Agenda item

Application for the use of land for storing and treating and recycling inert/non-hazardous waste arising from works related to the Eryri Visual Impact Provision (SVIP) Project 

 

LOCAL MEMBERS: Councillor June Jones, Nia Jeffreys, Gwilym Jones and Meryl Roberts 

 

Link to relevant background documents

RESOLVED: To approve the application subject to the following conditions:

1.       Development to commence within 12 months of permission date.

2.       Development permitted to cease within 5 years of notification of commencement. The development hereby permitted shall cease immediately in the event of early or premature cessation of the winning and working of minerals at the site (Chwarel Garth).

3.       In accordance with the plans and submitted details.

4.       Nothing other than inert waste excavation material from the SVIP development shall be imported to the site.

5.       Operator/developer shall provide log of material imported to the LPA within 10 days of request (information to contain origin, tonnage, description of material, date and times of movement and fate).

6.       Restriction of relevant GPDO rights for buildings, structures, private ways, floodlighting, fencing etc.

7.       Mark boundary of permitted area prior to commencement.

8.       Biodiversity enhancement agreed prior to commencement.

9.       Copy of determination and approved plans to be shown at the Garth Quarry site office.

10.      Hours of working (to match mineral permission).

11.      Oil, fuel and chemical storage on impervious bases and bunded.

12.      Monitor site for presence of non-native invasive species.

13.      Noise level restrictions (specific levels to match mineral permission).

14.      Noise levels restrictions for temporary operations (specific levels to match mineral permission).

15.      Annual noise monitoring/survey.

16.      Vehicles, plant and machinery to operate within maximum noise emission levels of manufacturer specification and not operated without appropriate sound deadening screens, casework, enclosures and silencers.

17.      ‘White noise’ reversing alarms for mobile plant and vehicles.

18.      Dust mitigation measures carried out in accordance with condition 23 of Mineral Planning Permission (C16/1385/05/MW).

19.      Surface of site access to county highway to kept clean and no mud/debris to be deposited on highway.

20.      Environmental log of dust complaints kept and to be made available to the LPA within 14 days of request.

21.      The import of inert waste material shall be restricted to the use of the existing dedicated haul routes.

22.      Loaded vehicles leaving site to be sheeted or treated to avoid emission of dust (for material under 75mm).

23.      Condition to retain bilingual signage for the duration of the development.

24.      Lighting scheme to avoid any effects on bat flight paths.

25.      Pollution Prevention Plan to ensure that all measures are taken to avoid any pollution entering watercourses and the Glaslyn.

26.     Biodiversity improvement measures.

27.     Monitoring and control of invasive plant species during the permit period.

 

An application for a temporary waste transfer station in Chwarel Garth to receive, store, treat and process non-reactive materials from the Eryri/Snowdonia Visual Impact Provision Project.

 

Attention was drawn to the late observations form.

 

a)       The Senior Minerals and Waste Planning Officer highlighted that the inert waste recycling activities would be for a temporary period to coincide with the SVIP development. It was explained that the application site was adjacent to a part of the quarry where the crushing activities already happened and the proposal would use the existing infrastructure in the quarry, such as transport roads, weighbridge, offices and access to the highway.

 

In the context of the principle of the proposal, it was noted that the Waste Hierarchy, Planning Policy Wales, TAN 21 and the Welsh Government document "Towards Zero Waste", noted that by treating waste, there should be a reduction in waste products and waste diverted from landfill sites by recycling and reusing where possible. In addition, emphasis is placed on the minerals planning policies to promote the use of secondary/alternative aggregates in order to reduce the dependency on primary rock extraction and protecting the County's hard rock land bank.

 

In terms of local policies, it was explained that the principle of establishing a waste management facility was based on policies PS 21, GWA 1 and GWA 2. Although the site had not been allocated in policy GWA 1, the policy states that it is possible to establish the waste management facility in existing quarries if there is justification and no detrimental impact. In addition, policy GWA 2 sets criteria that waste management proposals must comply with. In this case, it was highlighted that a need had derived specifically from the SVIP work by the National Grid. No waste deriving from other sources being treated - this only refers to the management of the inert waste materials produced by the excavation and tunnelling work. It was highlighted that the information submitted with the application proposed a total of slightly more than 250,000 tonnes in order to prepare for any inconsistencies in the preliminary estimate. The proposal stated that material would be imported to the site at an annual rate of 75,000 tonnes, which would equate to a period of 3.3 years.

 

It was expressed that there is no closer designated site for the SVIP development and that nobody within the area would be able to provide for the substantial amounts of waste material that will be produced.

 

In the policy context of MWYN 1 and MWYN 5 which consider the need to safeguard the County's minerals resources, there was an intention to use the temporary quarry's existing infrastructure in order to recycle inert waste into secondary aggregates.  It was noted that conditions would need to be imposed that the waste was specifically from the SVIP project.

 

In the context of visual and residential minerals, the site is within the Special Landscape Area of Aber Glaslyn and Dwyryd and Aberglaslyn Landscape of Outstanding Historical Interest. The proposal related to minor physical changes to the site but as the proposal would not lead to any visual impact that would be substantially different to the impact of the mineral works currently permitted in the quarry, it was considered that the proposal complied with policies PCYFF 3, AMG 2 and AT 1 of the LDP.

 

In terms of the impacts of noise and air quality, the proposal would restrict the waste management activities to the same working conditions as the wider quarry in order to ensure consistency and practicality. The conditions would, amongst other things, include working hours, noise restrictions levels, noise level monitoring and dust mitigation measures. Considering the distance of the site from nearby properties and environmental conditions that are already in place in the quarry, it was considered that the proposal complies with the MWYN 3 and PCYFF 2 policies in the LDP.

 

In the context of traffic and access, the proposal will use the internal transport roads, weighbridge, wheel washing facility, existing parking places and vehicular access in the quarry to the A487 trunk road and therefore it was not considered that it would have any detrimental impact on the public highways network and parking standards; therefore in compliance with policies TRA 2 and TRA 4 of the LDP and TAN 18.  

 

It was explained that the western parts of the site came under the Flood Risk Zones on the Government's Development Advice Map and Flood Map for Planning. The inert waste facility was defined as a development that is a less vulnerable development for the purposes of TAN 15, so that the proposed use can be useful if the proposal complied with the justification tests included in TAN15. ⁠It was noted that the proposal met the justification tests of TAN 15 with Natural Resources Wales confirming that the information in the Flood Impact Assessment is acceptable. As a result, it was considered that the proposal would not have a harmful impact on hydrological features and flood risk and would comply with relevant policies.

 

In the context of Ecology matters, it was noted that the site of the proposed application was located close to the ecological designation of 'Coedydd Derw and Ystlumod Meirion' Special Area of Conservation and the 'Glaslyn' Site of Special Scientific Interest. Considering that the proposal is in an existing and working quarry, there will be no direct loss of any habitat. It was reiterated that the Biodiversity Unit in the Local Authority and Natural Resources Wales had noted that part of the quarry was part of the flightpath of the Lesser Horseshoe Bat and recommended no extra floodlights or external lighting that would cause an obstruction to their flightpaths. As a result, conditions would be needed to ensure a lighting plan, Pollution Prevention Plan, and biodiversity enhancements.

 

When considering Language, Community and Economy matters, the Members were reminded that Criteria 1 (A) of strategic policy PS 1 noting that a Welsh Language Statement would need to be provided with a proposal for an industrial development which employed more than 50 employees or with a surface area of 1,000 square metres or more. In this case, the proposal did not include any physical changes to this site or changes to the existing workforce. It was reiterated that Diagram 5: Policy PS 1 in Supplementary Planning Guidance 'Maintaining and Creating Distinctive and Sustainable Communities' elaborated on the requirements of policy PS 1, noting that the only requirement was to consider criteria 4 and 5 of the policy, which require proposals to incorporate bilingual signage plans and using Welsh names for new developments, house and street names. Considering that the name of the application site was bilingual and already had bilingual signage in place, the only reasonable condition to use under the circumstances would be to retain the signage for the duration of the development.

 

Having considered all the relevant matters, it was deemed that the application was acceptable. It was recommended to approve the application in accordance with appropriate conditions.

 

a)           It was proposed and seconded to approve the application.

 

 RESOLVED to approve the application subject to the following conditions:

1.            Development to commence within 12 months of the permission date.

2.            Development permitted to cease within 5 years of notification of commencement. The development hereby permitted shall cease immediately in the event of early or premature cessation of the winning and working of minerals at the site (Chwarel Garth).

3.            In accordance with the plans and submitted details.

4.            Nothing other than inert waste excavation material from the SVIP development shall be imported to the site.

5.            Operator/developer shall provide a log of material imported to the LPA within 10 days of request (information to contain origin, tonnage, description of material, date and times of movement and fate).

6.            Restriction of relevant GPDO rights for buildings, structures, private ways, floodlighting, fencing etc.

7.            Mark boundary of permitted area prior to commencement.

8.            Biodiversity enhancement agreed prior to commencement.

9.            Copy of determination and approved plans to be shown at the Chwarel Garth site office.

10.          Hours of working (to match mineral permission).

11.          Oil, fuel and chemical storage on impervious bases and bunded.

12.          Monitor site for presence of non-native invasive species.

13.          Noise level restrictions (specific levels to match mineral permission).

14.          Noise levels restrictions for temporary operations (specific levels to match mineral permission).

15.          Annual noise monitoring/survey.

16.          Vehicles, plant and machinery to operate within maximum noise emission levels of manufacturer specification and not operated without appropriate sound deadening screens, casework, enclosures and silencers.

17.          ‘White noise’ reversing alarms for mobile plant and vehicles.

18.          Dust mitigation measures carried out in accordance with condition 23 of Mineral Planning Permission (C16/1385/05/MW).

19.          Surface of site access to county highway to kept clean and no mud/debris to be deposited on highway.

20.          Environmental log of dust complaints kept and to be made available to the LPA within 14 days of request.

21.          The import of inert waste material shall be restricted to the use of the existing dedicated haul routes.

22.          Loaded vehicles leaving site to be sheeted or treated to avoid emission of dust (for material under 75mm).

23.          Condition to retain bilingual signage for the duration of the development.

24.          Lighting scheme to avoid any effects on bat flight paths.

25.          Pollution Prevention Plan to ensure that all measures are taken to avoid any pollution entering watercourses and the Glaslyn.

26.          Biodiversity improvement measures.

27.          Monitoring and control of invasive plant species during the permit period.