Agenda item

(1)      Mr M A C Balfour was present for this item pursuant to Committee Procedure Rule 2.27 and spoke. He informed the Committee that his nephew owned one of the nearby properties but that this did not constitute an Interest on his part.

(2)        The Head of Planning Applications Group reported the views of Mrs S V Hohler, the Local Member raising no objection to the application.

(3)          The Head of Planning Applications Group referred to paragraph 80 of the report and updated the Committee by informing it that officers at Essex CC had advised that silica sand was no longer dried at Martells Quarry in Ardleigh. 

(4)          RESOLVED that:-

(a)       permission be granted to the application subject to conditions, including conditions covering thedurationof thepermissionand removalof plant(restorationtobe completedby theend of2035); at least70% ofsilicasand salesbeing washed,gradedand driedeach year; only inertwaste being used forinfilling; restoration (includingtheexistingplantsite); aftercare for a period of 5 years; landscapemitigation, as proposedby theapplicanttogether with themeasures recommendedby KCC’sLandscape Officer; the  hedgerow  between  the  proposed  extension  area  and  Woodgate  Housebeingmaintainedat a height of at least2m; the removal ofpermitteddevelopmentrights; all soil bundsbeingproperlyformed,seeded and maintained; nonew lighting being installed unlessapprovedbeforehandby KCC; noiselimits of 55dB LAeq,1h, freefieldat anynoisesensitivepropertyfor normaloperationsand of 70dBLAeq,1hr,freefieldforup to8 weeksinany 12 monthperiodforessential sitepreparationand restorationwork; no tonal reversingalarmsbeing usedin theproposedextensionarea; the implementation of air  quality  anddust  mitigation  proposed  by  the  applicant; hoursof working being restricted to 0700 to1800 hours on MondaystoFridaysand to 0700to 1300hourson Saturdays for theprocessingplant,access road and ancillaryactivitiesand to 0700to1800 hours on MondaystoFridays for the proposed  extension  area  with  no  operations  on  Saturdayafter  1300 hours,Sundaysor Bank/PublicHolidays; theconstructionand useof theproposedvehicletunnelunder Addington Lane (including its detailed design);  AddingtonLane onlybeingused totransportsand fromtheproposed extensionarea to the plantsite duringconstruction ofthe vehicle tunnel andwhenthesand rampintheextensionareaisbeingremoved(and then byonlyby 1vehicleat a timeand between0900 and1500 hours);  a traffic  management  plan  for  AddingtonLane  (for  whenthevehicle tunnelisconstructedand whentheroadisused totransportmaterials fromtheproposedextensionarea to theexistingquarry); AddingtonLane beingsurveyedbeforeand afteritsuse (toidentifyany damagecaused bytheproposeddevelopmentso that itcan be rectified); the restriction of HGV movements to 112 HGV  per  day(56in/56 out)expressedas adaily averageinany oneweek(ascurrently),withrecords being maintainedby the operator;  HGVsonlyusingtheFordLane access toenterand leave thesite; measures topreventmudand debrison thehighway; HGVs being sheeted; depthof working(atleast2m abovegroundwater); Groundwater protection            (including the detailed matters requested           by the EnvironmentAgencyand SouthEastWater);  no extraction taking place (withtheexceptionof thatrelatedtotheconstructionof the vehicletunnel)within10m oftheboundaryof theproposedextension area; the implementation of the ecologicalmitigationproposedby theapplicantand themeasures recommendedby KCC’sBiodiversityOfficer; the   implementation   of   a   programme   of   archaeological   work   in accordancewitha writtenspecificationand timetable thathas firstbeen submitted toand approvedby KCC; thetoeof thescreenbund totheeast oftheproposedextractionarea beingno less than60m fromWoodgateHouse; thediversion  of  publicfootpathsMR164and MR165beforeany soil strippingor excavationtakesplace(withtheexceptionof thatrelatedto the vehicle tunnel)and theirreinstatementon completionof restoration;  appropriatesoil handlingand storage; detailsof fencingassociatedwith theproposedextensionarea;the   implementation   of   a   programme   of   archaeological   work   in accordancewitha writtenspecificationand timetable thathas firstbeen submitted toand approvedby KCC; thetoeof thescreenbund totheeast oftheproposedextractionarea beingno less than60m fromWoodgateHouse; thediversion  of  publicfootpathsMR164and MR165beforeany soil strippingor excavationtakesplace(withtheexceptionof thatrelatedto the vehicle tunnel)and theirreinstatementon completionof restoration; appropriatesoil handlingand storage;and detailsof fencingassociatedwith theproposedextensionarea;and

(b)       the applicants be notified by Informative that:-

(i)        they are encouraged to engage with the local community (e.g. the local parish councils), to consider the establishment of a local liaison group and to respond positively to reasonable requests for assistance with local projects; and

(ii)       they should use their best endeavours to secure the implementation of an extension to the footpath required by the existing Section 106 Agreement to Ford Lane and to have this registered as a definitive public right of way.