Agenda item

Site Plan

Change of Use (in part) from B8 (storage and distribution use) to B2 (general industrial use) and the extension of the existing building for B2 use together with the provision of additional car parking, service yard alterations, external store and gatehouse and associated works

Officers outlined the application and explained that the operators of the site, NSG Pilkington, were seeking to expand the existing premises to accommodate the transfer to the site of their manufacturing operation based in Kings Norton.  The expanded site would then be the sole operational location for Pilkingtons UK Automotive business.

Members were referred to the extant planning permission granted on 24^th June 1998 (ref: 1998/266/FUL) the first phase of which had been built out.  As planning permission had been granted for two phases, this gave a fall back position that the applicant could extend the site by 9290 square metres by implementing the second phase.  The principle of development for the current application was materially very similar to that of the second phase of the extant permission and it was noted that in terms of dimensions the proposed extension was smaller than that which could be built under the extant permission. 

The application had been assessed by officers to be acceptable in terms of the principle of development, layout and design, and highways, access and parking.  Members were referred to the comments of the Arboricultural Officer on page 1 of the Update Report and the proposed conditions for landscaping.

With regard to impact on residential amenity, officers provided details of the proximity of the proposed building to nearby residential properties on Hoveton Road and confirmed that the separation distances were deemed acceptable.

It was noted that the applicant had voluntarily included in the plans an acoustic fence to act as a noise barrier for vehicles using the proposed new access road, as set out in the Update Report.  The Applicant had agreed to the imposition of three new conditions covering the acoustic fence, a Construction Management Plan and an HGV routing system and Members were referred to the additional conditions in the Update Report.

At the invitation of the Chair the following speakers addressed the Committee under the Councils Public Speaking Rules:-

Mrs Lucy Alexander - local resident

Councillors Joe Baker, Wanda King and Jennifer Wheeler – ward councillors for Greenlands Ward

Mr David Green -  Planning Agent

Mr Robert Purcell – NSG Pilkington

By way of clarification, on behalf of the Applicant it was confirmed that:-

·       There would be 200 employees in total, the majority split between an early and a later day shift with a small number to cover the night shift. 

·       The car park had been designed to give enough capacity for change over periods when one shift arrived before the previous shift had left.

·       The only access to the site, for staff parking or HGV deliveries, was from Old Forge Drive.

During the debate Members commented on a number of matters raised during public speaking including the acoustic fence, publicity of the application amongst residents, landscaping, and HGV routing. 

With regard to any impact from additional traffic movements it was confirmed by County Highways that any difference would be negligible and that there were no objections to the application on highways grounds.

Members commented on the importance of maintaining good communications as between the Applicant and local residents, and it was requested that this should extend to residents on the corner of Revensmere Road whose properties were close to the application site.

RESOLVED that

having regard to the development plan and to all other material

considerations, planning permission be GRANTED subject to the conditions and informatives set out on pages 22 to 25 of the main agenda and the additional conditions 9 to 11 as set out on page 2 of the Updates Report.