Councillors announce decision on controversial new waste transfer station on Heasandford Industrial Estate
Burnley’s hugely controversial new waste transfer station, on the borough’s Heasandford Industrial Estate, will go ahead councillors have decided.
The authority’s development control committee last night granted planning permission for the multi‑million‑pound project, despite opposition from the opposition Labour group’s leader Mark Townsend and deputy leader Sue Graham.
The scheme, proposed by Burnley Council’s ruling three‑party coalition executive, has caused a major political row in the town.
The new waste transfer station (WTS) on Widow Hill Road is required following Lancashire County Council’s contract with SUEZ to use Whinney Hill, near Accrington, ending meaning Burnley bin wagons would have to take their contents to Leyland.
Instead the proposed facility would allow waste to be bulked up for transport, reducing the number of trips and costs.
In November, Burnley’s development control committee approved the relocation of the council’s vehicle depot to make way for the WTS.
Coun. Townsend told the committee it should not be making such an important decision on the £2.5million project two weeks before the local elections, which could change the composition of the council adding: “What’s the rush?”
Coun. Graham, who represents the nearby Lanehead ward, told the meeting the WTS would cause major traffic problems with extra HGV lorries and that the meterial to be handled – food and residual waste including nappies and incontinence products – would create unpleasant smells in the vicinity.
She said: “I therefore respectfully ask the committee to refuse this application on the basis of traffic impact on neighbouring roads and the adverse impact of odour.”
Queensgate Burnley Independent Group councillor Aurangzeb Ali said he would vote against the ‘unnecessary’ project on grounds of noise, traffic, air quality and the impact on nearby homes.
But Conservative group leader and Hapton with Park ward’s Coun.Jamie McGowan said the scheme was a far better long-term option than Lancashire County Council’s decision to use the Envirofuel site in Accrington Road, Hapton, for two-years to take non-recyclable rubbish from every borough in East Lancashire except Blackburn with Darwen or the Ribble Valley. He said this had been ‘forced’ on Hapton from April 1 and was not an acceptable site.
Planning office Jonathan Evans said the WTS would be a sealed building and the issue of odours was not for the committee but for the Environment Agency which would license and regulate the site.
The council’s Green Party health boss Coun Jack Launer said it was time to ‘stop kicking the can down the road’ adding: “A decision has to be made and we have to be brave.”
Whittlefield with Ightenhill Conservative Coun. Mike Steel said approving the new WTS ‘might be the least worst area this can be’.
Gawthorpe Labour councillor John Harbour said he could see no material planning consideration for voting to refuse the scheme.
After the committee vote Coun. Towsend said: “I am extremely disappointed. It’s been rushed.”
Burnley Council’s LibDem environment boss Coun. Howard Baker said: “It is a sensible decision. I am extremely pleased.”