Planning Application for a food storage and distribution facility and associated parking, logistics yard and offices on farmland between Old Ipswich Road and Wick Lane.
Update January 2023
Our Council has taken legal advice regarding Judicial Review of the decision. The Pre-Action Protocol was initiated. A formal decision/ Planning Permission on the Planning Application is now awaited before any further action can be taken. Public donations towards the legal costs are welcomed. Thank you to those who have donated.
22 September, Despite strong local opposition the Tendring District Council Planning Committee voted 4-3 in favour of the Application. See TDC website for the papers from the meeting including the minutes Agenda for Planning Committee on Thursday, 22nd September, 2022, 6.00 pm (tendringdc.gov.uk)
Update 20 September. We have been notified that members of the Planning Committee will be visiting the site at approximately 11.05 am (with up to half an hours flexibility either side) on the morning of Thursday 22 September. There is not usually an opportunity to speak to the Planning Committee at site visits but representatives of our Parish Council will be present and would welcome support from local residents to show local opposition to the scheme. We will be gathering from 10.30am on Old Ipswich Road close to the junction with Wick Lane.
Similarly we have offers of lifts available to the Planning Committee meeting itself (see below). If you need a lift (or can offer one) please email us. info@ardleigh-pc.gov.uk
14 September. The application will now be considered by the Tendring District Council Planning Committee rearranged for Thursday 22 September at 6pm at Clacton Town Hall. Link to agenda and documents Agenda for Planning Committee on Thursday, 22nd September, 2022, 6.00 pm (tendringdc.gov.uk)
Our Parish Council has submitted a further response - addressing the Committee Report (which is recommending approval of the scheme). This latest response can be found on the link 'Residents' Guide and Parish Council Objections'. We have also emailed all members of the Planning Committee to outline our concerns and to urge them to reject the application.
Members of the public may wish to contact members of the committee, to submit further comments via the planning portal (scroll down for details of how to submit individual objections). The meeting itself is open to the public (although speakers are determined in advance), residents are encouraged to consider attending to show the strength of local feeling. if you are intending to attend and/or can offer a lift please email us (planning@ardleigh-pc.gov.uk)
7 September
Update PLANNING APPLICATION - Food Storage and Distribution Old Ipswich Road/Wick Lane.
We have been notified that the decision on the above application will be made by the Tendring District Council Planning Committee on 14 September at 6pm. Despite the strong objections by our Parish Council and more than 200 residents, the recommendation to the committee from the Planning Officers is that they should APPROVE the application.
The executive summary is reproduced below. This will be discussed at our Parish Council on Monday and further representations made to the Planning Committee to urge them to reject the application.
Link to the full agenda and papers https://tdcdemocracy.tendringdc.gov.uk/ieListDocuments...
'Application: 20/00594/FUL Town / Parish: Ardleigh Parish Council
Applicant: Flying Trade Group PLC
Address: Land adjoining Ipswich Road and Wick Lane Ardleigh CO7 7QL
Development: Full planning for food storage and distribution facility and associated parking, logistics yard and offices.
1. Executive Summary
1.1 The application proposes a large warehouse to be used as a food storage and distribution facility, with a height of between 16-20m, and a depth of up to 170m set in an extensive area of proposed hard standing. New access arrangements are proposed from Old Ipswich Road, including car parking as well as a large vehicle yard to the rear (south east of the proposed warehouse building) with facilities for vehicle washing and re-fuelling. The proposal also includes provision for a large attenuation pond for managing surface flows.
1.2 Clear policy conflict has been identified in terms of the landscape harm, and the harmful impact of the ‘in depth’ part of the warehouse and HGV hardstanding area on the character and appearance of Wick Lane and the immediate hinterland to the east of the site, as well as the impact of the large warehouse on residential amenity by way of light pollution and being overbearing in nature to nearby residents, especially those residents to the north west and east of the site. These harmful elements weigh significantly against the development proposal. The proposal will also result in the loss of agricultural land and as a result there is conflict with Paragraph 174 a) of the National Planning Policy Framework 2021 (‘the Framework’).
1.3 Against this harm the benefits to the local and wider economy, the benefits to the food distribution sector in particular, and direct and indirect job retention/creation would be substantial, and very significant weight is attributed to these benefits.
1.4 All other material planning considerations have been taken into account and where relevant, where harm arises, these can be mitigated against by way of planning conditions or s106 obligations, all these elements are neutral in the planning balance.
1.5 Ultimately, the weight given to the substantial benefits as outlined in this report is considered to very marginally outweigh the significant weight given to the landscape and character harm, as well as the identified harm to residential amenity. For these reasons, it is recommended that planning permission be granted, subject to the completed S106 legal agreement and the conditions as recommended in section 7.0'
4 May A further objection has been submitted on the sequential test statement showing why our Parish Council do not accept that alternative sites have been properly considered.
21 February. The Parish Council's full objection, prepared on our behalf by Planning Direct, has now been submitted to Tendring District Council. This is available to view using the button on this page. We understand that comments are still being accepted so residents may wish to add to or refine their comments or submit new ones based on our updated detailed comments.
The Parish Council has commissioned Planning Direct to prepare a guide to assist residents in responding to the latest amendments to the full planning application for a food storage and distribution facility and associated parking, logistics yard and offices on farmland between Old Ipswich Road and Wick Lane. This is available by clicking the button on this page or via this link https://bit.ly/GuideforResidents .
Update 14.2.22 An executive summary of the Full Objection being prepared for the Parish Council is also available via the button on this page.
A reminder that the way to submit individual objections is to either log in to the Tendring District Council public access portal via this link https://idox.tendringdc.gov.uk/online-applications/ and enter the reference number (20/00594) (or key word/ postcode) in the keyword search box. The link to the application is https://idox.tendringdc.gov.uk/online-applications/simpleSearchResults.do?action=firstPage
Alternatively you can email planning services at Tendring direct. This is particularly helpful if your comments are long or you wish to include photos. Please note that there is a 2000 character limit for online comments. Should your comment exceed this amount please email your document to dcadmin.planning@tendringdc.gov.uk and a member of the team will upload the comment for you.
In addition to this document Planning Direct will also be assisting the Parish Council in preparing its own objections and the matter will be discussed at the next Parish Council meeting on 14 February at 7.30pm. We have an agreed extension for the Parish Council and residents until 21 February, but would encourage residents to submit their comments as soon as they are able to. Noting that comments should be accepted and can be updated until the day of the Planning Committee.
We trust this is helpful.
