Agenda item

The Chairman introduced the first of the applications to be considered by Committee, application number 137443 for change of use from agricultural steel portal shed to ACU accredited flat track training school with associated parking, landscaping and portakabin/office (resubmission of 136025). The Chairman stated there was one speaker registered. He explained the process for hearing the application and invited the Senior Development Management Officer to present the item to Committee.

The Senior Development Management Officer advised Committee there were no further updates or additional information to the report and so the Chairman invited the registered speaker, Councillor Jeff Summers, to address Committee.

Councillor Summers explained that he was there to speak in favour of the application in his role as Ward Member for Waddingham and Spital. He noted that the application had previously been refused because of concerns about noise levels and he highlighted that the applicant had made the necessary changes to reduce noise levels. He also explained that the applicant had undertaken to make further changes should the application be agreed, such as moving the entrance door to open into open field space. Councillor Summers stated that this was the only facility for flat track training and that people came from all over the country to use it. He explained to Committee that he had visited the site with a device to measure noise levels and gave a run through of different sounds that had registered on the device. As examples he gave the noise of a nearby lawnmower, farm animals on the site, agricultural work that was going on and detailed the distances from the training track at which he had taken his readings. Full details of his findings were included in his representation for the Officer’s report. To conclude, Councillor Summers highlighted that any noise generated by the training track was negligible in relation to other sounds in the area and he strongly recommended that the application be approved.

The Senior Development Management Officer clarified for Committee that although Councillor Summers had included his sound readings in his representation of support, Officers were duty bound to base their recommendations on the figures provided by the official noise assessment and the related comments of the Council’s Environmental Protection Team as the appropriate consultee regarding noise matters.

With no further comment from Officers, the Chairman invited comments from Committee. One Member of Committee enquired as to the impact of having to keep windows and doors closed whilst the track was in use and whether this would pose problems in terms of a concentration of exhaust fumes within the building. The Senior Development Management Officer confirmed this had not been considered to pose a risk and there had been no concerns raised about it. Another Committee Member noted that those raising objections were not only concerned about noise levels and that there were several incidents of track users driving up private driveways. She also enquired as to the specifics of the sound proofing to be used and whether there was any direct guidance on what should be used. The Senior Development Management Officer confirmed that condition one provided control over the precise sound mitigation and detailed a section in the report where the sound assessment had made specific recommendations for “solid cladding, the closing of gaps in the structure, doors being kept closed when motorcycle training is in progress, restricted training hours of 9am-9pm, the type of motorbike being restricted to a static noise level of 98dBAS and configuring any necessary ventilation outlet to the south aspect”.

There were no further questions or comments and it was therefore moved, seconded and voted upon that permission be GRANTED in accordance with the conditions as set out in the report.