FIERCE objections from both Greatham Parish Council and local residents failed to sway county councillors from granting planning permission for a a topsoil and green waste recycling facility in Blackmoor.
Williams of Bordon is the subject of a compulsory purchase order, issued by EHDC, and has only stayed on the site on a temporary basis until it finds a suitable home to relocate to.
Therefore after undertaking an extensive search locally, to find an alternative site to that in Headley Down, the applicant chose the Blackmoor site as it met its search criteria.
The facilityÕs new home needed to have a level ground of at least 0.4 hectares, be close to an A class road with an appropriate level of access visibility and avoid narrow country lanes open to two-way traffic.
It also needed to be no more than eight kilometres from the applicantÕs operating base in Bordon, away from noise-sensitive land uses and the land would ideally be previously developed with established boundary screening or scope for effective screening.
The current plans follow an earlier application withdrawn in November last year for a site closer to Greatham, which also included the use of a concrete crusher.
In his report to the county councilÕs regulatory committee, the county planning officer confirmed that the use of the concrete crusher had now been deleted from the plans and that the current proposal involved soil screening only, together with green waste composting.
The county surveyor raised no objection to the proposals as he did not believe that it would involve significant traffic increases and it would make use of the A325.
He also pointed out that the relocation would reduce travel distance to and from the applicantÕs main depot and would move site traffic to a less congested location.
East Hampshire District Council had no objection to the plans in principle but did raise concerns about lorry movements and felt that a commercial business should not be permitted in the countryside.
East Hampshire AONB planning panel also raised no objection to the plans, subject to conditions concerning lorry movements, restricting activity to soil screening and composting only, temporary consent for five years and restoration of the site to agriculture.
Whitehill Town Council and Selborne Parish Council were also happy with the plans but Selborne parish councillors did raise concerns with regard to lorry numbers and the access route.
However, fierce objections were expressed by both Greatham Parish Council and 10 local residents.
The parish council raised grave concerns over the plans because it felt that the junction of Blackmoor Road and the A325 was already dangerous and additional lorries would increase the hazard.
It also expressed fears that if permission was granted for the commercial/industrial operation in an agricultural area it would set a precedent for further development.
And it was felt that the seven houses near the site would be adversely affected by noise and dust from the soil screening.
Ten letters of objection from local residents echoed the parish councilÕs concerns over noise and air pollution to surrounding homes and the hazards that additional lorries joining the A325 at the Blackmoor Road junction would cause.
Resident John Trodden gave a deputation to the committee last Wednesday expressing the concerns of local residents.
However, despite residents concerns and those of the parish council the planning officer recommended that members grant permission for the proposals.
His report said: ÒThe recycling of soils and green waste composting are strongly supported by the county council in order to reduce the amount of waste going to landfill.
ÒSites suitable for these activities are difficult to find, and it is recognised that the applicant has had difficulty in finding a suitable site to relocate the existing business from Headley Down.Ó
He admitted that the proposed site did not comply with the Hampshire Portsmouth and Southampton Minerals and Waste local plan because it was not a brownfield site, and viewed as agricultural land.
But he said that the site had been used for green waste composting for the last four years.
ÒThe proposal satisfies a local need through enabling the continuation of the current green waste composting operation and relocating the soil screening operations from Headley Down.Ó
He also reassured local residents that conditions could be imposed to ensure that the proposals would not have an adverse impact on them in terms of noise and dust.
He concluded: ÒWhile the proposal is contrary to policy in being a site in the countryside, it is considered that the proposal can be operated in an acceptable manner without unacceptable disturbance to local residents. In view of the strong policy for recycling it is recommended that planning permission be granted.Ó
Members were happy to follow his recommendation and grant permission for the facility.
Speaking after the meeting Mr Trodden told The Herald that he was appalled at the way the proposal had been Òrubber-stampedÓ and he now plans to go to judicial review.