2561022
Permission is sought for proposed development of a truck park, ancillary maintenance and office facility and associated development and site works, on a site of c.2.37 ha, comprising: (a) A hardcore area of 5,829 sq.m to accommodate circulation and parking for 20 articulated and rigid body tipper trucks, 22 staff car parking spaces, and the parking and storage of ancillary plant and machinery. (b) Surface water drainage infrastructure including an attenuation pond, petrol interceptor, and associated ancillary infrastructure. (c) A 4-bay maintenance building of 284.68 sq.m for the storage and light maintenance of the trucks parked on site only, including a concrete apron of 478 sq.m on the southern side of the maintenance building. (d) The upgrade and improvement of an existing entrance to a dwelling from the R155 Regional Road, to provide for a dual entrance to the proposed parking facility and the domestic dwelling, and removal and set back of the front boundary of the adjoining property to the south to provide appropriate sightlines from the upgraded entrance. (e) The construction of an access road of 120.6 m in length within the curtilage of the existing dwelling to access the parking facility to the east, and the construction of entrance gates and 2m high walls on both sides of the proposed access road for its full length, and the demolition of the existing domestic garage to accommodate the proposed new access road. (f) The change of use of part (48.34 sq.m) of the existing dwelling for use as offices ancillary to the parking and maintenance facility, including the provision of 5 car parking spaces to the front of the dwelling for use by the ancillary office space and two spaces to the rear for use by the dwelling. 85.97 sq.m of the existing dwelling will continue as residential use. The existing septic tank and percolation area servicing the dwelling will be replaced by a proprietary wastewater treatment system and polishing filter. (g) And all landscaping within the curtilage of the existing dwelling, to the north of the proposed truck park and shed to screen from the N2 National Primary Road, and along the R155 Regional Road frontage. Retention Permission is being sought for: (h) The retention of an earthen berm of 2.1m in height and for a length of 150m, and associated landscaping, along the western boundary of the site. Natura Impact Statement (NIS) has been submitted with this application
Core Refusal Reason
The proposed development is an inappropriate commercial enterprise in a rural area that lacks locational justification, negatively impacts residential amenity, and creates a traffic hazard on a strategic regional corridor.
Decision Maker's Conclusion
- The applicant failed to demonstrate a satisfactory locational justification or need for a commercial development of this scale in a rural area, contravening policies intended to protect the countryside from inappropriate industrial-type encroachment.
- The proposed access onto the R-155, a strategic regional corridor, is deficient in sightlines (requiring 160m) and would result in a traffic hazard and the intensification of a route where speed limits of 80 km/h apply.
- The development would seriously injure the residential amenities of the area through noise, lighting, and loss of privacy, and the applicant provided insufficient information to rule out significant adverse effects on the River Nanny Estuary and Shore SPA.