement, bitumen or other chemicals shall be mixed or stored within 10 metres of the trunk of any tree or group of trees to be retained on the site or adjoining land. [In this condition "retained tree" means an existing tree which is to be retained in accordance with the approved plans and particulars; and paragraphs above shall have

effect until the expiration of five years from the first occupation or the completion of the development, whichever is the later].

REASON: To enable the Local Planning Authority to ensure the retention of trees on the site in the interests of visual amenity.

 

5 The development shall be carried out as specified in the approved Arboricultural Report prepared by Certhia Consulting Limited dated June 2017 and shall be supervised by an arboricultural consultant.

REASON: To prevent trees on site from being damaged during construction works.

 

6 No development shall commence on site until full details of a ghost right hand turn lane has been submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority (in line with drawing 2827.01A 'Proposed Site Access'. As part of the package of full details to be submitted shall include full construction details, safety audit, visibility splays (2.4m x

215m), deceleration / turning length provision, swept path analysis, provision for footways and pedestrian crossing facilities. No part of the development shall be first brought into use until the ghost right hand turn lane has been completed, surfaced and laid out in accordance with the approved details. It shall be maintained in this format at all times thereafter.

REASON: In the interests of highway safety.

 

7 No part of the development hereby approved shall be first brought into use until the parking area shown on the approved plans has been consolidated, surfaced and laid out in accordance with the approved details. This area shall be maintained and remain available for this use at all times thereafter.

REASON: To ensure that adequate provision is made for parking within the site in the interests of highway safety.

 

8 Notwithstanding the provisions of the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) Order 2015 (or any Order revoking or re-enacting or amending that Order with or without modification), no gates, fences, walls or other means of enclosure, other than those shown on the approved plans, shall be erected or placed anywhere on the site without the written approval of the Local Planning

Authority.

REASON: In the interests of visual amenity.

 

9. Prior to the commencement of development works on site, a lighting design strategy for biodiversity and site lighting plan shall be submitted to the Local Planning Authority for approval. In combination the strategy and plan shall:

a) Identify those areas/features on site that are particularly sensitive for protected species, particularly bats, and

b) Specify where external lighting will be installed and include lighting contour plans and technical specifications, including a Lux plot; and

c) Specify luminaires, heights and positions of fittings, direction and other features, e.g. cowls, louvres or baffles.

All external lighting shall be installed in accordance with the specifications and locations set out in the approved strategy and lighting plan, and these shall be maintained thereafter in accordance with the strategy. Under no circumstances should any other external lighting be installed without prior consent from the local planning authority.

REASON: To minimise light spill onto sensitive areas for protected and priority species and to maintain dark foraging and commuting corridors for bats and other nocturnal/crepuscular species.

 

10 The site shall be used as a crematorium and associated facilities and for no other purpose (including any other sui generis purpose in the Schedule to the Town and Country Planning (Use Classes) Order 1987 (as amended) (or in any provisions equivalent to that class in any statutory instrument revoking or re-enacting that Order with or without modification).

REASON: The proposed use is acceptable but the Local Planning Authority wish to consider any future proposal for a change of use having regard to the circumstances of the case.

 

11 No construction or demolition work shall take place on Sundays or Public Holidays or outside the hours of 07:30 to 18:00 Monday to Friday and 08:00 to 13:00 on Saturdays.

REASON: To ensure the retention of an environment free from intrusive levels of noise and activity during the course of construction, in the interests of the amenity of the area.

 

12 No development shall commence until an investigation and remediation strategy to deal with the risks associated with contamination of the site has been submitted to, and approved in writing by, the Local Planning Authority. This strategy will include the following components:

1. A preliminary risk assessment which has identified:

" all previous uses;

" potential contaminants associated with those uses;

" a conceptual model of the site indicating sources, pathways and receptors; and

" potentially unacceptable risks arising from contamination at the site.

2. A site investigation scheme, based on (1) to provide information for a detailed assessment of the risk to all receptors that may be affected, including those off site.

3. The results of the site investigation and the detailed risk assessment referred to in (2) and, based on these, an options appraisal and remediation strategy giving full details of the remediation measures required and how they are to be undertaken.

4. A verification plan providing details of the data that will be collected in order to demonstrate that the works set out in the remediation strategy in (3) are complete and identifying any requirements for longer-term monitoring of pollutant linkages, maintenance and arrangements for contingency action. Any changes to these components require the written consent of the local planning authority. The scheme shall be implemented as approved.

REASON: To protect controlled waters from pollution. Past site uses as a farm may have caused contamination of soils, sub-soils and/or groundwater, which may be mobilised by development.

 

13 The mitigation measures detailed in the approved Flood Risk Assessment and Surface Water Drainage Strategy [SLR, March 2017] shall be carried out in full prior to the first bringing into use of the development or otherwise in accordance with the approved timetable detailed in the Strategy.

REASON: In the interests of flood prevention.

 

14. The development shall be carried out in strict accordance with the recommendations made in section 5 of the Ecological Assessment and Mitigation Strategy, dated April 2017, prepared by Biocensus and as modified by the European Protected Species Mitigation Licence for great

crested newts to be obtained from Natural England.

REASON: To ensure adequate protection and mitigation for protected and priority species and priority habitats.

 

15. Prior to the commencement of any works on site, including site clearance and boundary treatment works, a Landscape and Ecology Management Plan (LEMP) shall be submitted to the Local Planning Authority for approval. The LEMP shall provide details of the proposed

maintenance and management of the site; a grassland management plan and details of landscape planting including for the traditional orchard. The development site shall be managed and maintained in accordance with the measures set out in the approved plan in perpetuity unless otherwise agreed in writing with the local planning authority.

REASON: To ensure the appropriate maintenance and management of habitats that provide a function for biodiversity.

 

16 No development shall commence on site until a Construction Method Statement, which shall include the following:

a) access and parking arrangements for vehicles of site operatives and visitors, which shall include a 'no right turn' arrangement at the main access onto the A3102;

b) loading and unloading of plant and materials;

c) storage of plant and materials used in constructing the development;

d) the erection and maintenance of security hoarding including decorative displays and facilities for public viewing, where appropriate;

e) wheel washing facilities;

f) measures to control the emission of dust and dirt during construction;

g) a scheme for recycling/disposing of waste resulting from demolition and construction works;

h) measures for the protection of the natural environment; and

i) hours of construction, including deliveries

has been submitted to, and approved in writing by, the Local Planning Authority. The approved Statement shall be complied with in full throughout the construction period. The development shall not be carried out otherwise than in accordance with the approved construction method statement.

REASON: The application contained insufficient information to enable this matter to be considered prior to granting planning permission and the matter is required to be agreed with the Local Planning Authority before development commences in order that the development is undertaken in an acceptable manner, to minimise detrimental effects to the neighbouring amenities, the amenities of the area in general, detriment to the natural environment through the risks of pollution and dangers to highway safety, during the construction phase.

 

17 Prior to the commencement of any works on site, including site clearance and boundary treatment works, an Ecological Mitigation and Enhancement Strategy shall be submitted to the Local Planning Authority for approval. All ecological avoidance, mitigation and compensation measures as well as ecological enhancements, shall be clearly shown on a site plan. Development shall be carried out in strict accordance with the approved strategy.

REASON: to ensure full details of all ecological avoidance, mitigation and compensation measures as well as ecological enhancements, are provided and implemented.

 

18 INFORMATIVE TO APPLICANT:

The proposed use and associated package treatment plant will require an Environmental Permit to be issued by the Environment Agency. The applicant is advised to check requirements at the EA website as soon as possible.

 

19 INFORMATIVE TO APPLICANT:

Any alterations to the approved plans, brought about by compliance with Building Regulations or any other reason must first be agreed in writing with the Local Planning Authority before commencement of work.

 

20 INFORMATIVE TO APPLICANT:

The applicant is requested to note that this permission does not affect any private property rights and therefore does not authorise the carrying out of any work on land outside their control. If such works are required it will be necessary for the applicant to obtain the landowners consent before such works commence. If you intend carrying out works in the vicinity of the site boundary, you are also advised that it may be expedient to seek your own advice with regard to the requirements of the Party Wall Act 1996.

 

21 INFORMATIVE TO APPLICANT:

Please note that Council offices do not have the facility to receive material samples. Please deliver material samples to site and inform the Planning Officer where they are to be found.