Agenda and minutes

Members and officers must declare any pecuniary or personalinterest in any business on the agenda. They should also make declarations at any stage such an interest becomes apparent during the meeting. Consideration should be given to leaving the meeting if the nature of the interest warrants it. If in doubt, contact Democratic Services before the meeting.

1.1    In accordance the County Council’s Constitution, including the Code of Conduct as well as the Code of Practice on Public Participation in Planning and Rights of Way Committees, the following declaration was made in relation to the lobbying of members regarding Item 4, Planning Application WSCC/045/23:- the Chairman confirmed that all Committee members, bar Cllr Kenyon, had read a lobbying email circulated by the Clerk on behalf of an objector on 23 April 2024.

1.2    In accordance with the County Council’s Constitution, including the Code of Conduct, Cllr Richard Burrett, Chairman of the Committee declared a personal interest in Item 4, Planning Application WSCC/045/23 as the neighbouring County Councillor for Pound Hill, the Electoral Division immediately to the east of the railway line, adjacent to the application site, in which the development of Forge Wood sits, whose residents would likely be affected.  Cllr Burrett confirmed that he has expressed no opinion on the application and would not do so until he has heard from all speakers and the Committee and considered this along with all other evidence.

1.3    No other declarations of interest were made.

The Committee is asked to confirm the minutes of the meeting held on
19 March 2024 (cream paper).

2.1     The Committee resolved:

That the minutes of the meeting of the Committee held on
19 March 2024 be approved and that they be signed by the Chairman.

Items not on the agenda that the Chairman of the Committee is of the opinion should be considered as a matter of urgency by reason of special circumstances.

3.1     There were no urgent matters.

Report by Head of Planning Services.

The Committee is asked to consider and determine the following application:

WSCC/045/23 - Erection of a rail fed concrete batching plant, with associated ancillary structures and facilities, including HGV and car parking (Variation of condition No. 6 of Planning Permission WSCC/052/19 to allow 24 hour operations at the site, Monday to Friday, for a period of five years)

atLand at Crawley Goods Yard, Brett, Gatwick Road, Crawley, West Sussex, RH10 9RE

WSCC/045/23 - Erection of a rail fed concrete batching plant, with associated ancillary structures and facilities, including HGV and car parking (Variation of condition No. 6 of Planning Permission WSCC/052/19 to allow 24 hour operations at the site, Monday to Friday, for a period of five years) atLand at Crawley Goods Yard, Brett, Gatwick Road, Crawley, West Sussex, RH10 9RE

4.1         The Committee considered a report by the Head of Planning Services (copy appended to the signed minutes).  The report was introduced by Edward Anderson, Planner, who outlined the application and the key points.

4.2     A written statement in objection to the application was read out on behalf of Cllr Tina Belben, Pound Hill North and Forge Wood ward councillor at Crawley Borough Council.  Cllr Belben was in attendance via a link on Microsoft Teams but was unable to address the Committee directly due to technical issues.  Forge Wood is the newest neighbourhood, immediately to the east of the railway line that borders the application site.  The 2016 planning permission limited the site’s working hours to 07:00 to 19:00 on Monday to Friday and 07:00 to 13:00 on Saturdays.  Permission for application WSCC/052/19 granted in 2020 for a 3 year temporary period of operations at night was granted before homes in Forge Wood were built or occupied, so there was little opposition.  Because the applicant let that permission lapse there is no data to show what levels of noise local residents will be subjected to.  Constant noise during the day is a disturbance and noise at night is worse.  Lack of sleep affects physical and mental wellbeing.  Many residents have young children, some being woken by reversing lorries.  Two residents have provided noise diaries highlighting industrial noises in the early hours.  The proposed acoustic fence will only mitigate noise in a north-westerly direction, not to the east where the nearest residents in Forge Wood live.  Cllr Burgess, who lives near Crawley town centre, hears similar crashing and banging at night at times.  Consideration should be given to the residents who may suffer the untold misery of broken nights.

4.3     Tito Arowobusoye of Firstplan, agent for the applicant, spoke in support of the application.  Crawley Goods Yard is an established rail-fed aggregates depot in a geographically strategic location that supports key minerals infrastructure and related development.  Nighttime operations would enable the sustainable source of supply.  The original 2016 planning application provided assessments that demonstrated the plant could operate without adverse impacts on the surrounding area and included conditions to minimise potential impacts of noise, light and dust, etc.  The 2020 permission was granted for similar nighttime operations to those now being sought.  The controls, secured by conditions, included an acoustic fence between the nearest residential receptors.  However, the applicant did not implement the permission due to Covid and costs.  No nighttime operations at the site have taken place.  Other operators at the Goods Yard do have permission for nighttime operations or have had.  This application is for a temporary  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4.

The next meeting of the Committee will be held at 10.30 am on Wednesday,
15 May 2024 at County Hall, Chichester. 

Report by the Head of Planning Services, Director of Law and Assurance and Assistant Director (Highways Transport and Planning).

The Committee is invited to ask about planned agenda items and to note the following report:

Current Planning Applications, Current Definitive Map Modification Orders (DMMOs), Town and Village Green Applications (TVGs) and Public Path Orders (PPOs) under investigation.

5.1     The Committee noted that its next scheduled meeting would be held at 10.30 am on 15 May at County Hall, Chichester.

5.2     Officers confirmed that there are not likely to be any applications that will be in a position to be determined at the May meeting and if this is confirmed then that meeting will be cancelled.  Applications likely to be determined at the scheduled June meeting will be advised to the Committee in due course.