Alternative Heat Redevelopment Proposal

Yard north east & rear of 24 Old Mill Road, Scarva BT63 6NL www.oldmillroadscarva.com

Our Proposal

This proposal relates to a retrospective change of use within an existing yard. Various commercial uses have occurred in the existing buildings over the years including use as a stud farm and haulage. Permission is now sought for their re- use by Alternative Heat Commercial Energy Solutions.

Established in 2003, Alternative Heat are a leading supplier and installer of heating and energy systems throughout the UK and Ireland. They specialise in the design, build, installation and commissioning of commercial energy solutions including prefabricated plant for domestic and industrial premises. Alternative Heat have been operating from the existing buildings at the Old Mill Road, Scarva site since 2019.

This application seeks to regularise the change of use of those buildings for Alternative Heat. It also seeks retrospective planning permission for a new access road from Old Mill Road, an extension to the rear of the yard and prefabricated office and canteen buildings. Retrospective permission for an internal access road to the field behind is also requested.

The proposal is for:

‘‘Change of use of buildings and yard from horse breeding business/stud farm, with alterations to use for industrial fabrication processes(B3) and warehousing (B4) with portacabins for ancillary office and canteen use with site works, erection of new access and internal site road, extension to site compound and fencing to east of site (retrospective) with new CUP unit, on lands to north east and rear of 24 Old Mill Road, Scarva, Down, BT63 6NL.” Drainage Information As the area of the site is in excess of 1000m a drainage assessment has been undertaken in accordance with the guidance given in Planning Policy statement 15 Planning and Flood Risk –Annex D. The foul drainage from the existing site discharges to an existing public sewer to the front of the site and into a small public treatment plant further down Old Mill Road. The foul drainage from the site will not increase as a result of the new use.

The existing storm drainage system that services the site is established and has been in operation without any problems. Under this change of use proposal it is not proposed to increase the storm run-off from the site. Therefore, the existing storm drainage system can still adequately deal with the site run-off as it has done for years.

Given the location of the site and shown by the Rivers Agency flood maps the site is not affected by any watercourses or any associated floodplain and will therefore not be affected by flooding and is complaint with PPS 15 FLD 1 , 2 and 4. It is not affected by reservoir inundation and is therefore compliant with PPS 15 FLD 5.

Ecology Information The countryside around Scarva is dominated by improved grassland supporting a low biodiversity and productivity of flying insects. This is relieved to some extent by a good network of hedges and shelterbelts which serve as a connective network from the Newry Canal. The application site is a part of this network due to the location beside the Danes Cast woodland which forms a significant green corridor from the canal into the landscape to the north, for this reason alone the local area was judged

to support a moderate bat productivity. The shelterbelt planting alongside the new access is in good condition to serve as a foraging route, but not ideally connected to the local structural green network. The potential bat foraging routes, alongside Compartments D (the landscape screen) or M (the linear woodland along Dane’s Cast, were not impacted by the works undertaken, either by habitat loss, or by being subject to illumination – there is no lighting along the new access track. The hedge removed to construct the new access was < 1m tall and

of little value for bats. The buildings have a negligible potential to host bats roosts. The works for which retrospective permission is sought represented no risk of illegal disturbance of the refuges of other protected species (such as Badger setts) and had negligible impact on the feeding or commuting opportunities for other protected species.

Floor Plans Existing Buildings 1, 2, 3, 4 & 5

Elevations Existing Buildings 1, 2, 3, 4 & 5

FOR INFORMATION PURPOSES ONLY NOT FOR CONSTRUCTION

A

toilets

lobby

drying room

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McAda

canteen

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Building No. 5

cleaner

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Building No. 5

Building No. 4

Building No. 3

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Elevations & Sections Buildings 6 & 7

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Building No. 7

Building No. 6

shipping container

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Building No. 9

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Building No. 9

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Canteen Elevations

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Canteen Building

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Site Context

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The retrospective application relates to a site located outside of the Scarva on the Old Mill Road. It is located to the south east of the settlement as per the Banbridge, Newry and Mourne Area Plan (the LDP) as per Figure 1 – Site Location Plan.

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LP Building No.1 – Storage warehouse Building No.2 – Storage warehouse Building No.3 – Storage, access & control room

Building No.4 – Fabrication building Building No.5 – Storage warehouse Building No.6 – Storage warehouse Building No.7 – Paint spray workshop Building No.8 – Storage warehouse Building No.9 – New office

McAdam

Figure 1: Arrow pointing towards site showing context to south west of Scarva within countryside

Since occupation by Alternative Heat two prefabricated mobile units have been added for use as an office (noted as building 9 above) and a canteen as identified by the red arrow in Figure 4 - Aerial Overview annotated.

The site comprises of nine cladded buildings. Originally erected for agricultural use they were approved for use as a stud farm in 2002.

New prefabricated office

Figure 2: Permission for horse breeding business/stud farm

New prefabricated Canteen building

Canteen in context of scale of existing sheds

Figure 4: Aerial Photo of Site showing the extent of new works in blue and new buildings in red

Traffic Aspects of the Proposal

The proposal also seeks retrospective permission for physical works undertaken at the site. As marked with blue arrows these comprise a new entrance and internal access road from Old Mill Road leading to an area of yard extension where the office prefabricated building sits and staff car parking.

Internal access lane leading from new access from Old Mill Road to rear yard parking area & office

Yard extension with office and staff car parking area

An additional access road has been installed to the east of the site to separate the industrial site and enable continued access to the surrounding agricultural fields still used by Bee Farms/Scarva House.

New rear access road to east of site leading to agricultural fields

Internal Access to rear leading to agricultural fields also within the ownership of the applicant

The SPPS transitional arrangements require that Planning Policy Statement 3 (PPS 3) Access, Movement and Parking takes precedence. It specifies the objectives for the creation of an accessible

environment, safe access onto public roads and sufficient parking in line with Policy AMP 2 and AMP 7. The site is accessed directly off the Old Mill road in Scarva via an existing priority junction. Old Mill Road in the vicinity of the site is subject to the national speed limit and links Scarva to Loughbrickland. The volume of vehicles using this road would be less than 3000 vpd (lightly trafficked). Old Mill Road is straight in the vicinity of the site and therefore traffic travelling towards the site are afforded excellent forward visibility to both the north and to the south (approx. 150m in each direction.) As the site generates less than 60 vehicle movements per day the visibility splays

associated with the access in accordance with Development Control Advice Note 15: Vehicular Access Standards is 2.4 x 105m (based on 57mph 85% mile speed) . The visibility splays available to the site access are 2.4 x150m in each direction in excess of the requirements. The site access is wide (varies from 28m at the road edge to 7.0m in width 20m into the site) and will enable for a vehicle to enter the site as one exits eliminating the need for any vehicle to wait on the Old Mill Road. The access that is in place is to full standard for industrial use in line with DCAN 15. A Transport Assessment Form is included as part of the overall pack setting out the required details and appropriate servicing.

Established in 2003, they are a leading MCS registered supplier and installer of heating and energy systems throughout the UK and Ireland. A Family owned business, they specialise in the design, build, installation and commissioning of commercial energy solutions including prefabricated plant for domestic and industrial premises. What do Alternative Heat do?

Alternative Heat, with its sister company Kane Group Building Services are a net exporter from Northern Ireland with 45% of their products being fitted in sites in England and Wales and 26% going to Scotland. The company has been successful in opening up new products and markets and a new purpose built production and office facility on their site at Scarva Industrial Estate Banbridge is almost complete. This reuse of the buildings at 24 Old Mill Road, Scarva are a further investment by the company assisting in the retention of this skilled employment locally. Currently 11 people are employed permanently on the site at Scarva , a manager and 10 employees who undertake fabrication work. There is also a sprayer and sub contractors and agency staff employed depending on work requirements. In terms of rates payable, these amounted to £3499.20 in April 2020.

Acoustic Information

Given the close proximity of the site to local residential receptors, it was considered necessary to assess the potential noise impacts that the site may have on these receptors, and to determine if any noise mitigation measures are required.

Table 1. Summary of local noise sensitive residential receptors.

Coordinates

Name

Address

X(m)

Y(m)

R1

No.24 Mill Road - receiver No.1

307060

343084

R2

No.24 Mill Road - receiver No.2

307088

343094

R3

No.26 Mill Road

307094

343087

R4

No.28 Mill Road

307103

343076

R5

No.30 Mill Road

307111

343066

R6

No.32 Mill Road- receiver No.1

307118

343060

R7

No.32 Mill Road - receiver No.2

307134

343074

R8

No.34 Mill Road

307149

343088

The proposed operating times are from 08:00am – 17:00pm Monday to Friday, and occasionally Saturdays. An acoustic report has been prepared showing how the buildings were modelled, along with background noise levels. The calculated noise level at each of the receptor locations is well below the measured background level with the exception of receptor R8 which is effectively at the background level. As per BS4142:2014, as the rating level does not exceed the background sound level, then this is an indication that the noise sources outlined within planning proposals are likely to have a LOW impact at each of the receptor adjacent properties.

Adjacent row of residential noise receptor properties considered

New fencing erected