March 2009 Newsletter

PDP WINS APPROVAL FOR LARGE EXTENSION TO WASTE COMPOSTING FACILITY IN ASHBOURNE



Vital Earth Ltd is the largest and most advanced in-vessel composting site in the UK. The raw materials for the compost products are green & kitchen waste from kerbside collections and household waste and recycling centres (HWRC’s) in Derbyshire and Staffordshire. Together with a sister site near Market Drayton Vital Earth can process over 70,000 tonnes of material otherwise destined for landfill sites.
Despite two recent fires at the site, which made for a highly controversial planning application, PDP was able to win consent for the erection of a large extension to the site’s Waste Reception Building. The development will allow Vital Earth Ltd to streamline on-site activities and processes, thus reducing the chances of future incidents. Derbyshire County Council’s planning committee voted unanimously in favour of the scheme on the 9th March 2009 and planning consent was granted.

March 2009 Newsletter

CONSTRUCTION OF FOURTEEN DWELLINGS FOR SPONDON ENGINEERING, NOTTINGHAM ROAD, SPONDON, DERBY

The 0.3ha site lies on the eastern edge of Derby in a mixed commercial and residential area.

Spondon Engineering is an expanding specialist engineering company relocating to larger premises. The rectangular site contains a former Victorian house, a large 1960s engineering building and a tall mobile telephone mast. The site is not allocated in the local plan for any specific use and pre-application discussions indicated that the site was suitable for residential use.

The application was prepared and submitted for eight houses and six flats. There were no objections from neighbours. The application was heading for an approval when problems arose because highway standards changed. A new head for the department also insisted on a strict interpretation of the new rules.

Detailed measurements were taken, sightlines were re-calculated and a new location for the access together with a new layout for the site, were developed. After six months of negotiation, proposals were finally supported and planning consent granted. The new rules prevented development of an adjoining site which three years before had been granted permission.
Changes in rules and changes in personnel cannot always be anticipated. Policy changes can also cause problems. The case reminded me that fate still can play its part. It was a good result but I was thankful that the geometry of the site to the road allowed the visibility standards to be met (just!).

2009 - New Year
New Successes

February 2009 Newsletter



Government Office confirm outline approval of new industrial building in Green Belt

The Government Office for the West Midlands have confirmed the outline approval of a new 2,400 sqm workshop / office building for Langer (UK) Ltd on a Green Belt site close to Cheadle, Staffordshire.

The application was prepared and submitted by the Planning & Design Practice on behalf of the owner of the site and Langer (UK) Ltd. Following approval by the Staffordshire Moorlands Planning Committee in November 2008, the item was deferred to the Government Office for the West Midlands for confirmation, in accordance with standard procedure for major Green Belt applications. Now that the Government Office has rubber stamped the outline approval, Langer (UK) will be able to progress to a reserved matters application.

As part of the application the Planning & Design Practice prepared detailed designs for a contemporary looking building that would integrate sensitively with its woodland setting. We also prepared a Landscape Character and Visual Impact Assessment, a Design and Access Statement and a Market Appraisal of available industrial floor space in the area. Short presentations were made at the Committee meeting by Jon Millhouse of PDP and Peter Taylor of Langer (UK). Councillors voted unanimously in favour of the approval.

2009 - New Year
New Successes

February 2009 Newsletter

New adult Care Home for Ashbourne

The Derbyshire Dales planning committee recently granted planning permission for a new care home at 31 The Green Road in Ashbourne having visited the site in the afternoon and having heard from Jonathan Jenkin speaking in support of the proposal later that evening.

The 10 bedroom care homes will be formed from the extension of a large detached house located in extensive landscaped grounds close to Ashbourne Town Centre. The home will provide a peaceful and safe environment for individuals suffering mental health difficulties.

There are no adult care home facilities in Ashbourne for this client group and working closely with the applicant we prepared a set of proposals which meet and exceed the requirements of the government’s 2003 Care Homes Standards.

70% of the existing building will be retained while a new extension will increase the capacity of the building to accommodate the new residents together with care staff and visiting therapists. The design of the extension reflects the character of the original building and care has been taken to protect existing trees on the site, all of which are covered by a tree preservation order.

This is the first major care home commission for the company. Work is expected to start in the spring and it is hoped that the building will be operating by the autumn.

2009 - New Year
New Successes

February 2009 Newsletter



Removal of Agricultural Tie and Erection of a Large Replacement Dwelling in Roston

Planning & Design Practice (PDP) recently secured full planning consent for the erection of a large replacement dwelling on a site in Roston, having first successfully obtained planning permission for the removal of an agricultural occupancy condition that restricted the existing property.

Back in June 2008, Derbyshire Dales planning committee unanimously voted in favour of PDP’s application to lift the occupancy condition. This was followed later that year with an application for the demolition of the existing property and the erection of a large, three-storey, traditionally designed dwelling with detached double garage. The application was approved in late 2008 under delegated powers by Derbyshire Dales District Council.

Andrew Gore of Planning & Design Practice said:
Successfully lifting the agricultural occupancy condition required a thorough study into the history of the site as well as a strong planning statement which demonstrated that a functional requirement for the agricultural tie no longer existed. The statement also questioned the circumstances that surrounded the initial imposing of the occupancy condition back in the 1960’s. Given the size of the existing plot, along with a strong awareness of local planning policy, we were then able to secure permission for a significantly larger dwelling that the existing building. The design of the dwelling reflects the late 19th Century rural character of the local built environment found in Roston.