Government backs composting action group (From Wilts and Gloucestershire Standard)

Government backs composting action group

A WAVE of relief spread through several parishes near Fairford this week after planning chiefs backed their campaign to stop the expansion of a composting site at Sunhill.

Last year Agricultural Supply Co (Fairford) Ltd (ASC) applied to compost Green and Mixed Organic Waste at its mushroom composting facilities.

Gloucestershire County Council deferred a decision on the application until more information could be provided on environmental and traffic issues.

But in a tactical move ASC appealed against a failure to decide the application quickly enough.

This week that appeal was dismissed - to the delight of the Sunhill Action Group (SAG) and the dismay of ASC.

SAG chairman Paul Lilly said: "Everybody is elated - it's absolutely amazing.

"We always said you can't have heavy goods vehicles on narrow roads, but nobody thought this was going to happen.

"If GCC had listened to local residents and the district council they could see this wouldn't work."

After lodging the appeal, however, ASC resubmitted a duplicate application split into two parts - one a temporary two-year Green Waste application, the other the more controversial application for Mixed Organic Waste.

Primarily, the waste would be collected by Cotswold and Stroud District Councils and Fosse Cross and Pyke Quarry Household Recycling Centres.

GCC passed the former last November - despite SAG claiming it was a Trojan Horse tactic and objections from Cotswold MP Geoffrey Clifton-Brown.

Meanwhile, the Mixed Organic Waste application was held over and scheduled to go before the county planning committee on March 16.

This application will now either be withdrawn or substantially amended.

Planning Inspector John Woolcock's appeal decision is packed with detailed assessment on all the areas of controversy thrown up by the application over the last 12 months.

He addresses issues such as planning policy, odour, dust, noise, litter, vermin and, most controversially, traffic movements.

He said he was unsatisfied odour and dust would be adequately controlled and not materially harm the amenity of the area.

He also doubted if the proposed development "would not harm highway safety".

He added: "There are material considerations which outweigh the waste management and employment benefits of the proposed development."

SAC managing director John Clay said: "We were very, very surprised at the decision. If it was a new site I could understand, but this was just a change of use."

Mr Clay also accused SAG of promulgating inaccurate information in its fight and said the appeal decision will ultimately result in new landfill sites.

Mr Clay said he was still intent on developing facilities at the Sunhill site.