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England and Wales High Court (Administrative Court) Decisions |
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You are here: BAILII >> Databases >> England and Wales High Court (Administrative Court) Decisions >> Qaadria Jilaani Trust, R (on the application of) v First Secretary of State [2004] EWHC 1440 (Admin) (10 June 2004) URL: http://www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWHC/Admin/2004/1440.html Cite as: [2004] EWHC 1440 (Admin) |
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QUEEN'S BENCH DIVISION
THE ADMINISTRATIVE COURT
Strand London WC2 |
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B e f o r e :
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THE QUEEN ON THE APPLICATION OF QAADRIA JILAANI TRUST | (CLAIMANT) | |
-v- | ||
THE FIRST SECRETARY OF STATE | (DEFENDANT) |
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Smith Bernal Wordwave Limited
190 Fleet Street London EC4A 2AG
Tel No: 020 7404 1400 Fax No: 020 7831 8838
(Official Shorthand Writers to the Court)
MR R WARREN (instructed by The Treasury Solicitor) appeared on behalf of the DEFENDANT
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Crown Copyright ©
"Noise: New Development.
"Proposals for industrial, commercial and transport developments will be permitted provided that it is demonstrated to the Council that they will have no material adverse effects on existing noise sensitive development. Proposals for new residential development will be required to demonstrate that they are not adversely affected by existing industrial, transport and commercial noise sources. Developers may be required to show that this policy can be met through the provision of a noise assessment."
"It has been established that noise can affect health and be a major environmental nuisance. There are various Government Circulars and Guidance, and standards providing advice to Local Authorities on how to deal with noise as it affects existing or proposed developments. This allows for local circumstances to be taken into consideration. However, noise measurement and assessment is a complex technical issue. In view of this it is intended to produce noise parameters for Telford & Wrekin having regard to the relevant British Standards, guidance and other local plans. The Council's aim is to ensure all new developments and land uses are protected from and do not cause excessive noise."
"Where vehicular movements to and from, or within, a proposed development are likely to be unacceptable during unsociable hours, the Council may give permission subject to a condition restricting such movements to certain specified hours."
"Please find attached as Appendix 3 a drawing showing how I believe the driveway and car parking spaces could be constructed without causing damage to the roots of the trees. No excavation would be carried out. The drive would be built up and retained by timber edging, with small amounts of soil used to hide the edging. The semi-permeable membrane stops the migration of the stone into the soil beneath and allows water and air to move down to the roots. The road stone contains no fines, which allows the spaces between the stone to stay open. Any compaction would be done by a whacker plate or similar to minimise any compaction of the soil around the roots. The surface of gravel or blocks set on stone provides another permeable layer.
"6.4 If this construction method is followed I am confident the health and longevity of the trees will not be compromised."
"Turning to the second main issue, seven trees within the site are protected by the Borough of Telford and Wrekin (6 Millfields Road, Wellington, Telford) Tree Preservation Order 2002 and the submitted site layout plan shows these to be retained. The appellant submitted an arboricultural report including survey notes relating to the protected trees and proposals for a 'no-dig' method of construction of the access drive and parking spaces. The Council said that they were not satisfied that this would safeguard the health and longevity of the trees but offered no evidence to this effect."
"I have therefore considered the proposals in the light of experience based on commonly agreed principles for defining a zone within which there should be no digging in order to protect the roots of the trees. That is, a zone defined by the branch spread of the trees or by half the height of the trees, whichever is the greater, subject to a maximum width of construction of 4 metres. On the basis of the heights and crown spreads defined in the arboricultural report I consider that trees T1, T2, and T3 would be adequately protected. However, the manoeuvring area and parking spaces numbered 1-3 would be significantly in excess of 4 metres wide and, in my opinion, would be likely to compromise the health and longevity of trees T4, T5, T6, and T7. The arboricultural report identifies T4 and T5 as being of little amenity value although I consider that, as part of the group of trees on this site these Lawson Cypress make a worthwhile contribution to the overall amenity of the area, particularly when viewed from the south-east. The other two trees, T6 and T7 are Monkey Puzzles which, despite some recent fire damage, are prominent features with significant amenity value.
"17. On the second main issue I have therefore concluded that that appellant has not demonstrated that the proposed arrangements for parking and access would adequately safeguard the health and longevity of the protected trees on the site. Consequently I consider that the proposed development would conflict with Policy OL11 of the local plan."
"The Council's Environmental Health Officer raised no objection to the proposals subject to a condition restricting the use of amplified music/sound outside the building. Nevertheless, the Council expressed concern at the Hearing about internally and externally generated noise and disturbance. Conditions were proposed by the appellant to minimise noise and disturbance. These would restrict the range of uses to education and training within the building, prevent amplified music or sounds from being audible outside the site, restrict the hours of use, ensure that the south-facing entrance to the building was kept unlocked when members of the public were on the premises, and restrict to 40 the number of people who could be on the site at any time."
"I visited the area in the evening and again in the early afternoon. I saw no evidence on either occasion of a significant parking problem in the vicinity and, indeed, I saw that the majority of nearby dwellings have off-street parking space. However, I am concerned that the eight parking spaces proposed on the site would be insufficient for the number of people using the premises. I realise that some people would be within easy walking distance and that others for whom the centre is intended would not have access to a car. However, from the evidence given at the Hearing, it seems likely that significant numbers of people could come from outside the immediate area. I therefore consider that there would inevitably be an overflow of parking onto Urban Way and Millfields Road. Whilst this would not necessarily cause unacceptable congestion or danger to passing traffic, the proposed opening hours and the nature of the use would mean that there would be a material increase in the movement of vehicles and pedestrians in the area and I consider that this would cause significant disturbance of neighbouring residents."
"Drawing together my conclusions on the first issue I consider that the proposed use would materially detract from the quality of the living conditions of neighbouring occupiers because of additional disturbance from vehicular and pedestrian traffic. Consequently I have concluded that the development would conflict with Policy EH4 of the local plan."
"Comparisons were made with the uses at 44-46 Regent Street. The recent decision to allow an expansion of uses there is outside the scope of this appeal but I consider that there is a material difference between the sites for two reasons. First, Regent Street is a fairly busy through route whereas Millfields Road is a cul-de-sac serving a small housing estate. Second, I was told that there is an agreement in place for parking associated with the Regent Street premises to take place at the adjoining New College. No such off-site provision is proposed in the case of the appeal proposal."
"The appellants offered two additional conditions. In my opinion a personal permission to the Qaadria Jilaania Trust would conflict with the advice in paragraph 93 of Circular 11/95 because no strong compassionate or other personal grounds have been advanced for the proposed use. Second, I consider that a temporary 'trial period' would not be appropriate because I am in no doubt about the harm which the use would cause."
"Unless the permission otherwise provides, planning permission runs with the land and it is seldom desirable to provide otherwise. There are occasions, however, where it is proposed exceptionally to grant permission for the use of a building or land for some purpose which would not normally be allowed at the site, simply because there are strong compassionate or other personal grounds for doing so. In such a case the permission should normally be made subject to a condition that it shall enure only for the benefit of a named person -- usually the applicant (model condition 35): a permission personal to a company is inappropriate because its shares can be transferred to other persons without affecting the legal personality of the company. This condition will scarcely ever be justified in the case of a permission for the erection of a permanent building."