HILLINGDON UNITARY DEVELOPMENT PLAN - London Borough ...

(ii)
(iii)
(iv)
THE STORAGE OR DISPLAY OF VEHICLES, GOODS, EQUIPMENT OR OTHER
MERCHANDISE;
TRAFFIC GENERATION AND CONGESTION;
NOISE AND VIBRATION OR THE EMISSION OF DUST, SMELL OR OTHER
POLLUTANTS,
UNLESS SUFFICIENT MEASURES ARE TAKEN TO MITIGATE THE ENVIRONMENTAL
IMPACT OF THE DEVELOPMENT AND ENSURE THAT IT REMAINS ACCEPTABLE.
Environmental Assessments
6.5 Under the Town and Country Planning (Assessment of Environmental Effects) Regulations SI No.
1199 (1988) an assessment must be made on the effects on the environment of certain public and private
projects, specified in Schedule 1 of the Regulations, where such projects require planning permission. The
term "environmental assessment" (EA) describes a technique and a process by which information about
environmental effects of a project is collected and systematically analysed using the best practicable
techniques and best available sources of information. EA is taken into account by the Local Planning
Authority in forming their judgement on whether the development should go ahead. EA should be
presented in a form which provides a focus for public scrutiny of the project and enables the importance of
the predicted effects, and the scope for modifying or mitigating them, to be properly evaluated by the Local
Planning Authority before a decision is given. Advice is available in "Environmental Assessment: A
Guide to the Procedures", (HMSO 1989.)
6.6 The Local Planning Authority wishes to see certain types of project, which are not included in
Schedule 1, be properly assessed at an early stage in the planning process, and will therefore require
developers to make an assessment of environmental impact in appropriate cases. Even where a formal
assessment is not required, local planning authorities can request that applicants provide additional
information on their proposals (under Section 62 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 and General
Development Procedure Order 1995), to ensure that the full range of environmental impacts is identified.
For example, proposals for development affecting Sites of Importance for Nature Conservation whilst not
requiring a formal assessment of environmental impact may still be required to provide an "ecological
assessment", (see Chapter 4: Policies EC1, EC2, and EC3); Chapter 13 of this Plan sets out guidance in
respect of mineral workings and waste disposal. Advice relating to whether an assessment of
environmental impact will be required can be obtained from the Local Planning Authority.
OE2 THE LOCAL PLANNING AUTHORITY WILL REQUIRE, WHERE APPROPRIATE,
THAT AN ASSESSMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT BE MADE FOR ANY PROPOSED
DEVELOPMENT WHICH WOULD HAVE A SIGNIFICANT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT,
SUCH AN ASSESSMENT TO BE SUBMITTED TO THE LOCAL PLANNING AUTHORITY
BEFORE CONSIDERATION IS GIVEN TO THE RELEVANT PLANNING APPLICATION.
Noise (see also Chapters 11, 13 and 14)
6.7 Noise has the capacity to irritate, annoy, interrupt sleep, increase stress, disrupt concentration and
even to damage one's health. The sources of noise in the Borough are widespread and they often have a
major impact on the local environment. Where necessary, the Council will use its powers under relevant
legislation to deal with noise from neighbours, industrial and trade processes and installations, construction
sites, mineral workings and other associated activities such as ready mix concrete operations, waste
disposal and processing and sporting, recreation and entertainment activities. To minimise the adverse
impact of noise pollution, noise sources are categorised in terms of their noise levels, as set out in Planning
Policy Guidance PPG 24: Planning and Noise, (September 1994). As far as possible, noise sensitive
developments should be sited in areas where noise exposure from existing sources, as detailed in PPG 24, is
not considered to be significant. Where this is not achievable, effective sound insulation schemes are
required to mitigate the effect of noise. Under the Town and Country Planning (Applications) Regulations
London Borough of Hillingdon Unitary Development Plan