Agenda item

The Committee considered a report on the three appeals relating to the

stockpiling of 'Sterefibre' and the retention of an engineered fibre storage pad for a temporary period of 6 years at Hazel Lane Quarry, Hampole, Doncaster, which had been linked together for a Public Inquiry which was to commence on the 28th March, 2017.

It was reported that on the 17th November, 2015, retrospective planning application 15/00728/TIP, for the stockpiling of 'Sterefibre' and the retention of an engineered fibre storage pad for a temporary period of 6 years, was refused by the Planning Committee.  The reason for refusal was that the application was contrary to the NPPF and saved policy ENV3 of the Doncaster Unitary Development Plan.  The development was inappropriate in the Green Belt and there were no very special circumstances to override the general presumption against inappropriate development in the Green Belt.  The Sterefibre stockpile had a visual impact, albeit limited, and it also encroached into the Green Belt.  The use of the site for the storage of Sterefibre had an impact on the openness of the Green Belt.

Subsequently, the applicant had appealed the decision to the Planning Inspectorate and in addition to this, had also submitted a Certificate of Lawfulness application to allow Sterefibre to be spread on the land and a Condition Discharge request (Condition 29 of Planning Permission 01/0817/P) to allow Sterefibre to be imported and used for restoration purposes.  Both the Certificate and the Condition Discharge request, which had been refused by the Local Planning Authority under delegated powers on 12^th July 2016 and 24^th August 2016 respectively, had also been appealed.

Members were informed that Catplant intented to firstly utilise Sterefibre over six of the twelve landfill cells, which have the benefit of an Environmental Permit.  Should Sterefibre be spread to agricultural land; the restoration of Hazel Lane Quarry being an agricultural led scheme, as part of the Environment Agency’s permitting Improvement Condition, it could never again be used for the growing of food or fodder or for the grazing of livestock.  Such a proposal would severely limit the full agricultural benefit of the restored land due to the degrading of the soil quality, which was land in full agricultural (arable) use prior to mineral extraction/landfilling taking place.

In preparation for the forthcoming Public Inquiry, Officers requested the approval of the Planning Committee to have full consideration to the wider implications of Catplant’s proposal to utilise Sterefibre over the Hazel Lane Quarry site and in so, doing detailing the adverse implications that this would have on the site’s agricultural/soil resource.

RESOLVED that Committee endorse Officers in the forthcoming appeals in relation to the stockpiling of Sterefibre and the retention of an engineered fibre storage pad for a temporary period of 6 years at Hazel Lane Quarry, Hampole, Doncaster, to have full consideration to the concerns over the downgrading of the agricultural land should Sterefibre be used as part of the restoration soil making materials.