Agenda item

Report of the Assistant Director Planning – Community Development Services

The Assistant Director Planning - Community Development Services sought determination of a planning application for the continuation of site operations as a petrol station and retail shop, including preparation area for hot and cold food for sale on premises. Alterations to the arrangement for the provision of parking, manoeuvring with turning area. (Amended description, illustrative food items for sale (13.9.2023), amended site layout plan (18.8.2023) and amended highways statement 13.9.2023) at Brookes, North Road Garage, Shipton by Beningbrough, York, North Yorkshire, YO30 1AL.

Updating the report, the planning officer shared Councillor Goodrick’s written comments with the committee.  Whilst Councillor Goodrick recognised the importance of this retail venue to the village of Shipton by Beningbrough, she had voiced concern at the efficacy of the proposed one way system and its potential negative impact on the A19, and also that the increased traffic generated by the scheme may impact on road safety.  In response, Highways had commented that consideration had been given to a clockwise circulation as opposed to the proposed anti clockwork circulation. However, this arrangement would not fit with the existing layout of the petrol filling pumps. The garage site had been operating for a number of years without a formal one-way system to inform vehicle routing and there was no record of collision history (on the highway) linked to the current operation in the last five years to suggest that there was an evidenced highway safety issue. It was considered that the proposed arrangement would not be detrimental to highway safety compared to the existing and therefore officers considered that vehicles would be able to circulate around the one-way system and there was sufficient space within the private site for the circulation of vehicles and to allow vehicles to turn around and exit to the A19 in a forward gear.  The petrol retail and shop use were long established at this location. It could be argued that the food preparation and shop use was a trip generator in its own right, however the scale of this use was relatively minor and many trips would be pass-by, diverted or transferred trips rather than primary trips. Therefore, officers considered the number of additional trips potentially generated to be negligible in the context of the local transport network. As this use had already been operating for some time and there was no history of injury collisions or a persistent issue with vehicles queueing or parking on the A19, it would be difficult to conclude that there was a highway safety or capacity issue. This section of the A19 carried around 10,000 vehicles per day, so traffic associated with the garage was likely to be negligible in the context of the wider highway network.

The planning officer then referred to several amendments to the report.  Parking was proposed to the north and south sides of the site, not east and west as stated.  There were 4 full time staff and 5 part time staff existing, not 2 and 6 as stated.  The planning officer further noted that the National Planning Policy Framework had been updated on 19 December.  This had no material impact on the proposals, recommendation or weight given. The most relevant aspect was in relation to green belts, however the change related to there no longer being a requirement for green belts to be reviewed when updating the local plan. The planning officer also referenced amendments to paragraph numbers in the NPPF quoted in the report, but not to the wording of those paragraphs. 

During consideration of the above application, the Committee discussed the following issues:-

·       The efficacy of the one way circulation system and whether it would be adhered to by drivers

·       Whether it was adhered to or not, could not be enforced and did not have highway safety implications

·       The application sought to rectify a breach of planning control by proposing alternative traffic management arrangements and the preparation of hot and cold food for sale on the premises

The decision :-

That planning permission be GRANTED subject to the conditions detailed in the Committee report.

Voting Record

A vote was taken and the motion was declared carried unanimously.