Agenda item

Change of use of parking/industrial area to a recycling/distribution area for paper, kitchen waste, glass, plastics, cans and cardboard including the sorting and baling of plastics, cans and cardboard. The construction of open bays for recyclables and three sided, open fronted structure to house bales and roof structure for kitchen waste. Erection of lighting columns. Erection of two portable buildings and one modular building to be used as offices, toilets and welfare facilities. Provision of parking for staff & visitors  vehicles and refuse & recycling vehicles.

Report by Interim Head of Sustainable Development (PN6)

This is an application for a recycling depot on an industrial estate on Down’s Road in Witney. Recyclable waste collected from West Oxfordshire would be brought to the site to be sorted, stored and baled before being sent on for recycling at other facilities. Materials brought to the site would include glass, plastics, cans, cardboard and kitchen waste.  The proposal complies with waste management policy and there have been no objections from statutory consultees. However, objections have been received from local residents and industrial unit occupants on the basis of the amenity impacts including noise, traffic, odour, pests. The Environmental Health Officer has asked for further work to be done on noise which has led to changes to the layout and the addition of a noise barrier. The consultation on these amendments was ongoing at the time of writing the report. The final conclusions and a recommendation on the development will be set out in an addendum.

Final conclusions and a recommendation will follow in an addendum.

The Committee considered an application for a recycling depot on the Downs Road industrial site in Witney.

The Chairman vacated the Chair and left the meeting for the duration of the item.  Councillor Mrs Fulljames took the Chair.

Mr Criscuolo commended the proposal to the Committee.  The site had been selected on grounds of proximity to markets,  suitability of the adjacent road network and the surrounding industrial site.  The applicants had undertaken extensive noise, odour and vermin control measures.  This proposal would also afford some control over vehicle movements as the site currently had permission for parked vehicles with no control limits. The applicant currently operated 13 other sites and had extensive expertise in this field of operations which would enable more waste to be diverted from landfill and offer local employment opportunities.

He responded to questions from:

Councillor Armitage – food waste would not be collected and taken to processing sites separately but would be delivered to the Downs Road site, transferred to one large vehicle and taken from there to a processing site on a generally daily basis.

Councillor Seale – the development would allow waste collected within West Oxfordshire to be dealt with within the district and the contract was solely for West Oxfordshire waste.

Councillor Mrs Fulljames – food waste containers would be sealed and collected daily. This would help eliminate odour problems.  The applicant would if necessary spray the containers with industrial deodorizers.

Councillor Owen then moved and Councillor Armitage seconded that the  recommendation as set out in the addenda sheet be approved.

Following discussion regarding vehicle reversing systems officers undertook to explore the scope to achieve low noise lorry reversing warnings whilst meeting health and safety standards, and to include if possible appropriate control through a condition.

Councillor Crabbe then moved an amendment to add the following condition: subject to a reasonable weekly limit of vehicle movements to be agreed with the developer.

The amendment, seconded by Councillor Mathew was put to the Committee and lost by 8 votes to 5.

The original motion was then put to the Committee and –

RESOLVED (by 12 votes to 1, with one abstention)that subject to a routeing agreement to ensure that vehicles collecting material from the site must not use the B4477 to access the A40 and should turn left out of the site and left on the B4047 and onto the A40 and waste collection vehicles delivering to the site must not use the B4477 for any other purpose other than to collect from properties in and immediately adjacent to Minster Lovell village and not as a through route or short cut the development described in application 10/1451/P/CM  be approved subject to conditions to be determined by the Deputy Director (Growth & Infrastructure) to cover matters to include the following:

1.                        Development in complete accordance with plans and details

2.                        Development to commence within 3 years

3.                        Submission, approval and implementation of surface water drainage scheme

4.                        Submission, approval and implementation of a scheme including: identification of potential contaminants, site investigation, detailed risk assessment, remediation strategy and verification plan including monitoring, maintenance and contingency

5.                        Operating hours (Mon-Fri waste operations 07.00-18.00 and vehicle movements 05.00-19.00, no Saturdays, Sundays or Bank Holidays except Saturdays immediately following bank holidays, hours as for Mon-Fri)

6.                        Noise rating level from all site operations should not exceed the background noise level

7.                        Noise monitoring to be undertaken

8.                        Odour management plan to be submitted and agreed

9.                        Pest management plan to control insects and vermin to be submitted and agreed

10.                   Site lighting in accordance with an agreed plan

11.                   Layout as approved

12.                   Glass tipping operations only in area indicated

13.                   Detailed elevations to be submitted and approved including details of materials