Creating Place; 5G, Noise, Light and Air Quality:

The draft SPD states: "The new village should provide a safe, comfortable and healthy environment for its residents and should minimise the impacts it has on landscape, ecology and residential amenity of the site and its surroundings. Development proposals will be expected to mitigate the impacts of noise, air quality, light and human disturbance on the environment."

The following bullet points fail to mention the need for the proposed development to take full account of the existing employment development, including DB Group's site. The operations and processes which take place on site include the following:
* Sand grading - filtering sand to provide different levels of fineness;
* Production of additives used in concrete mixes - blending of powders from silo storage;
* Warehousing - receipt and dispatch of goods either manufactured or purchased off site for resale.

These uses, in combination, amount to a B2 General Industrial use. The blending and grading process undertaken on site generates external noise, particularly in respect of the extraction system used to reduce material spillage and particles in the air. The site is also serviced by an average of 2 incoming and 3 outgoing HGV movements a day.

The proposed development will therefore need to ensure that it takes full account of DB Group's existing operations and will not hamper future expansion plans. This will require particular consideration being given to adequate distance separation from noise sources, site and building layout / orientation, provision of acoustic barriers as deemed necessary as a result of detailed assessments. This to include visual impact of more buildings, silos and vehicles even with the same activities.

This accords with the Planning Practice Guidance (PPG) which states:

"How can the risk of conflict between new development and existing businesses or facilities be addressed?

Development proposed in the vicinity of existing businesses, community facilities or other activities may need to put suitable mitigation measures in place to avoid those activities having a significant adverse effect on residents or users of the proposed scheme.

In these circumstances the applicant (or 'agent of change') will need to clearly identify the effects of existing businesses that may cause a nuisance (including noise, but also dust, odours, vibration and other sources of pollution) and the likelihood that they could have a significant adverse effect on new residents/users. In doing so, the agent of change will need to take into account not only the current activities that may cause a nuisance, but also those activities that businesses or other facilities are permitted to carry out, even if they are not occurring at the time of the application being made.

The agent of change will also need to define clearly the mitigation being proposed to address any potential significant adverse effects that are identified. Adopting this approach may not prevent all complaints from the new residents/users about noise or other effects, but can help to achieve a satisfactory living or working environment, and help to mitigate the risk of a statutory nuisance being found if the new development is used as designed (for example, keeping windows closed and using alternative ventilation systems when the noise or other effects are occurring)."

Paragraph: 009 Reference ID: 30-009-20190722
Revision date: 22 07 2019

An additional bullet point should therefore be added which reads as follows:

Planning applications should be accompanied by a Noise Impact Assessment and Air Quality Assessment, and the new village will be required to mitigate the impact of noise and air quality from existing employment uses by virtue of suitable design. For example, a buffer using acoustic screens if appropriate, building layout and orientation and suitably ventilated buildings.