CGI View northwards towards Laithes Crescent from station entrance off Kelly Way
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Following the submission of our planning application to Wakefield Council, and after reviewing comments received from local residents, we have made some changes to our proposal and submitted updated plans. We are now proposing to:
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Extend and upgrade the earth bund so it runs along the full northern boundary at an even height of 3.5m, which will be nominally 5.5m taller than the station forecourt level.
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Install a 2m tall acoustic fence on top of the upgraded earth bund, bringing the total height of the screening to 5.5m.
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Increase the number of new trees on the northern boundary to provide further screening, bringing the total number of new on-site trees to 21. This is in addition to the original proposals for soft landscaping around the site boundaries.
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Re-configure the on-site external lighting.
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Updating the range and location of some operational equipment and removing 1 parking space to meet the needs of the revised layout and business.
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We have also outsourced Computer Generated Imagery for our proposal in order to better aid the visualisation of the site.
Updates to our Planning Application
CGI View southwards towards station from between Nos. 8 & 11 Laithes Crescent
01
Noise
An independent noise assessment of the plans has assessed the site as having low impact, even in the unlikely event that all pumps were in use at the quietest time of the day i.e. in the middle of the night. The full assessment can be viewed on the council’s planning website linked above. Here is why it is low impact:
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A one-way system would be in place so vehicles can enter and exit the facility in forward gear, avoiding any disturbance from audible reversing warnings.
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HGVs accessing the site to re-fuel will already be using Bio-CNG so will be generating on average 50% less noise than traditional diesel powered HGVs.
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The compressors used to compress the gas are housed in containers with sound deadening materials and they only operate when needed.
To provide additional noise screening, there will now be a new 2m acoustic fence on top of the existing large bund that is to be retained, extended and upgraded along this boundary. Additional trees are also proposed to either side of the bund/acoustic fence, which will also provide noise mitigation.
02
Light
As for operational, safety and security purposes, lighting on site is required outside of daylight hours. Our proposed lighting is low level with the exception of the lights at the pumps which are 4m (4.3m taking into account the height of the islands they would be sited on).
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An independent lighting assessment and full lighting design can be viewed on the council’s planning portal linked in the intro above . This shows that in a worst-case scenario with maximum lighting switched on, there is some overspill beyond the site boundary. However, this is less than 1 lux (a unit of measurement for light) in all areas. This level of light is less bright than moonlight.
Under normal operations, only task lighting on the fuel pumps would be illuminated during hours of darkness, with no overspill passing beyond the site boundary.
03
Traffic
An independent transport assessment can be viewed on the council’s planning portal linked above.
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As illustrated on the image to the right, to access the site, most vehicles would use the M1(J40) onto the A638 eastbound following Albert Drive and Flanshaw Way until reaching Kelly Way. Restricting arrivals from an easterly direction are existing HGV weight restrictions already in place on Flanshaw Lane associated with residential properties.
Road Traffic collision data obtained for the last 5 years within the vicinity of the site raises no significant road safety issues, nor have pedestrian or cycle accidents been reported.
The trucks that will already be in the area can now be powered by Bio-CNG which emits up to 90% less carbon than a standard diesel truck!
A638
04
Safety
West Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service, Northern Gas Networks, and Land Quality Officer have raised no objections to the proposals.
CNG Fuels operate fourteen similar facilities across the UK. The site will comply with all relevant safety requirements and legislation. No gas is produced on site, and as gas is extracted from the pipeline on demand, only a limited amount is stored on-site at any one time and sits below the Health and Safety Executive’s threshold.
Bio-CNG is odourless when first produced but an odorant is added after production for safety purposes, so leaks can be detected. Bio-CNG is lighter than air, which means that in the unlikely event there is a leak, then fuel would quickly rise and dissipate into the air. Petrol or diesel can cause pools on the ground in the event of a leak, which increases the risk of potential fires compared to Bio-CNG.
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All CNG Fuels’ facilities are supported by an Emergency Response Plan. This has been submitted with this planning application.
05
Environmental Impacts
Bio-CNG is a 100% renewable and sustainable gas that is derived from food, animal and water waste. This results in a reduction of more than 90% in CO2 vehicle emissions and NO2 vehicle emissions by 75%, which is a significant environmental benefit.
The Air Quality Assessment that has been submitted with the planning application confirms that air quality factors are not a constraint.
The proposals will positively impact local ecology and wildlife. The proposals will provide on-site Biodiversity Net Gain in excess of 10% (+15.26%) in line with the Environment Act, national and local policy. This has been achieved through the additional tree planting alongside those retained and the creation of new areas of hedgerow.
06
Location
Site marketing, employment supply and demand evidence has been submitted which demonstrates this long-standing vacant brownfield site’s strong suitability for the proposals. It is also entirely supported by the latest proposed revisions to national planning policy by Central Government as covered in the submitted Planning Statement Addendum.