Plans approved for relocated highways depot for South Tyneside Council

South Tyneside Council’s planning department has approved a council application for a new ‘salt barn’ and modular units with storage and parking at part of the Viking Energy Network site in Jarrow, adjacent to the river Tyne.

The development, accessed off Blackett Street, would be used as the council’s highways depot as part of its proposed relocation from Middlefields Recycling Village which is undergoing a major revamp.

A cover letter submitted with the highways depot relocation application outlined the range of facilities proposed, including “three offices, a meeting room, service area, kitchenettes, lockers, and toilets”.

Parking for ‘gritter vehicles’ is also proposed towards the centre of the site, along with a staff car park proposed to the southeast.

It is proposed that the staff car park will provide 27 parking spaces, including two disabled bays and two EV charging bays and the proposed development will also provide six cycle parking spaces.

During a council consultation exercise on the plan, a representation was submitted by charity Groundwork South and North Tyneside, located at The Eco Centre near the application site.

Concerns included increased noise and emissions from the depot and the development potentially “impacting on learners” linked to Groundwork’s outdoor educational work, with a request to planners for “additional acoustic measures and noise monitoring” at the site.

After considering the planning application and assessing it against planning policies, South Tyneside Council’s planning department approved it on November 21, 2024.

Council planners, in a decision report, said the site was “acceptable for the proposal”.

On noise matters, it was noted that there was no objection from the council’s environmental health team.

The council decision report added: “Their [environmental health] response also included that the noise memo concluded that given the high ambient noise levels in the area, the only time a negative impact would take place on the educational setting would be if all possible operations were taking place at the application site at the same time.

“They believe this is unlikely to occur due to logistical constraints on site, and would also likely happen during times of bad weather, when it would be unlikely that the educational activities would be taking place outside.

“From their visits to the area, they also stated that it was clear that there is significant use of the road network in proximity to the residential area, with a significant storage use of alcohol kegs and an industrial estate all close to the site and using roads next to the educational setting which will increase the ambient noise levels as confirmed by the noise assessment.”

As part of the plans, acoustic fencing is also proposed for the highways depot development which would be around four metres in height.

It was argued that the plans, in this context, were “not considered to materially harm residential amenity.”

A covering letter submitted with the plans earlier this year confirmed the planning application is “part of the wider masterplan for the redevelopment and reconfiguration of Middlefields Industrial Estate and this site is required […] for improvements to the layout, function and efficiency of Middlefields Depot”.

It was argued that the site adjacent to Jarrow’s Viking Energy Network was “well located for the highways construction services and falls squarely within the allocation for employment use.”

The covering letter adds: “The [transport] assessment sets out that the development offers the opportunity to travel to the site by sustainable modes of transport. 

“It also assesses that the number of trips generated by the development will not have a material impact on the operation of the local highway network. 

“The assessment concludes that the delivery of the proposed development will not result in unacceptable residual cumulative impacts, and therefore in terms of highways the development proposals are acceptable.”

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The Viking Energy Network Jarrow includes an underground district heating system that operates from an energy centre site, where it provides heating to several properties in Jarrow.

Under planning conditions, the development for the new council highways depot on part of this site must be brought forward within three years.

For more information on the planning application or council decision, visit South Tyneside Council’s planning portal website and search reference: ST/0204/24/LAA