Various measures have been incorporated as part of the proposal to minimise the impact on residential amenity, including:

• Ensuring the proposed buildings extend no closer to existing residential dwellings.
• Carrying out a comprehensive Daylight, Sunlight and Overshadowing Assessment to illustrate that existing and committed development is not adversely impacted.
• Incorporating extensive noise mitigation through the use of both traditional and green wall acoustic barriers of between 3m and 5m in height, as well as the design of the units and yard space.
• Enhanced landscaping across the site, including across all site boundaries.
• The preparation of a Lighting Assessment to ensure a suitable lighting scheme can be designed to minimise impact on surrounding properties and sensitive ecological receptors.

The site is accessible via the existing access off Manchester Road. As part of the proposed development this existing access will be upgraded to ensure it is suitable for the proposed use.

A comprehensive Transport Assessment (TA) will be submitted in support of the planning application, which will consider the impact of the development on the local highway network. The scope of the TA has been discussed with Rochdale Borough Council, Transport for Greater Manchester and National Highways (in respect of the motorway network) and will ensure that the development will not contribute, or directly cause harm, to the road network in respect of vehicle movements or road safety.

Given the proposed use of the site for storage and distribution purposes it will not include any significant point sources of emissions with global warming potential.

The Applicant also has aspirations to minimise the carbon emissions of the proposals by delivering a highly efficient new development. This will be demonstrated through an Energy and Sustainability Assessment, showing carbon reductions, the use of renewable energy and a minimum BREEAM ‘Excellent’ score.

The site does not lie within an Air Quality Management Area and is not within an established area of air pollution.

During the demolition and construction phase the main source of air pollutant is likely to be dust generation. A Construction Environmental Management Plan will be prepared to demonstrate how this will be controlled through relevant dust suppression methods to avoid adverse impacts.

Once operational, the primary source of air pollutants is likely to be generated by additional traffic movements as a result of the development. The Transport Assessment (to be submitted with the planning application) will provide adequate data against which the impact of development on air quality can be assessed for planning purposes through a detailed Air Quality As sessment (AQA). The AQA would include recommendations for mitigation measures if deemed to be necessary.

The site is not situated within or adjacent to a statutorily designated site or a non-statutorily designated site.

A full and comprehensive suite of surveys have taken place at the site during the relevant survey periods and impacts are not expected to be significant and can be suitably mitigated and enhanced, where appropriate, as part of the development proposals.

Appropriate timing of works, precautionary working methods and the use of a Construction Environmental Management Plan would prevent construction phase impacts. A Biodiversity Impact Assessment (BIA) will also be carried out, using the current DEFRA metric, to demonstrate how a net gain in habitat will be achieved as part of the development. Habitat creation proposals would aim to increase the diversity of habitats and provide structural diversity, including planting of native scrub, trees and grassland species.