Planning History
History of Land Development at Buncefield from HSE records
This information on land development around Buncefield is based on available HSE records.
The Buncefield terminal was established in 1968 and there has been general encroachment and development of adjacent land since then. This can be seen in the diagram below (extracted from figure 5 of the initial report) showing developments since the 1960’s to the present day.
See detailed map [PDF 2.1mb]
© Crown copyright, all rights reserved, HSE 100021025 (2006)
For those developments on which the LA has consulted HSE, HSE only have records dating from 1995 for planning applications.
A summary of the applications on which the LA has consulted HSE and the advice given is shown in Table 1. These have been entered on a database (CASUM), but details of the developments such as location are now not available.
The HSE database (CASUM) records that 25 specific development cases were referred to HSE over the period 1991-2002. HSE development case files are routinely destroyed after a maximum of 5 years (the period during which a planning permission should normally be implemented), but copies of HSE's replies may be available from the local authority concerned (Dacorum or St Albans councils). For the last three years decisions on LUP have been devolved to field regions using the PADHI system.
Over the same period CASUM records that HSE were consulted on 4 local/structure plan revisions concerning the Dacorum (1) and St Albans (1) and Hertfordshire County Council (2) areas. Again the case files have not been retained, but copies of HSE's replies may be available from the council concerned. From the late 1990s local and structure plans were no longer referred to HSE.
Referral of specific development cases to HSE's central Major Hazard Assessment Unit * ceased at the end of 2002 when HSE adopted the PADHI codified LUP advice scheme. Up to November 2005 the PADHI database records 5 consultations, details of which are listed below in Table 2.
Hazardous Substances Consent
The Planning (Hazardous Substances) Regulations 1992 and their Scottish equivalent and later The Planning (Control of Major-Accident Hazards) Regulations 1999 require persons to apply for a consent from the Hazardous Substances Authority (HSA), if they propose to have present on their land hazardous substances at or above specified controlled quantities.
Consent identifies the hazardous substances and its location on site and defines certain conditions of use such as maximum size, temperature and pressure of storage vessels. It is an important mechanism in the overall control of major hazards as it enables the HSA (usually the local planning authority) to consider whether the presence of a significant quantity of a hazardous substance is acceptable in a particular location.
HSE is a statutory consultee for all applications for hazardous substances consent, and for proposals for development within the vicinity of consent sites. HSE advises HSAs on the risks and /or hazards presented by the proposed land use for the people in the vicinity and produces the relevant three zone map.
Table 3 gives some details of Consent applications at the Buncefield Oil Terminal. Consent for gasoline was covered in 1992. An amendment to the legislation meant Kerosenes and similar were subsequently included from 1999.
Table 1. Details of specific development cases referred to MHAU/MSDU as recorded on the CASUM database .
| Date to HSE | Proposed development | LPA* | HSE advice | Additional details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 1991 | Erection of office, Boundary Way | D | Did not advise against | No other details on database. |
| Jan 1992 | Installation of oil storage tanks | D | Did not advise against | Additive tanks on NI (Notified Installation) site, 2 above ground and 2 buried. |
| July 1992 | Residential development of 10 flats and car parking | D | Did not advise against | Linked to a previous case not on the database. No other details are available. |
| Oct 1993 | Head office and distribution warehouse, Pentagon Park | D | Did not advise against | No other details on database. |
| Mar 1994 | Asda - Regional Distribution Centre, etc. Buncefield Lane, Woodlane End | D | Qualified not advise against | It was assumed there would be no development along the proposed new road corridor. No record on the database of the condition(s) proposed. |
| Aug 1994 | Pre-planning enquiry for warehouse and space at Buncefield Lane | D | Qualified not advise against | No record of the condition(s) proposed. |
| Jan 1995 | Pre-planning enquiry for relocation of Hemel Hempstead football club to land, Great Lane | D | Advised against | Linked to the Asda Regional Distribution case. |
| Jan 1995 | Waste to Energy incinerator, Buncefield | D | Special reply | No record on the database of the details of the reply. |
| July 1995 | 8 x one bed/2 x two bedroom flats and car parking, Buncefield Lane | D | Did not advise against | No other details on database. |
| Sept 1995 | General Industrial storage and distribution development, Buncefield Lane | D | Qualified not advise against | No record of the condition(s) proposed. |
| Sept 1995 | Proposed Industrial storage development at Buncefield Lane | D | Did not advise against | No other details on database. |
| Nov 1995 | Light Industrial development Woodwells Farm, Buncefield Lane | D | Did not advise against | No other details on database. |
| Nov 1995 | Coach interchange with services Boundary Way | D | Advised against | Advice based on pool fire hazard and potential for bund over- topping. |
| Jan 1996 | Day-care nursery and car park, Woodwells Farm | D | Did not advise against | The building is beyond piloted ignition range. |
| Sept 1996 | Development of ‘employment area’ between M1 motorway and Green Lane | D | Special reply | No record on the database of the details of the reply. |
| Nov 1996 | Large commercial development at Boundary Way | D | Advised against unless conditions met | Disabled parking is in the outer zone and parking for 372 in the inner zone. Offices are outside the consultation zone. No record of the condition(s) proposed. |
| Feb 1997 | Change of use to industrial and storage use with offices and parking | D | Did not advise against | The majority of the building outside the consultation zone. No part of the building is within the middle zone. |
| Jan 1998 | Storage facility at Cherry Tree Lane, Breakspears | SA | Did not advise against | No other details on database. |
| April 1998 | Proposed Industrial/distribution/ warehousing units, Green Lane/Boundary Way | D | Qualified not advise against | No record of the condition(s) proposed. |
| Aug 1998 | Proposed Industrial units with associated car parking, Boundary Way | D | Did not advise against | No other details on database. |
| Aug 1998 | Proposed industrial units, Boundary Way | D | Qualified not advise against | No record of the condition(s) proposed. |
| Dec 1998 | Proposed additional development by 3COM at Boundary Way | D | Qualified not advise against | No record of the condition(s) proposed. |
| Feb 2000 | Industrial and storage development with office accommodation at Boundary Way | D | Did not advise against | No other details on database. |
| Mar 2000 | Proposed residential development, Hemel Hempstead | D | Special reply | No record of the details of the reply. |
| June 2002 | Warehouse with anc. offices etc., Green Lane | D | Did not advise against | Initially advised against, but advice changed on submission of revised plans. |
*LPA - Local Planning Authority key: D - Dacorum, SA - St Albans
Table 2. Details of development cases as recorded on the PADHI database.
| Date to HSE | Proposed development | HSE advice | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 April 2003 | Warehouse, ancillary offices, service area and parking. | Advised against | At Buncefield oil terminal (Inner Zone and Outer Zone) |
| 21 May 2003 | New warehouse with ancillary offices. | Did not advise against | At Buncefield oil terminal itself (Inner Zone) |
| 10 June 2004 | Additional service yard including use for vehicle parking. | Did not advise against | At Buncefield oil terminal itself (Inner Zone) |
| 22 July 2004 | Demolition of existing buildings and construction of office. | Did not advise against | At Chevron Texaco Ltd, Buncefield Terminal itself (Inner Zone) |
| 11 Aug 2005 | Single storey building (workplace). | Did not advise against | At Buncefield oil terminal itself (Inner Zone) |
Table 3 –Some Details of Consent Applications at the Buncefield Oil Terminal (from local HSE office)
| Operator | Hazardous Substances Consent Applications | Remarks | Current Consultation Distance | COMAH Notification |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HOSL | 34,020 Tonnes Motor Spirit - application dated 30/11/1992. 15,314 Tonnes Kerosene –application dated 18/10/1999 | Kerosene not included in the original 1992 application given flash-point in excess of 21 oC July 2001 – MSDU confirm acceptance of claim for deemed HSC (CD 185m; Middle Zone 135m; Inner Zone 120m). | Agreed by MSDU 19/07/2001:
|
27,151 Tonnes Motor Spirit; 15,314 Tonnes Kerosene; Notified 26/01/00 |
BP Oil UK Limited |
17,650 Tonnes Gasoline – application dated 18/11/1992 in name of Mobile Oil Co. Ltd 15,080 Tonnes Automotive Petrol and other Pet. Spirits – application dated 26/10/1999 15,200 Tonnes Automotive Petrol & 10,522 Tonnes R51/53 – application dated 21/01/03 26,900 Tonnes Automotive Petrol & 10,522 Tonnes R51/53 – application dated 03/05/2005 | Feb 1996 – deemed consent reviewed by MHAU, July 2001 – MSDU confirm acceptance of claim for deemed HSC July 2003 – MSDU confirm no significant reasons for refusing HSC. Application submitted re. construction of an additional Motor Spirit tank on site. July 2005 – MSDU confirm would not wish to advise against granting of HSC. | Agreed by MSDU 08/07/2005:
|
14,780 Tonnes Motor Spirit; Notified 28/01/99 |
| British Pipeline Agency Limited | 70,000 Tonnes Automotive Petrol and other Petroleum Spirits – application dated 26/10/1999 | Claim for deemed consent made July 2001 – MSDU confirm acceptance of claim for deemed HSC (CD 185m; Middle Zone 135m; Inner Zone 120m). | Agreed by MSDU 19/07/2001:
|
56,000 Tonnes Kerosene; Notified 03/02/00 |
*MHAU/MSDU - MHAU was the Major Hazard Assessment Unit originally formed to provide HSE's LUP advice, amongst other tasks. Following a reorganisation at the end of 1999, LUP advice and similar activities were transferred to the newly formed MSDU (Methodology and Standards Development Unit) now CI5.
