At the Commerce Park, in planning application 2015/2871/FUL, Acheson & Acheson proposed to extend their successful beauty products factory (a B1/B2/B8 development) to the south west. This is within the zone next to the residential boundary, previously reserved for B1 uses (businesses compatible with a residential area) under conditions 30 and 32 of the outline planning permission, and where B2 (general industry) and B8 (warehousing) uses were not allowed ‘in the interests of residential amenity’. However, because this is a new full planning application, these restrictions can be ignored.

In November I attended a consultation meeting with other councillors and the Chair of Coalway Lane Residents Association. I asked for more information on noise and visual impact, and objected in principle to the B2/B8 use class development in this zone. I supported the Residents Association’s requests for further information, for the impacts on noise and visibility to be addressed and reduced, and working hours to be restricted to avoid night time noise.  I also argued with Mendip that all the residents living next to the Commerce Park, and Frome Town Council, should be officially consulted, as none of you had been. The Council finally agreed, so residents neighbouring the Commerce Park will have received official letters from Mendip.  People still have until 10^th May to respond, if you have not already done so.

Over 30 local residents have objected to the application so far, after being alerted by the Residents Association, on noise, views, odour, light and ground stability issues and on the overall principle of allowing a B2/B8 use development in the B1 zone.

However, Mendip District Council’s Planning Board met on 20^th April to consider the planning application. The officer’s report recommended approval and stated that there would be no adverse noise or visual impacts. Residents concerns were listed briefly in an ‘updating’ paper. I spoke in support of residents’ and the Residents Association’s concerns and objections, and said that if the Planning Board approved the application, they would be breaking the council’s previous promises to keep B2 and B8 development away from residents. I also stated that there is ample space to the north west of the existing factory to expand, outside of the B1 zone, which would generate the same numbers of jobs, but the Commerce Park has not agreed to that.

I asked for the decision to be deferred until the next meeting, to allow all the comments from residents and the Town Council (who are still considering their response) to be properly considered. I also asked again for the Noise Report to assess the noise levels that residents would be expected to experience. However, other councillors argued in favour, and the Planning Board voted “to resolve to approve the application with conditions, subject to no new substantive material planning considerations being raised during the remainder of the consultation period”. Only councillor Damon Hooton (Lib Dem, Frome Park ward) agreed with my request to defer and did not vote for approval.

Mendip’s planning officers agreed to impose planning conditions to limit HGV and commercial vehicle deliveries or movements to between 7am and 8pm. I and the CLRA argued for 7pm. Officers also agreed to require a ‘Section 106’ legal agreement to ensure that the overall Commerce Park noise limits and monitoring requirements (as agreed in the original outline permission) will apply to this development.

I would still encourage local residents to have a look at the planning application and have your say, if you have not yet done so. To comment, you will need to log onto the MDC planning page http://www.mendip.gov.uk/article/3203/Applications-Comments–Decisions, read the documentation, or email consultations@mendip.gov.uk with planning reference 2015/2871/FUL in the subject, or and have your say, before 10^th May.

I will continue to encourage Acheson & Acheson and their planning team to respond to residents’ concerns, and to hold a residents meeting, to listen to and address local concerns about the development.

The Commerce Park owner has also proposed to remove the two planning conditions on the original outline permission that restrict development in the area closest to residents to B1 uses, in a separate planning application 2015/1946/VRC. The CLRA, over 30 individual residents and I have already objected. You may wish to have your say on that one as well.

I am also encouraging the Commerce Park to plan B1 uses in the remainder of the current B1 zone, rather than furtehr B2 or B8 developments. This may need encouragement and incentives from Mendip District Council. I will keep local residents informed of any discussions or progress.

Please see here, here and here for more background on this.

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