Former Mininstry of Defense Airfield, Childs Ercall, Market Daryton, Shropshire.

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19/04821/FUL | Change of Use of existing building to wood processing, siting of a static caravan as a welfare area and office, siting of field shelters, and ancillary storage build in connection with wood processing use | Land East Of Former Airfield Eaton Road Childs Ercall Shropshire

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En-Plan were approached to act as the Planning & Architectural Consultants for a small lumber processing business in Market Drayton as they were under Enforcement Action as the Change of Use of the buildings to the new commercial use had not received planning permission at any point.  En-Plan have been able to obtain retrospective planning permission for the change of use, and thereby fend off any Enforcement action the Council were planning on taking, thereby allowing the applicants to continue with their business.

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This application seeks planning permission for the change of use of existing buildings to use for wood processing, the siting of a static caravan as a welfare area and office, the erection of an ancillary storage building for use in connection with the wood processing use, and the siting of field shelters for horses. During the course of the application amended information and plans have been provided and it is on the basis of these that this report has been written.

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Childs Ercall is a small village located in Shropshire, England. Here is an overview of its history. The village has a long history dating back to ancient times. The name "Ercall" is derived from the Old English word "Eorcenhalh," meaning "hill of the boars." This suggests that the area was once known for its wild boar population. Archaeological evidence, such as Bronze Age burial mounds, indicates human habitation in the vicinity for thousands of years. After the Norman Conquest of England in 1066, Childs Ercall became part of the feudal system. It was granted to Roger de Montgomery, the Earl of Shrewsbury. The village was mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086 as "Ercale." During the medieval period, it was primarily an agricultural community, with farming as the main occupation. St. Michael's Church is a significant landmark in Childs Ercall. The church dates back to the 12th century and features a Norman tower and various medieval elements. It has undergone renovations and additions over the centuries but still retains its historic charm. The church serves as a place of worship and a focal point for the local community. During the English Civil War in the 17th century, Childs Ercall was caught up in the conflict between the Royalists (supporters of King Charles I) and the Parliamentarians. The Battle of Hodnet, which took place nearby in 1643, had an impact on the village and the surrounding area.

Childs Ercall has remained primarily an agricultural community throughout its history. It has a rural character, with fields, farms, and countryside surroundings. The village's landscape has witnessed changes in agricultural practices and land use over time. Today, Childs Ercall is a tranquil village that preserves its historical roots while adapting to modern times. It offers a picturesque setting and a sense of rural charm for residents and visitors alike. The village and its surroundings provide opportunities for walking, exploring nature, and appreciating the historical and cultural heritage of the area.

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There is on part of the of the old airfield where there are a number of commercial uses taking place. The application site is flat open land with some small hedgerows and fencing providing field boundaries. There are two old airfield buildings on the site which are to be used as part of the business. There is a good means of access onto the highway as the site is flat and the road generally unobscured. Across the road from the application site there is on very large and a number of other smaller buildings all used for commercial purposes. Due to the spread out nature of the buildings, it does not appear as an over developed area in the rural landscape.

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This site is located in an area of open countryside were development is strictly controlled as required by policy CS5. However, a balance has to be made in that this is an area where commercial development has previously taken place and where the land has been previously developed with buildings remaining. While the site is not a committed rural employment site local policies do support the principle of supporting businesses where they are appropriate and do not have a detrimental impact on the landscape. Policy MD7b deals with general
management of development in the countryside and supports the principle of sustainable approach to development. However, it does not specifically cover employment uses as other policies with the Shropshire LDF and the NPPF deal with these matters. Policy CS13 sets out the principle of economic development, enterprise and employment. It promotes Shropshire as a place for a range of business types including start up, invest and grow etc. However in rural areas, the importance of farming for food production is recognised along with does support economic activity associated with other uses. These include farm diversification, forestry,
green tourism, leisure etc. In this case the proposal would be considered by officers to be acceptable in this rural location using existing buildings with minimal other development to enable the business to proceed. Other issues such as design, scale, highways etc will be discussed further in this report.

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Policy CS6 ‘Sustainable Design and Development Principles’ of the Shropshire Core Strategy requires development to protect and conserve the built environment and be appropriate in scale, density, pattern and design taking into account the local context and character. The development should also safeguard residential
and local amenity, ensure sustainable design and construction principles are incorporated within the new development. The National Planning Policy Framework indicates that great weight should be given to outstanding or innovative designs which help raise the standard of design more generally in the area. In addition policy MD2 of SAMDev builds on policy CS6 and deals with the issue of sustainable design. As this is in an open countryside policy CS5 is also relevant in the consideration of this application. The business receives unprocessed tree trunks and process these into various plank sizes which are then sold on to retail outlets or other manufacturers to produce final products. Any waste timber is cut and sold on as firewood to retailed
outlets. The processing works are to be carried out within the two former military buildings and no works are required to these to enable them to be used other than the installation of machinery. The application form indicates that the business will employ 2 full time and 1 part time employees and this low number of staff
indicates that this a small enterprise which can operate easily from the current site using the buildings as indicated in the application. As two of these are the old military structures which are single storey and blend readily with the landscape it is considered that the proposed use will have little impact on the character of the
area.
 

To provide facilities for staff such as toilet, seating area etc. and for an officer, a small caravan is to be provided on site close to one of the existing buildings It is noted that concerns have been raised by the Parish Council that this would be used for residential purposes. To ensure this is not the case, a condition will be
included on any planning permission granted preventing this. In addition it will be granted temporary consent to ensure that its appearance does not deteriorate and as such have a detrimental impact on the rural landscape. Close to the main building an ancillary storage building is to be constructed. No
details for the external appearance of this building have been provided with the application. Therefore a condition will be imposed requiring the external materials to be submitted for approval. The last element of the proposal relates to the sting of the field shelters for the horses which are kept on the premises. These have been designed to be moveable and can be located anywhere within the fields. The details supplied
show these to be modest timber structures which does to their low height have minimal impact on the landscape. Overall it is officer opinion that the proposed development is appropriate and acceptable in terms of its design and scale and it will not have a detrimental impact on the character and appearance of the rural landscape. Therefore the proposal is considered to be in accordance with the NPPF and policies CS5, CS6, CS17, MD2 and MD7b of the Shropshire LDF.

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Concerns have been expressed that the proposed use will have a detrimental on the local highway network and cause safety issues particularly in relation to pedestrians and children using the roads as play areas. The Highways Development Control Manager initially requested that additional information be submitted in order to assess the impact of the proposal in terms of highway impact. This has been submitted and reconsulted upon and no objection has been raised to the proposal. Conditions and informatives have been recommended for inclusion on any planning permission which would seek to ensure that the access is correctly constructed on to the highway and that no hinderance by inappropriately sited gates is caused. As such the proposal is in
accordance with policy CS6 of the Shropshire Core Strategy.

From the information provided with the application, this would seem to be a relatively small scale operation which is using in the main existing buildings which are already on the site. A few other buildings are required including a caravan to provide staff facilities and an office but these can be suitably controlled to overcome the concerns raised by the Parish council with regard to becoming residential in use. Overall the proposal is considered to be acceptable and it will not have a detrimental impact on the character or landscape of the area. Therefor the proposal is in accordance with policies CS5, CS6, CS13, CS17, MD2 and MD7b of the Shropshire LDF.

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Post plannig apporval

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Discharge of Condition 3 (Access) relating to Planning Permission 19/04821/FUL

Land East Of Former Airfield Eaton Road Childs Ercall Shropshire

Ref. No: 20/01774/DIS | Validated: Wed 06 May 2020 | Status: Granted

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On the basis that the submitted design and engineering details are acceptable in principle with the formal approval granted under the Section 184 License process. The application is seeking approval to discharge condition 3 under reference 19/04821/FUL for the details of the means of access. The Visibility Splays Plan Drawing No. A01B published on 15.05.2020 is considered to be acceptable in principle to partially discharge the above condition.Whilst the currently submitted drawing is considered to be acceptable in principle to partially discharge the above condition, the construction of the bound surface material will need to be fully approved under a Section 184 (Highways Act 1980) licence/agreement with Shropshire Council as local Highway Authority and changes to the construction specifications indicated may be required. The full discharge of the condition can be confirmed upon satisfactory completion of the works.
An informative note is provided below for contact details in respect of the required Section 184 licence/agreement.

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En-Plan are currently assisting the applicant in discharging planning conditions relating to access details and landscaping as part of our ongoing support to the business.

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If you have any further questions or would like to have a free no obligation consultation please CONTACT US.

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