Agenda item

Discharge of condition 11 (Traffic Management Plan) of previously approved planning application 20/00194/FUL.

Members were reminded that full planning permission (ref: 20/00194/FUL) had been granted by the Planning Committee in October 2020 for: ‘Proposed erection of 2 No. agricultural buildings for poultry production together with associated infrastructure and a new highway access to Oakley Road’. This permission was made subject to 20 conditions. Condition 11 as agreed and amended by the Planning Committee related specifically to the Traffic Management of all HGV movements and construction vehicles associated with the development, providing certainty of routing through key local junctions.

In accordance with Members’ previous request, the application to discharge condition 11 had been brought to the Planning Committee for its consideration. Importantly, for all HGV and construction traffic associated with the development, there was no ‘right hand turn’ off the A120 proposed. Also, a system of management was in place to ensure that this was enforced.

The Committee was reminded that the principle of the development had been accepted by the granting of the original full planning permission, which had also established the position of the access. The details the subject of this application had been scrutinised by Highways England and ECC Highways, both of whom had offered no objections.

Officers felt that the detailed plans complied with the requirements of Condition 11 and were considered acceptable with no significant material harm to visual or residential amenity, or highway safety.

The Committee had before it the published Officer report containing the key planning issues, relevant planning policies, planning history, any response from consultees, written representations received and a recommendation that the Assistant Director (Planning) be authorised to discharge condition 11 (Traffic Management Plan) of the previously approved planning application 20/00194/FUL.

At the meeting, an oral presentation was made by the Council’s Planning Manager (TF) in respect of the application.

An update sheet had been circulated to the Committee prior to the meeting with details of:

(1)  An additional letter received from Councillor Bush in relation to the routing into the site via ‘The War Memorial’ Harwich Road/Oakley Road Wix junction. In Councillor Bush’s opinion this route would cause significant material harm for highway safety and was totally unsuitable for HGV movements, with further potential risk of causing damage to the Wix War Memorial and therefore breached paragraph 109 of the NPPF impacting on road safety.

Councillor Bush had also requested more details on how the applicant would manage and monitor other vehicles using this junction and route from Harwich Road and the development site in Oakley Road as this was an area that had a regular bus service, school bus service and adjacent courier/transport facility.

Councillor Bush had concluded, that condition 11 relating to the submission and agreement to a Traffic Management Plan should not be discharged until those significant traffic safety issues were revisited and mitigated against.

The applicant had reviewed this letter and had responded with their explanation of the route chosen, countering Councillor Bush’s claims that this application created ‘significant material harm for highway safety’.

(2)  Within the Executive Summary of the Committee Report; section 1.2, line 3, should read: ‘… there is no ‘right hand turn’ off the A120 proposed.’

The Chairman of the Committee reminded Members that planning application 20/01551/DISCON Redhourse Farm Oakley Road Wix Manningtree Essex CO11 2SF was a previously deferred item and that therefore, there would be no public speaking allowed.

During the Committee’s discussion, it was asked if the applicant had agreed to put up signage including a 7 days’ notice for construction or operational purposes. The Planning Managerconfirmed that the notice period was for the construction element of the project.

Following discussion by the Committee, it was moved by Councillor Cawthron, seconded by Councillor Alexander and RESOLVED:-

That the Assistant Director (Planning) (or equivalent authorised officer) be authorised to discharge condition 11 (Traffic Management Plan) of the previously approved planning application 20/00194/FUL.