Wallington - Neighbourhood Planning Area

Environment

The Historic Environment department’s record shows numerous archaeological sites and finds from the parish so we would expect appropriate consideration of the historic environment in any Neighbourhood Plan, its policies and its allocation of preferred sites for development.

Minerals and Waste Planning

Minerals

It should be noted that a small part of the proposed Neighbourhood Plan Area is covered by a Mineral Consultation Area (MCA).
This MCA is located to the south of Wallington, mostly spanning to cover the area between the south of Wallington to the west of Redhill. This means that this area has the potential to contain some sand and gravel deposits and the county council, as the Minerals Planning Authority, should be given the opportunity to comment on any planning applications which come forward on the area covered by the MCA (unless the applications fall within the remits of the excluded development list, as set out within the Mineral Consultation Areas Supplementary Planning Document(SPD)).
To view the adopted Minerals Local Plan and SPD, please follow the link below:
https://www.hertfordshire.gov.uk/services/recycling-waste-and-environment/planning-in-hertfordshire/minerals-and-waste-planning/minerals-planning/minerals-planning.aspx

Waste

The county council, as the Waste Planning Authority, seeks to protect waste management facilities from being lost to other forms of development. ‘Land at Bygrave Lodge Farm, Baldock’ (anaerobic digestion facility) is a waste management facility which falls within the proposed Neighbourhood Plan Area and is safeguarded under Policy 5 (Policy 5: Safeguarding of Sites) of the adopted Waste Local Plan.
Any future proposals which come forward within the vicinity of this facility must accommodate to the existing facility and ensure that the developments will not compromise or jeopardise the operation of the facility.
Of particular concern to the county council, as the Waste Planning Authority, is the management of construction, demolition and excavation waste. This waste stream presents the biggest capacity gap for Hertfordshire, meaning that there are significant volumes of this waste that cannot be treated in the county. Therefore, every effort should be made in the construction of new developments, to minimise waste generated throughout all phases (i.e. demolition, construction and subsequent occupation).
It would be encouraging to see if the Neighbourhood Plan could be prepared to include Policy wording on the reduction of waste (generated by new developments which come forward in the plan area) and encourage greater rates of recycling through providing sufficient storage areas.
To view the adopted Waste Local Plan documents, please follow the link below:
https://www.hertfordshire.gov.uk/services/recycling-waste-and-environment/planning-in-hertfordshire/minerals-and-waste-planning/waste-planning/waste-planning.aspx
Concluding Comments
Whilst it is acknowledged that it is the responsibility of the District Council to determine planning applications which come forward in the area, the county council, as the Minerals and Waste Planning Authority, would like the Parish Council to give due regard to the above identified matters in preparation of the Neighbourhood Plan. The Policies the Neighbourhood Plan contains will (once the Plan is ‘made’) form part of the development plan and be considered by the District Council in the determination of planning applications in the area.
For this reason, the Parish Council must ensure that the Policies in the Neighbourhood Plan comply with and reflect the Policies in the North Herts Local Plan and the county council’s Local Plans.
Lastly, the county council would also like to request that the Neighbourhood Plan identifies the adopted Minerals and Waste Local Plans as forming part of the development plan for the area.