 |
|
|
| |
|
| Chapter 14.0 - Public
Utilities and Energy |
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
| 14.1 |
This chapter sets out the District Council's
policies for public utilities and energy within the District. Firstly,
the background, problems and issues are considered, the policy context
is explained, and the Local Plan's strategy is outlined. Then the
Council's policies are detailed in sections on land drainage and flood
alleviation, water supply and sewage treatment, public utilities and
energy. |
| |
|
| |
Background, Problems
and Issues |
| 14.2 |
The availability and provision of utility
services has a significant influence on the scale, location and timing
of new development. The District Council will seek to ensure that
new development is provided with satisfactory infrastructure. The
Environment Agency is responsible for safeguarding the water environment,
including flood alleviation and the protection of ground water supplies.
The Local Plan can help by steering new development away from areas
which are not suitable for building. |
| 14.3 |
There are a number of problems within
the District relating to water supply, drainage, sewage treatment,
groundwater pollution and minewater intrusion. For instance, in Newark,
the water supply system cannot provide for the scale of development
proposed in the Plan without major reinforcements being undertaken.
In particular, there is little or no spare capacity for industrial
uses on the Northern Road Industrial Estate. In Southwell, there are
surface water drainage problems in the Halam Road/Lower Kirklington
Road area, which at times of heavy rainfall has led to the flooding
of properties and gardens. Further residential development in this
area could exacerbate the problems unless flood alleviation measures
are taken. There is also a need to protect groundwater, including
the aquifers within the District, from pollution. Of particular concern
is the contamination caused by nitrate usage in arable farming. Past
industrial activities, the use of some pesticides, inappropriate disposal
of sewage, and minewater intrusion all contribute to the problem of
groundwater pollution. There are policies in the Plan which seek to
prevent development which would cause groundwater contamination. |
| |
|
| |
Policy Context for the
Plan |
| |
Central Government Advice |
| 14.4 |
PPG12 "Development Plans and Regional
Planning Guidance" states that in preparing plans, planning authorities
should consider both the requirements of public utilities for land
to enable them to meet the demands that will be placed upon them,
and the environmental effects of such additional uses. It further
advises that the adequacy of existing infrastructure and any backlog
in investment may well influence the timing of development. |
| 14.5 |
Renewable energy's potential role in tackling
greenhouse gas emissions and its environmental implications are set
out in PPG22 "Renewable Energy". |
| 14.6 |
Government policy on telecommunications
development, which is set out in PPG8 "Telecommunications", is to
facilitate the growth of new and existing systems, whilst taking account
of the need for the protection of urban and rural areas. |
| |
|
| |
Regional Planning Guidance
for the East Midlands |
| 14.7 |
The District Council has taken into account
Regional Planning Guidance which indicates that development plan policies
should not permit inappropriate development in areas at risk from
flooding or allow the pollution of groundwater supplies. In addition,
local planning authorities should have regard to water supply and
sewerage problems in the preparation of local plans. However, the
absence of particular infrastructure, whether water supply or sewage
treatment, should not be regarded as a long term constraint, as it
can be resolved given time and resources. The development of renewable
energy facilities should be encouraged where economically viable and
environmentally acceptable. |
| |
|
| |
Nottinghamshire Structure
Plan Review |
| 14.8 |
The policies of the Local Plan conform
with those of the Structure Plan Review. The Structure Plan seeks
to protect floodplains (Policy 11/1) and aquifers (Policy 11/2) from
inappropriate development. |
| 14.9 |
The Structure Plan Review encourages energy
conservation in new development (Policy 10/4) and supports renewable
energy proposals (Policies 10/2 and 10/3). Major energy developments
will be considered more favourably on existing sites subject to certain
planning criteria (Policy 10/1). |
| |
|
| |
Objectives |
| 14.10 |
The aims of the Local Plan will be achieved
through the implementation of the following objectives: |
| |
- to resist development in the washlands;
- to resist development which fails to make adequate provision
for sewerage disposal, surface water disposal and water supply;
- to resist certain types of development in the "aquifer protection
zones";
- to ensure that new development takes place in locations where
existing and planned services can accommodate additional growth;
- to resist development which has an adverse effect on the water
quality and wildlife habitats of rivers;
- to minimise the impact of new public utility development on
the environment;
- to provide for telecommunications development; and
- to encourage the use of renewable energy sources.
|
| |
Land Drainage and Flood
Alleviation |
| 14.11 |
The District Council wishes to protect
residents and businesses from the risk of flooding and will ensure
that there is adequate drainage for any new development. The following
policies provide guidance on where development will be permitted. |
|
|
| |
Policy PU1
Washlands |
| Planning permission will
not be granted for built development or the raising of
ground levels in the washlands of the Rivers Trent, Devon,
Fleet, Maun, Meden and Greet, except if alternative flood
storage capacity has been provided elsewhere. |
 |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
| |
Justification |
| 14.12 |
Large areas of land in the District lie
within washlands and are liable to flood. These areas, which have
been identified by the Environment Agency, are shown on the Proposals
Map. It is important to ensure that new development is not at risk
from flooding which could endanger life, damage property or cause
the wasteful expenditure of public resources on remedial works. Development
in such locations may also increase the risk of flooding elsewhere
by reducing storage capacity for the floodplain or by impeding the
flow of flood water. Land raising in the floodplain may have a similar
effect. Development will therefore be resisted in washlands, in accordance
with guidance in Circular 30/92 "Development and Flood Risk" and Policy
11/1 of the Structure Plan Review. Exceptions may be made if alternative
flood storage capacity has been provided elsewhere. Within the washland
areas of the District, there are many existing buildings and uses
ranging from dwellings and farm buildings to employment and retail
sites. New built development associated with these sites and buildings
will not normally be acceptable. However, it is recognised that small
extensions or the rationalisation of existing sites to reduce the
floor area covered by buildings may in certain circumstances be acceptable.
|
|
|
| |
Policy PU2
Land Drainage and Surface Water Disposal |
| Planning permission will
not be granted for development which fails to make adequate
provision for land drainage and surface water disposal.
Where there is a reasonable prospect that infrastructure
improvements necessitated by development can be satisfactorily
implemented, planning permission will be granted subject
to a condition that the development shall not commence
until those infrastructure works have been completed in
accordance with details first submitted to and approved
by the District Council. |
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
| |
Justification |
| 14.13 |
The function of the Local Planning Authority
with regard to land drainage is to ensure that development does not
proceed, unless the infrastructure is adequate or is upgraded to cope
with additional demands. The District Council will heed the advice
of the relevant land drainage authority, and the Environment Agency,
and, where there is a reasonable prospect of the necessary works being
carried out, grant planning consent subject to a negative planning
condition. |
| |
|
| |
Water Supply and Sewage
Treatment |
| 14.14 |
It is important that there is adequate
infrastructure to accommodate new development. In particular, the
provision of a satisfactory water supply and the means to dispose
of sewage is essential. The environment of river corridors and the
existing sources of water supply will also be protected. The District
Council will seek to ensure that new development can be satisfactorily
accommodated and the following policies outline the relevant requirements. |
|
|
| |
Policy PU3
Water Supply |
| Planning permission will
not be granted for development where the water supply
system is inadequate to serve the proposal. Where there
is a reasonable prospect that infrastructure improvements
necessitated by development can be satisfactorily implemented,
planning permission will be granted subject to a condition
that the development shall not commence until those infrastructure
works have been completed in accordance with details first
submitted to and approved by the District Council. |
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
| |
Justification |
| 14.15 |
The function of the Local Planning Authority
with regard to water supply is to ensure that development does not
proceed, unless the infrastructure is adequate or upgraded to cope
with additional demands. The District Council will heed the advice
of the relevant water company and, where there is a reasonable prospect
of the necessary works being carried out, grant planning consent,
subject to a negative planning condition. Prospective developers are
advised to discuss the requirements with the relevant water company,
so that an assessment can be made at the earliest opportunity. |
|
|
| |
Policy PU4
Aquifer Protection |
| Planning permission will
not be granted for development proposals which could lead
to the infiltration of harmful pollutants into groundwater
or that will adversely affect groundwater movement. This
restriction is particularly important to aquifers from
which public water supplies are drawn, as defined on the
Proposals Map. |
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
| |
Justification |
| 14.17 |
Currently, groundwater provides approximately
40% of the total public water supplied in the Severn Trent Region.
Aquifers also form a major source of industrial and agricultural water
supplies. Unlike pollution of surface water courses, pollution of
groundwater may result in the loss of the groundwater resource for
many years. Effective remedial action is frequently not feasible or
is excessively expensive and so groundwater pollution control must
be preventative in nature. The risk of pollution is increasing, both
from the disposal of waste materials and from the widespread use of
potentially polluting chemicals by industry and agriculture. |
| 14.18 |
The District Council will seek to prevent
the pollution of groundwater within the Aquifer Protection Zone identified
on the Proposals Map. In addition the District Council will follow
the guidance set out in the Environment Agency's policy document 'Policy
and Practice for the Protection of Groundwater'. As part of the implementation
of the policy the Environment Agency are publishing vulnerability
maps, which locate in detail vulnerable areas of aquifer. The Environment
Agency are also to designate Source Protection Zones around major
water supplies, which may lead to the amendment of the zones detailed
on the Proposals Map. There is a particular need to protect the vulnerable
Sherwood Sandstone aquifer in Newark and Sherwood. Developers are
advised to check, with the Environment Agency, the extent of the new
zones when published. Within these areas in particular, development
will be carefully controlled. The existing Nitrate Sensitive Areas
are referred to in Paragraph 8.47. |
|
|
| |
Policy PU5
W ater Environment |
| Planning permission will
not be granted for development which could have an adverse
effect on water quality and associated wildlife habitats
of the Rivers Trent, Devon, Fleet, Maun, Meden and Greet
and their tributaries. |
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
| |
Justification |
| 14.19 |
It is essential that new development does
not lead to increases in the level of pollution or of a risk of pollution
occurring. Levels of water pollution adversely affect the recreation,
tourist, ecological, and abstraction potential of the rivers in the
District. |
|
|
| |
Policy PU6
Sewerage and Sewage Treatment |
| Planning permission will
not be granted for development which fails to make adequate
provision for sewerage and sewage treatment. Where there
is a reasonable prospect that infrastructure improvements
necessitated by development can be satisfactorily implemented,
planning permission will be granted subject to a condition
that the development shall not commence until those infrastructure
works have been completed in accordance with details first
submitted to and approved by the District Council. |
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
| |
Justification |
| 14.20 |
The function of the Local Planning Authority,
with regard to sewerage and sewage treatment, is to ensure that development
does not proceed, unless the infrastructure is adequate or is upgraded
to cope with additional demands. The District Council will heed the
advice of the relevant water company and the Environment Agency and,
where there is a reasonable prospect of the necessary works being
carried out, grant planning permission, subject to a negative planning
condition. |
|
|
| |
| Policy PU7 - Development in the Vicinity
of Sewage Treatment Works |
| Development in the vicinity
of a sewage treatment works will not be permitted, if
it would result in occupiers and users of the development
experiencing an unacceptable loss of amenity caused by
odours or other problems associated with sewage treatment.
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
| |
Justification |
| 14.21 |
The operations undertaken at a sewage
treatment works may, by their very nature, be incompatible with other
land uses. Consequently, when considering planning applications, the
District Council will seek the advice of the relevant water company
and the Council's Community Services Department as to the potential
impact of existing sewage treatment works upon the occupiers and users
of the proposed development. Although the level of incompatibility
is perhaps greatest with the development of land for residential purposes
in close proximity to a sewage treatment works, other land uses may
be considered inappropriate because of the loss of amenity to occupiers
and users. |
| 14.22 |
Severn Trent Water Ltd. has a "cordon
sanitaire" policy which seeks to minimise the impact of potential
nuisance and discomfort caused by odours/flies generated by sewage
treatment works. Each "cordon" is site specific and takes into account
such factors as: types of process in use at the works; size of the
works; industrial effluents received; land-use around the site; anticipated
extensions to the works; and site topography. |
| 14.23 |
Policy 11/4 of the Nottinghamshire Structure
Plan Review "Development of Hazardous Installations and in Areas Potentially
Affected by Pollution" also relates to development close to sewage
treatment works. |
| |
|
| |
Public Utilities |
| 14.24 |
The District Council wishes to encourage
the development of an efficient distribution of public utilities and
communications systems within the area. The following policies provide
guidance on where new public utilities will be permitted. |
|
|
| |
Policy PU8
New Public Utilities |
| Planning permission will
be granted for new utility services provided: |
| 1. |
They are not located in highly
visible locations or where they would have an adverse
effect on landscape quality; |
| 2. |
They do not adversely affect
the landscape and ecological value of the Sherwood Forest
Heritage Area; |
| 3. |
They are sited, designed
and landscaped to minimise their possible impact on the
countryside and/or neighbouring properties; and |
| 4. |
They would not adversely
affect features of ecological or archaeological importance. |
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
| |
Justification |
| 14.25 |
The District Council will generally support
the provision of essential utility installations. In certain circumstances,
these facilities may have to be accommodated in the countryside, such
as, electricity transmission lines. However, it is important to ensure
that these installations are sensitively located in order to minimise
the adverse impact on the landscape or neighbouring properties. Careful
siting, design and landscaping will normally be required, particularly
in sensitive locations. New public utilities should not be situated
in the Sherwood Forest Heritage Area, unless it is unavoidable, because
of the sensitive nature of the area. |
|
|
| |
Policy PU9
Telecommunications Development |
| Planning permission will
be granted for the erection of telecommunications apparatus
where: |
| 1. |
There is no reasonable possibility
of erecting antennas on an existing building or other
structure; and |
| 2. |
There is no reasonable possibility
of sharing existing facilities. |
| Any apparatus should be sited
and designed so as to minimise the visual impact, subject
to operational and technical requirements. Particular
care will be needed where apparatus is proposed to be
located within the Sherwood Forest Heritage Area. |
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
| |
Justification |
| 14.26 |
Technological changes in communications
require the provision of a wide range of aerials and masts. Government
policy is to facilitate the growth of telecommunications. In PPG8
"Telecommunications", it advises that the planning system should encourage
and avoid hindering development in this field. However, the Government
is also fully committed to preserving the national heritage and it
has emphasised that the growth of telecommunications does not mean
that the appearance of buildings, towns and the countryside can be
allowed to suffer serious damage. |
| 14.27 |
PPG8 stresses the need to keep to a minimum
the numbers of radio and telecommunications masts, and of the sites
for such installations. The sharing of masts will help to achieve
this, where practicable, as will the use of existing buildings to
site new antenna. In dealing with new telecommunications proposals,
the District Council will take account of the visual impact of the
apparatus and any ancillary development, whilst bearing in mind the
special needs and technical problems of the industry. The scope for
landscaping and screening will also be important considerations. |
| |
|
| |
Energy |
| 14.28 |
National Power have been granted planning
permission for a new 1500 megawatt combined cycle gas turbine (CCGT)
power station at Staythorpe. |
| 14.29 |
In addition to the Staythorpe Power Station
proposal, it is possible that other major energy development schemes
may be submitted in the future. The District Council, when commenting
on proposals for major energy developments will take into account: |
| |
- the impact upon sensitive environments, the landscape, and
the best and most versatile land;
- the effect on the amenities of local residents;
- the traffic generation effects; and
- the impact upon rivers and washland areas.
|
| |
These factors must be weighed against
the national demand for energy and the regional and local need for
job creation or retention. Where development is considered to be acceptable,
it should meet the highest possible environmental standards. |
| 14.30 |
Renewable energy is the term used to cover
those energy flows that occur naturally and repeatedly in the environment:
energy from the sun; the wind and the oceans; and the fall of water.
The advantage of using renewable energy is the contribution it makes
to limiting emissions of greenhouse gases and to reducing the depletion
of finite energy resources. PPG22 "Renewable Energy" accepts that
such development will almost always have some local environmental
effects, but that this must be weighed against the wider environmental
benefits for developing renewable energy sources. |
| 14.31 |
Renewable energy is not the only solution
to limiting emissions of greenhouse gases. On the demand side, energy
efficiency can also make a substantial impact on reducing our energy
consumption. Combined heat and power schemes represent one of the
ways in which greater energy efficiency can be achieved. |
| 14.32 |
Proposals for renewable energy installations
and combined heat and power schemes will be determined in accordance
with Policies 10/2 and 10/3 of the Structure Plan Review and relevant
Local Plan policies. Policy DD1 is applicable and Countryside, Green
Belt and Sherwood Forest Heritage policies may also be relevant. In
considering such development, the District Council will take account
of a range of issues including residential amenity, highways, landscape,
nature conservation, ecology and archaeology. |
| |
| |
| |
 |
|
|
|
|
| top |