A public consultation must take place if plans to move a household waste and recycling centre closer to Bridgnorth go ahead, a councillor has said.
Shropshire Councillor for Bridgnorth Les Winwood said officers at Shirehall had confirmed on Tuesday night no planning applications had yet been submitted by Veolia regarding a move from Barnsley Lane to Faraday Drive next year. But with Veolia only using the Barnsley Lane tip for a further 12 months, the chance of an application being submitted in the next few months remained.
“In my opinion, whatever happens there would have to be a public consultation to explain the reason behind it,” said Mr Winwood. “The public have got to have an opportunity to see what Veolia’s requirements are.
“I understand they have to find a new site, which I believed was going to be somewhere on the enterprise park off Faraday Drive, but apparently that’s not the case now. As far as I’m concerned there has been no application, but if there is we will want the operators to explain to neighbours and factory owners why they are moving there and how they are going to make it work. Highways issues would also have to be looked into.”
Aida McManus, of Veolia’s agents Aida McManus Planning Services, has explained in a letter there had been delays in ‘procuring’ the Faraday Drive site. She states that it is expected to take two months to purchase the site and complete legal documents, a further three months to get planning permission – depending on the speed of the process – and six further months to complete construction of the new site. The application also seeks to restore the Barnsley Lane site by February 2012.
