The application for reshaping the golf course in Hullbridge Road will be decided at a special District Council meeting on March 13th. It starts at 7.30 at the Civic Suite in Rayleigh (next to the Market Car Park).
Councillors have been given a 28 page report which you can download here.
Probably the most important factor in this application is the amount of earth that the golf course are planning to move to the site. Their own estimate is that there will be 46 lorry loads per day – for three years. So we are quoting the part of the report that deals with highways matters in full:
Highway issues
3.105
Policy T4 to the Council?s adopted Local Plan (2006) sets out circumstances where the creation of heavy traffic for development will be resisted. The applicant estimates that 46 no. 20 ton trucks would be required per day at a frequency of five per hour (five arrivals and five departures) to provide the fill material over a three year period. The submitted transport assessment states that the necessary vehicles will be able to manoeuvre into the site access. The lorries carrying the fill would be likely to originate from south Essex and London areas and would approach the site from the A130, Rawreth Lane and Hullbridge Road and would leave by the same route.3.106 The applicant states a willingness to enter into a maintenance bond with the highway authority to mitigate against any resulting damage from this construction traffic.
3.107 The County Highway Authority raise no objection to the proposal in terms of the impact of the traffic importing the fill material upon the highway network. The proposal is understood to have been discussed with the County Highway Authority prior to submission. The transport of fill material would only relate to the construction period and that the attraction of heavy traffic would not be a permanent feature of the proposal. The road geometry is understood to accommodate the movement of large vehicles and such vehicles are not prohibited from using this route. The proposal does not present a sustainable conflict with Policy T4.
3.108 The submission of more specific details for the construction of the temporary access can be the subject of conditions to any approval that might be given.
3.109 The County Highway Authority require the reinstatement of the highway at the end of the duration of construction activity. Because of the phasing of the development and availability of remodelled areas for play whilst other areas are worked upon, it is considered acceptable to require a further condition requiring a reinstatement of the highway within three months of the end duration of the consent.
The officers are recommending approving the scheme, but with lots of conditions, which we quote in full:
RECOMMENDATION
3.132 It is proposed that this Committee RESOLVES to APPROVE the application, subject to the applicants entering into a Unilateral Undertaking to provide a financial contribution to improvements to the local highway network such as the shorter section of footway to front Lubbards Farm, the provision of the widening of the existing footpath to Hullbridge for provision of a cycleway and improved street lighting to Rawreth Lane and including the following conditions:-1) The development hereby permitted shall be begun before the expiration of three years from the date of this permission.
REASON : Required to be imposed pursuant to section 51 of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase ACT 2004
2) The development hereby permitted shall be carried out over a three year period expiring on 12th March 2010 by which time the importation of fill material, the grading of the land form, landscaping and seeding of those parts of the site to which the development shall relate shall be completed.
REASON: In order to limit the scope of the permission in view of the nature of the application and the effect of prolonged development upon visual and residential amenity and conditions of highway safety.
3) No deposit of spoil or fill material to be used in the construction of the revisions to the landform hereby approved shall take place on the site until the applicant has submitted to the Local planning Authority a detailed method statement for the remodelling works and which shall comprise:-
? the detailed composition and source of the fill material
? details of all operations on the site associated with the fill, including any crushing or re-grading or on site treatment of the material
? the location of any stockpiling
? mitigation measures to suppress dust arising from the imported materials during the construction and storage process.The development shall be implemented in accordance with the method statement, as may be agreed by the Local Planning Authority.
REASON: In the interests of visual amenity and the amenity of residential occupiers close to the site
4) Prior to the commencement of the development the applicant shall submit details of the duration, construction and fill of the proposed haul road, together with method for its removal and reinstatement of the land following the completion of the landscaping and restoration of the site. The development shall be implemented in accordance with such details as may be agreed by the Local Planning Authority.
REASON: In the interests of visual amenity and the quality of the landscape.
5) Notwithstanding the submitted plans, no development by way of revised land form, alteration to ground level or operation of plant and equipment shall take place within the spread of the canopy to veteran trees. Such areas shall be fenced with chestnut paling fencing equivalent to a distance of not less than the spread of the tree prior to and for the duration of the construction and finishing stages of the development.
REASON : In the interests of the longevity of existing veteran trees on the site and their value to the ecology and biodiversity of the site.
6) Notwithstanding the submitted details accompanying the application, no hedgerows shall be removed from the site without the prior approval in writing of the Local Planning Authority. REASON : In the interests of clarity and visual amenity and the importance of trees on the site to the biological diversity of the site.
7) Notwithstanding the submitted plans, a reservation strip of not less than 2 metres in width shall be provided and fenced for the duration of the construction period adjoining existing hedgerows and water courses and water bodies to be retained. Within these areas there shall be no storage of material or operation of plant or equipment.
REASON : In the interests of visual amenity and the importance of hedgerows on the site to the biological diversity of the site and locality.
8) Prior to the commencement of the development the applicant shall submit to the Local Planning Authority an action plan to set out the means of protection to protected species identified on the site in the supporting material accompanying the application, before, during and after the development for a period of five years following implementation of the
development hereby approved. The development shall be implemented in accordance with such an action plan as may be agreed by the Local Planning Authority.REASON : In the interests of clarity given the scope of the application and in the
interests of protected species and the biological diversity of the site.9) Notwithstanding the provisions of Class A of part 4 to schedule 2 of The Town and Country Planning (General permitted Development) Order 1995details of the site compound for the storage of equipment and operatives? facilities, size, location, siting, illumination, means of enclosure, design and appearance of any buildings and duration required, together with details of the proposed treatment of the site and reinstatement of the that part of the site on which the compound is provided, shall be submitted to the Local Planning Authority. The compound shall be implemented and provided in accordance with those details as may be agreed by the Local
Planning Authority.REASON : In the interests of visual amenity and Highway Safety.
10) The development hereby permitted shall be carried out between the hours of 07:30hrs ? 17:30hrs Mondays to Fridays inclusive and between the hours of07:30hrs ? 13:00hrs on Saturdays and at no time on Sundays or Bank Holidays.
REASON : In the interests of amenity to residential occupiers adjoining and in close proximity to the site
11) Prior to the commencement of the development the applicant shall submit details of the height, design and external appearance of the proposed fencing to be provided to the bank top of the revised driving range / practice area. The development shall be implemented in accordance with those details as may be agreed by the Local Planning Authority prior to the first use of the driving range / practice area following implementation of the development. REASON : In the interests of visual amenity.
12) The surface water discharge arising from the proposal shall be at a rate of 18.3 litres per second for all events up to and including the 1 in 100 year storm.
REASON : In the interests of safeguarding against flood risk.
13) Prior to the commencement of the development details of the proposed wheel spinner / wheel washing facility shall be submitted to and agreed in writing with the Local Planning Authority. The development shall be implemented in accordance with such details as may be agreed by the Local Planning Authority.
REASON : In order to provide satisfactory wheel cleaning of site vehicles to prevent the deposit of material onto the highway in the interests of highway safety.
14) The development shall not commence until such time as full details of the size, design and construction of the temporary access proposed to serve the implementation of the development has been submitted to and agreed in writing by the Local Planning Authority. The development shall be implemented in accordance with those details as may be agreed by the Local Planning Authority.
REASON : To enable the Local Planning Authority to give the detailed design further consideration in the interests of highway safety.
15) Prior to the commencement of the development the applicant shall submit details of the management of and segregation of areas of work from the public access points across the site, in particular those working areas adjoining the public footpath crossing the site. Such details shall include the siting, design and external appearance of notices, fencing and security measures designed to protect the public and create public awareness of the existence of works involving heavy plant in progress in the vicinity of the public footpath. Such details shall include measures for the survey prior to work and methods for reinstatement of any damage to the footpath arising from construction activity on the site.
REASON : In the interests of highway and pedestrian safety.
16) The temporary access to Hullbridge Road shall be removed from the site and the highway reinstated to its former condition on or before 13th June 2010.
REASON : In the interests of highway safety given the temporary nature of the access required.
Relevant Development Plan Policies and Proposals Essex and Southend?on?Sea Replacement Structure Plan (Adopted April 2001) C2, T1, NR1, NR7. Rochford District Replacement Local Plan (Adopted 16th June 2006) R1, LT1, LT13 , NR4, NR7; NR8, NR9, NR12, T4. 3.25
REASON FOR DECISION The proposal is considered not to cause significant demonstrable harm to any development plan interests, other material considerations, to the character and appearance of the area, to the street scene or residential amenity such as to justify refusing the application; nor to surrounding occupiers in neighbouring streets.