A DECISION by Hampshire County Council to refuse an application that, if granted, would have allowed HGVs to service a waste transfer facility off Mill Lane in Alton around the clock has been described as “a triumph against the odds”.

At a meeting in Winchester on July 25, members of the Ashdell Residents’ Association fought hard to put the case against the application, citing noise, dust, light and vehicle pollution, the amenity impact of a 24/7 operation, and the impact on wildlife.

They were supported by Alton Town Council planning and transport committee representative Peter Hicks and county and district ward councillor Andrew Joy, who reiterated concerns too about setting a precedent if the application was allowed.

Submitted by Hutchings and Carter, part of the Waltet Group, the application was for the variation of conditions of planning to allow for importation of road planings and the night-time importation and exportation of waste.

Located at Unit 7 on the Waterbrook estate in the town, the site, which backs onto Hampshire County Council’s household waste recycling centre at Omega Park, has clearly defined operational hours, but the proposal sought to allow for 12 HGV movements per day to and from the site outside the existing times (currently 7am-6pm Monday to Saturday).

Also to allow for a revised dust and noise management plan, and for road planings to be added to the list of waste types accepted at the site.

Despite strong recommendation by county council officers for approval, based around the authority’s waste disposal and recycling needs, according to Mr Joy, “the involvement of local residents, using balanced and well-informed reasoning, showed just how effective residents can be in the democratic process”.

There were nine votes against the plan, with four abstentions.