The Entrance Way Off Main Road, Unstone, Leading To The Unstone Industrial Complex. Courtesy Of Google Street View.
Report by Local Democracy Reporter – Jon Cooper
Concerned villagers opposed to plans for a new concrete plant at a Derbyshire industrial complex have been pleased to learn that NE Derbyshire District Council planners have formally refused the scheme.
The council’s planning officers refused Bear Concrete Limited’s application for a Lawful Development Certificate to erect a proposed ready mixed concrete plant with facilities at the Unstone Industrial Complex, on Main Road, in Unstone, on the grounds it would materially affect the appearance of the premises.
North East Derbyshire District Councillor Alex Dale and many residents highlighted concerns the scheme might pose problems with noise, dust, traffic and contamination for the River Drone, nearby homes and businesses, and they questioned the suitability of a narrow bridge to cope with huge concrete trucks.
Cllr Dale, who represents Unstone, said: “I’m really pleased that common sense has prevailed and the council has refused this application. It was absolutely the right decision.
“While I have nothing against the principle of concrete batching plants and recognise their importance to the construction industry, this was totally the wrong location.”
The proposal was for a plant on an approximate 0.14 hectare site which would have had a maximum height of about five-and-half metres with storage silos up to nine metres high with a design layout to facilitate the safe manoeuvring of HGVs both on site and in the wider industrial complex, according to agent Dan Walker acting on behalf of the applicant.
Mr Walker had explained the scheme would have included aggregate bins, conveyor infrastructure, a batch cabin and three silos, each connecting to a mixing unit with additional water tanks, and a suitable drainage regime to capture all run-off to enable subsequent use of the water where required in the batching processes as well as for dust suppression.
But the council’s planning officers refused Bear Concrete Limited’s application for a Lawful Development Certificate to put up the plant in Unstone on the grounds that it failed to meet requirements of the Town and Country Planning Act as it was deemed it would materially affect the appearance of the premises.
Cllr Dale stated the council concluded the scale and appearance of the proposed silos, plant and infrastructure would significantly change the character and appearance of the site and therefore it could not be treated as permitted development.
Residents and those with concerns had submitted formal objections based on worries about feared problems including access along a narrow road and the bridge over the River Drone, noise, contamination of the River Drone with flooding issues, increased traffic, long operational hours and the possible impact on nearby nature and wildlife.
Cllr Dale had also argued that the scheme represented a ‘substantial intensification of industrial activity’ on the site, rather than ‘a minor or incidental change’.
Neville Oxnard, who lives adjacent to the proposed site, raised concerns about the scale of the scheme with fears about the proposals for the disposal of contaminated water potentially contaminating the River Drone.
He also argued that an increasing number of vehicles using the narrow single lane access road which goes over a bridge and has an entrance to the main road crossing a cycle path presented a safety hazard.
Mr Oxnard added the nearby River Drone already causes annual flooding problems and he was worried about proposed long operational hours, potential dust, noise and water disposal from the site and that any contaminated wash-water might have ended up in the River Drone.
Dronfield Town Cllr Leah Coles had also echoed concerns about potential flooding issues with the River Drone and possible access difficulties and the impact on the nearby Drone Valley Brewery and Tap in terms of appearance, feared dust, pollution, noise and parking issues as well as any loss of space.
Unstone resident Christie Maskrey had also pointed out the site is next to the Metapic Woods Nature Reserve and near to Dronfield Nature Park and she feared increased noise, dust, pollution, and human activity could pose a threat to biodiversity, disturbing species and degrading the quality of protected environments.
Cllr Dale explained the applicant’s request for a Lawful Development Certificate had involved a technical legal process where the council had to decide if the proposed development could already be allowed under national permitted development rules.
Agent Mr Walker, on behalf of the applicant, had claimed the scheme’s installation and use could have been undertaken in a manner aesthetically in-keeping with its industrial surroundings in an area that he regarded as relatively remote from residential development.
He had argued the proposed plant would not ‘materially affect the external appearance of the premises’ arguing the proposed plant is of a similar height and scale of an existing maintenance shed.
Mr Walker had also claimed the scope for effects on local amenity could have been further mitigated by the installation and use of the aggregates stocking bays in the north of the site which would be about four metres high and would provide a visual and acoustic barrier for the south and west of the site.
The agent had also claimed the proposed site is not near to any nationally significant landscapes, ecology or cultural heritage designations although he recognised woodland to the north is a Local Wildlife Site and this forms part of the wider Green Belt designation.
Mr Walker had also argued the proposed plant would have made best use of the screening effects already afforded by the established trees to the north and the existing industrial and commercial units to the south and west and the intended low level nature of the proposed plant would have ensured no impact on the openness of the Green Belt.
He also claimed the proposed layout had been designed to facilitate the safe manoeuvring of HGVs both on site and in the wider industrial complex.
But Cllr Dale confirmed the scheme was refused by the council in May on the grounds of its scale and appearance with concerns it would significantly change the character and appearance of the site.
Cllr Dale, who thanked the many residents for submitting representations to the council, stated: “A very significant number of residents responded, alongside Unstone Parish Council and myself as the local councillor, and it is important that local views were properly represented and considered as part of the decision-making process.
“I also want to stress that this decision does not mean concrete batching plants are inherently inappropriate developments in principle. They are an important part of the construction industry. However, developments of this nature do need to be carefully and sensitively located and, where appropriate, subject to full planning scrutiny.
“The applicant may now choose to submit a full planning application or appeal the decision, so this may not necessarily be the end of the matter. If there are any further developments, I will of course continue to keep residents updated.”
