Comment

Representation ID: 4746

Received: 21/12/2022

Respondent: Environment Agency

Sun Valley Foods Billbrook, located on the Balliol Business Park is regulated by the Environment Agency. The site is currently surrounded by agricultural land and industrial development but the proposals under site Ref 519 would bring the large housing development approximately 75m from the facility. Food production operates 24/7 which includes the use of ovens and fryers to cook the food and chiller units to freeze the product before it leaves site in refrigerated trailers. The facility also has effluent treatment, external storage of waste product and of course incoming and outgoing vehicle movements with audible alarms, therefore there is a possibility that amenity issues could be experienced. Bilbrook HWRC, a small well run site currently owned by Amey Highways is also nearby. There does remain potential for this to be a problem if residential receptors are brought closer to the site than at present.

We recommend your planning policies ensure that appropriate assessment and mitigation can be carried out by the agent of change (ie residential allocations). Where any mitigation is not practical, properties should not perhaps be built close to the site perimeter. We recommend strategic policy SA1 references the risks associated with their proximity to such facilities, and the need for assessment and/or mitigation measures in order to inform and steer the masterplanning process.