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Issue - meetings

21/03380/FP Land To The North And East Of Great Wymondley, Hertfordshire

Meeting: 17/11/2022 - Planning Control Committee (Item 26)

26 21/03380/FP Land To The North And East Of Great Wymondley, Hertfordshire pdf icon PDF 856 KB

REPORT OF THE DEVELOPMENT AND CONSERVATION MANAGER

Proposed solar farm measuring 88 hectares with associated battery storage containers, transformers stations, storage buildings, fencing etc including means of access (amended plans received 30.05.2022).

Additional documents:

Decision:

RESOLVED: That the application 21/03380/FP be GRANTED planning permission subject to the reasons set out in the report of the Development and Conservation Manager and the removal of Condition 7, to be replaced with two further conditions. Therefore the current Condition 9 would become Condition 10, with the other Conditions included within the report changing number accordingly. The additional conditions were:

 

“Condition 7:

No development including ground works and ground preparation works shall take place until a surface water drainage scheme, based on suitable drainage principles and an assessment of the hydrological and hydrogeological context of the development, has been submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority.  The drainage strategy should demonstrate the surface water run-off generated up to and including 1 in 100-year + climate change critical storm will not exceed run-off from the undeveloped site following the corresponding rainfall event.  The scheme shall subsequently be implemented in accordance with the approved details before the development is completed.

The scheme shall also include:

  1.  A detailed response to the Letter from the LLFA dated 15 November 2022 which addresses the points of concern with the proposed surface water drainage scheme and overland flow management scheme.
  2. Carry out any necessary amendments to the proposed surface water drainage scheme and hydraulic modelling for the overland management scheme for LLFA approval.  Once the baseline information is agreed the following information should be provided;
  3. Demonstrate an overall betterment of the existing pre-development overland flow paths for the 1 in 30-year event, ensuring the flow paths are maintained and not made worse for events above the 1 in 30-year event and up to the 1 in 100 year + climate change event.
  4. Detailed engineered drawings of the proposed SuDS/flood risk mitigation features including their location, size, volume depth and any inlet and outlet features including any connecting pipe runs and all corresponding calculations/modelling to ensure the scheme caters for all rainfall events up to and including the 1 in 100 year + 40% allowance for climate change event.
  5. Detailed engineered drawings of all proposed discharge locations including headwall details, evidence of land ownership and relevant permissions.  A condition survey of these specific locations should also be provided and any mitigation required should be carried out prior to development taking place.
  6. Demonstrate appropriate SuDS management and treatment and inclusion of above ground features.
  7. Provision of half drain down times for surface water drainage features within 24 hours.
  8. Silt traps for protection of any residual tanked elements where appropriate.
  9. Construction phase surface water and flood mitigation management plan.
  10. Details of how the scheme shall be maintained and managed after completion including adoption of details.

Reason: To prevent the increased risk of flooding, both n and off site in particularly to Priory Lane and Little Wymondley.

 

Condition 8:

Upon completion of the surface water drainage/flood management works for the site in accordance with the timing/phasing arrangements, the following shall be submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority:  ...  view the full decision text for item 26

Minutes:

Audio recording – 5:33

 

Shaun Greaves presented the report and gave a verbal presentation, which included:

 

·         At 4.1.6 reference made to conduit heat at priory farm should read conduit head

·         At 4.6.24 reference made to appellant and this should read applicant

·         At 4.6.27 the year 2030 should read 2040

·         The North Hertfordshire Local Plan 2011-2031 was adopted by full Council on the 8th November. This report was written before the adoption and therefore there are references to the superseded Local Plan. There are references to this at paragraph 2.6, 4.5.4 and 4.5.42 of the report. References are made to policies of the Emerging Local Plan in the report and significant weight is given to these in the report. As the Local Plan is now adopted, these policies are now attributed full weight. The planning balance is not materially affected and the officer recommendation is unchanged. The previous policies referred to in the report are now replaced by policies of the new Local Plan.

·         The site is located within the green belt and references made to policy 2 of the superseded Local Plan is replaced by policy SP5 of the new Local Plan that refers to green belt. Therefore, where stated at paragraph 4.5.43 that the starting point for consideration of this application is policy 2, this is now policy SP5 of the new Local Plan

·         Councillor Levett has pointed out a page is missing from the glint and glare assessment on the Councils website. This is in a section addressing aviation considerations. The full document was available within our internal system. The document including the missing page is now available on the Councils website.

·         The submitted glint and glare assessment by Pager Power undertakes a high-level assessment. The nearest main airport is Luton Airport and is 11km to the south west of the application site. It is best practice to consider reflections towards pilots in the last two miles of final approach to the airport and the application site is well beyond that. In regards to air traffic control, close proximity to the aerodromes is a consideration. Given the distance involved, officers do not consider that this proposal would have significant impacts on aviation.

·         The glint and glare effects on highway users have been carefully considered by the highway authority who have raised no objections to the proposal.

·         With regards to drainage, we have received a late response from the lead local flood authority and the response and note has been circulated to Members. The LLFA are not raising an in principle objection to the proposal and whilst they have concerns relating to the proposed drainage strategy, these relate to matters that can be addressed and controlled by conditions. Therefore two additional conditions are proposed by the LLFA to replace condition 7 set out in the agenda

·         The officer recommendation remains that permission is resolved to be granted subject to referral to the Secretary of State for Levelling Up Housing and Communities and conditions set out in the agenda  ...  view the full minutes text for item 26