Agenda item

(Wards Affected: Abingdon (Abbey and Barton))

The Committee was advised that further to report, an additional four letters of objection had been received reiterating concerns to matters already covered in the report.

Carol Newman was due to make a statement objecting to the application but declined to do so.

Barry Wells made a statement objecting to the application raising concerns regarding the unacceptable level of noise during the night from HGV vehicles; the noise of vehicles reversing to get over a speed ramp; the applicant breaching late night delivery requirements; noise caused by banging bins and cages; the lack of noise readings taken during night time deliveries; concern that noise levels were acceptable if the windows of the neighbouring properties remained closed, which he considered was unreasonable; and a number of the residential units not being unoccupied and therefore it was not possible to assess the noise levels.  He suggested the application should not be approved until all the properties were occupied and the views of those residents could be taken into account. 

Further to the report, the Committee was advised that the Town Council had raised no objection to the application.

One of the local Members considered that the views of local residents were essential and that should those residents experience a noise nuisance, they should report the details to the Council’s Environmental Health Officers.  She commented that some residents had taken up their concerns direct with Waitrose and therefore the extent of any complaints was unknown.  She reiterated that the residential accommodation had yet to be occupied and she had understood that the temporary planning permission was to allow for the comments of those residents.  She suggested that planning permission should be granted again for a further temporary period.  She understood that Waitrose was doing the best it could to take deliveries in a responsible way.  However there were disturbances and night time deliveries should be carefully monitored.

The other local Member noted that the adjoining residential development had yet to be completed and occupied and he considered that lorries reversing into the delivery yard would disturb the residents of the new accommodation on the Thames View Estate.  He suggested that the Council needed to consider what was a sensible solution in terms of deliveries and he asked the Officers to consider better arrangements for the long term.

Members emphasised that any complaints regarding noise needed to be made to the Environmental Health Officers to enable a catalogue to be maintained and this information presented to a future meeting of the Committee when a further Planning application would be considered.

By 15 votes to nil, it was

RESOLVED

(a)        that application ABG/14753/10  be approved subject to the condition set out in the report with that condition being amended to make it a temporary permission for one year from the date of permission;

(b)        that the Deputy Director (Planning and Community Strategy) in consultation with the local Members, be asked to write to the residents of the neighbouring properties and to Waitrose advising them that this Council will monitor compliance with the condition during the period of operation and that the decision regarding any application for night time deliveries will be informed by the outcome of that monitoring and that any noise complaints should be reported to the Council’s Environmental Health Officers;

(c)        that the Council’s Deputy Director (Environmental Health) be requested to monitor the deliveries.