THE suitability of South Cerney as a home for a waste vehicle depot and waste transfer station will be discussed at a Cotswold District Council (CDC) meeting this month.

CDC wish to create the waste vehicle depot at Packers Leaze which is currently being used by SITA UK.

Plans to build a waste transfer station on the site were also submitted by CDC to the county council but they were later withdrawn following fierce criticism from residents of the village who fear the development could cause noise disturbance and traffic congestion. The council are now conducting further research before deciding to submit another application for a waste transfer station.

In June, a petition by the Save South Cerney Group, that opposed both applications, and had over 1000 signatures was submitted to CDC.

And the amount of people signing the petition meant that a council debate on the applications could be called by the district council Lib Dems.

Leader of the Lib Dems, Joe Harris, said: “We’re calling on the Conservative administration at CDC to listen to residents in South Cerney and end their pursuit of the village as a permanent vehicle depot site or future waste station.We have called this meeting not only to give residents the chance to have their voices heard and considered but also to give the whole council the opportunity to decide whether South Cerney is actually a suitable site for a waste vehicle depot.”

It was recently revealed that SITA UK, who are currently managing the Packers Leaze site, had been using the whole site as a vehicle depot, rather than part of the site, which contravenes the the planning permission it has been given for the site.

But due to the site being used in this way for more than ten years, enforcement action cannot be taken against SITA UK, and CDC needs to obtain a Certificate of Lawful Use to enable its waste firm Ubico to operate on the site in the same way, rather than needing to secure planning permission A motion calling for a complete halt to any further progress on the applications proposed by District Councillor, Juliet Layton, who is ward councillor for South Cerney, will also be considered at the special Council meeting.

Cllr Layton said: “It seems extraordinary that the council can take advantage of an illegal breach by its former contractor in order to bypass the planning system in applying for a Certificate of Lawful Existing Use.”

A statement issued by the council, which was put together by Nick Parsons, deputy leader of the council, and Sue Coakley, cabinet member for health, environment and communities said it welcomed an opportunity to have a meeting to discuss the applications.

The statement read: “We had been mindful of the need for a debate on the petition we received from residents and others, asking us to withdraw our plans for a refuse vehicle depot (and waste transfer station) in South Cerney.   Given the advice that the appropriate planning route was the Certificate of Lawful Use, we felt that the debate would be best held prior to the decision on the Certificate, and identified  August 17 and 18 as possible meeting dates.”