***** TOP PRIORITY ISSUE****
UP-Dated last 19th July 2013
UP-Dated last 19th July 2013
About 20 months ago (November 2011) a small company sign and postbox appeared attached to the gate that is sited to the left of the Ferry House in South Fambridge. The sign read “Autoval Ltd” . Some of the residents who live nearby and some who use the path to the river noticed that there was activity at the Former Shellfish Packing Station site located by the river. This had become derelict and unused for at least 20 years so it was easily noticed that changes were about to happen and indeed happening.
Several residents queried some of the changes that they had noticed and enquired regarding what permissions were granted by Rochford District Council. As a result of these enquiries work temporarily stopped due to the complaints and breaches in Planning Conditions of planning application 99/00339/COU.
South Fambridge residents were notified by Tony Bowhill (Planning Consultant) on behalf of the new owner of an “Information Meeting” on Wednesday 9th November 2011 at the Ashingdon Memorial Hall, Ashingdon Road, although not all residents appear to had received this notification.
Residents attended this meeting and were given further details regarding the new owners intentions by a question and answer session guided by the Planning Consultant.
Residents asked many questions and further information was offered by the director in attendance. Notes were made by the owners’ planning Consultant.
For the purpose of informing residents and visitors to South Fambeidge of those discussions here is the outline of the proposal from notes made at that meeting by residents.
Autoval is seeking to expand its business which is currently sited in Sirdir Road, Brook Road Industrial Estate, Rayleigh. It was expressed that the intention was to use the Former Shellfish Packing Station in addition to the existing premises. The company intended to bring vehicles brought at auction to the site on 7.5 ton low loader lorries (with 2 vehcles on the lowloader at a time) when asked how many cars will be brought to the site in a week it was confirmed there would be a maxium of 20 to 30 per week . To avoid noise nuisance the company intend to remove these vehichles from the low loader into the premises by forklift truck. These vehicles will be dismantled/stripped and parts wrapped and loaded on lorries to then be exported to Europe. On further questioning the director also confirmed some cars would be repaired ready for re-sale. When asked if an MOT station would be part of the business he confirmed it would not and the vehicles would be loaded onto the 7.50 ton loaders and driven away. Supplies and removal of waste would also have to be removed by road.
Residents concerns included the following:
1) Insuffiencient road structure and width to accommodate such large large vehicles on a regular basis which will be hazzardous to other road users. Previous inspections by the Highways agency deemed the road to be too narrow in places to be able to put white lines down the centre and also confirmed that is was too dangerous for children to walk along, hence the introduction of the School bus.
2) Safety concerns regarding the lack lighting and pavement causing danger to pedestrians using the Fambridge road which is the only access from the Main Ashingdon Road to the Village. There is no regular daily bus service and therefore no alternative but to walk, cycle or drive ( not all residents and family members drive.)
3) The weather conditions experienced in the vacinity of South Fambridge as a result of the rural environment poses its own problems such a dense fog, black ice and surface water causing flooding due to the lack of drainage. These conditions also have an impact on the road surface.
4) Shared access to the premises: with a public right of way for walkers and visitors to the river, horses and riders using the bridle path, shared access rights with the ferry house to the river where Ferry rights will cause danger to personal safety using this access and insufficient width to enable 2 vehicles to pass on this stretch may lead vehicles to have to wait on the Fambridge Road causing obstruction. The track is unmade and insufficient to carry such heavy vehicles on a regular basis.
5) The stretch of road leading down the hill to the entrance of the site is not maintained in bad weather by the council and early morning use of vehicles to the site may cause a danger.
6) The Ferry house is Grade II listing and as such there may be implications with regard to highway safety and the proximity of the house to the road. Also the use of heavy vehicles on the dirt track may impact on the properties foundations considering the age of the property.
7) Residents are concerned that there will be a noise issue on the basis on the use of forklift trucks and the age and fabrication of the premises.
8) The risk of environmental pollution must be considered on the basis of the premises being on the flood plain and the risk to run off pollution to the surrounding land and Borrow Dyke.
9) As the premises have been unused for such a long time there may be an impact on the wildlife and eco system which would be present in the surrounding area. This must be considered. As should the impact on the coastal natural habitat such as the recent sighting of the Wryneck bird which is no longer a species of the British Isles and therefore this is an important sighting.
As you can see. The impact on the Village and surrounding areas must be considered.
A further Planning Application was eventually received by Rochford District Council under Applicatoion Number 12/00094/FUL. There were numerous inaccuracies on the application form and the supporting documentation. (such as "is this site on or XX metres from a flood plain, XX metres from proected wildlife sites....both answers by client....NO....the answer to these question is yes ).
This application was fought by the Village residents and visitors to South Fambridge. Ashingdon Parish Council unanimously agreed to object to this application and at the Council decision meeting there was a unanimous vote from the Councillors to REFUSE this application. This decision was made and the refusal issued 12th July 2012.
Since that date there were activities although minor and limited on the site and breaches were occuring and being reported to the Rochford District Council independantly by each resident as they witnessed events. A formal letter was issued by Yvonne Dunn expressing a request for residents to report breaches via email or letter and supply details and evidence for her attention under "Enforcement".
Since the January of this year (2013) there has been more activity and the business operation is a regular daily occurrence. Consistently there are daily breaches of current conditions, which are being reported to RDC, and these pose a threat to pollution, and effect the enjoyment of the area. Alarmingly the Company (Autoval Limited) have been witnessed crushing car carcasses and manually crushing these into a skip using a JCB. (Evidence has been obtained). This is an illegal activity as depollution permits and other permits are required for this activity and have not been issued by the Evironment agency or have ever been requested by this company for this site as verbally advised by Olivia Haddock of the Environment Agency on 16th July 2013. Despite the consultations by various authorities (eg Natural England, Environment Agency, Public rights of way officer, Environmental Services) for application 12/00094/FUL and conditions recommended ...none of these have been implemented thus allowing potential risk of pollution to the River Crouch as a result of these activites.
A further application has now been submited to RDC under Application Number 13/00370/FUL documents are viewable on here under that application number (see right side of blog and list of posts) where you will find a link. Please read the supporting documentation and you will note various inaccuracies yet again and the proposed business operation.
Finally the reason this has been allowed to happen hinges on a change of class on this site from "a boatyard" with stringent conditions to "B2" general industrial use. This change of class has ocurred without any public consultation process and as such residents and visitors have been put at risk by the movement of commercial vehicles including 44 ton lorries down an unsuitable road access into the village and the shared access onto the site which is a public right of way and bridle way 13. On the 99/00339/COU the following was quoted by Rochford District council in relation to "Sui Generis" does not fall into any particular use Class... "for this reason, planning permission would be required to use the premises for any other use than that hereby granted planning permission." This was shown under an informative and is not a legal requirement associated with the planning consent. We ask the question....should this have been a "condition" of permission at that time to protect this site and clearly this statement and the stringent conditions imposed have been included for that reason. Has a mistake been made? If so this has lead to the current circumstances and should this be addressed?
Please take a look at this and support the village in the objection to 13/00370/FUL (there is a link on this site directly to the RDC where you can lodge your objection and have your view heard.
There are now 3 issues with this site:
Thank you.
A further Planning Application was eventually received by Rochford District Council under Applicatoion Number 12/00094/FUL. There were numerous inaccuracies on the application form and the supporting documentation. (such as "is this site on or XX metres from a flood plain, XX metres from proected wildlife sites....both answers by client....NO....the answer to these question is yes ).
This application was fought by the Village residents and visitors to South Fambridge. Ashingdon Parish Council unanimously agreed to object to this application and at the Council decision meeting there was a unanimous vote from the Councillors to REFUSE this application. This decision was made and the refusal issued 12th July 2012.
Since that date there were activities although minor and limited on the site and breaches were occuring and being reported to the Rochford District Council independantly by each resident as they witnessed events. A formal letter was issued by Yvonne Dunn expressing a request for residents to report breaches via email or letter and supply details and evidence for her attention under "Enforcement".
Since the January of this year (2013) there has been more activity and the business operation is a regular daily occurrence. Consistently there are daily breaches of current conditions, which are being reported to RDC, and these pose a threat to pollution, and effect the enjoyment of the area. Alarmingly the Company (Autoval Limited) have been witnessed crushing car carcasses and manually crushing these into a skip using a JCB. (Evidence has been obtained). This is an illegal activity as depollution permits and other permits are required for this activity and have not been issued by the Evironment agency or have ever been requested by this company for this site as verbally advised by Olivia Haddock of the Environment Agency on 16th July 2013. Despite the consultations by various authorities (eg Natural England, Environment Agency, Public rights of way officer, Environmental Services) for application 12/00094/FUL and conditions recommended ...none of these have been implemented thus allowing potential risk of pollution to the River Crouch as a result of these activites.
A further application has now been submited to RDC under Application Number 13/00370/FUL documents are viewable on here under that application number (see right side of blog and list of posts) where you will find a link. Please read the supporting documentation and you will note various inaccuracies yet again and the proposed business operation.
Finally the reason this has been allowed to happen hinges on a change of class on this site from "a boatyard" with stringent conditions to "B2" general industrial use. This change of class has ocurred without any public consultation process and as such residents and visitors have been put at risk by the movement of commercial vehicles including 44 ton lorries down an unsuitable road access into the village and the shared access onto the site which is a public right of way and bridle way 13. On the 99/00339/COU the following was quoted by Rochford District council in relation to "Sui Generis" does not fall into any particular use Class... "for this reason, planning permission would be required to use the premises for any other use than that hereby granted planning permission." This was shown under an informative and is not a legal requirement associated with the planning consent. We ask the question....should this have been a "condition" of permission at that time to protect this site and clearly this statement and the stringent conditions imposed have been included for that reason. Has a mistake been made? If so this has lead to the current circumstances and should this be addressed?
Please take a look at this and support the village in the objection to 13/00370/FUL (there is a link on this site directly to the RDC where you can lodge your objection and have your view heard.
There are now 3 issues with this site:
- A possible error made on the 99/00339/COU planning consent.
- Breaches of many conditions on a daily basis pertaining to that planning consent
- Objection to the current planning application 13/00370/FUL
Thank you.
