THE Conservatives have committed to withdrawing the application to build a waste processing plant in South Cerney if they retain control of Cotswold District Council (CDC).

 

CDC leader Lynden Stowe said that the first thing he’d do once in office would be to propose to withdraw the application made to Gloucestershire County Council (GCC) for the site at Packer's Leaze, Broadway Lane.

 

The application to process up to 40,000 tonnes of waste in the Cotswold village had been met with fierce opposition by locals.

 

Cllr Stowe said: “Obviously we have imminent elections but if the Conservatives on CDC are returned with a majority next week, the first item on the agenda at the first Cabinet meeting will be a proposal from me to formally withdraw the application.”

 

After further research they would then decide whether to submit another application to the county council.

 

A second planning application for the same site, made to CDC, would not be opposed by the Conservatives.

 

It involves expanding the site to hold 33 refuse vehicles, 25 vans and 72 cars.

 

Cllr Stowe said: “We will continue with the application to relocate Ubico Ltd waste vehicles from a temporary depot in South Cerney to a permanent site also in South Cerney.

 

“The South Cerney site is currently used as a depot by SITA UK and the council’s waste and recycling collection services were run from this site until August 2012. 

 

“The CDC Planning Committee is expected to consider the application in the next couple of months.”

 

Alan Dickinson is standing as an independent in South Cerney Village Ward and has been fighting hard against the proposals. 

 

He said: "The latest position taken by the Conservative led CDC is a shift in the right direction.

 

"However, the planning application to turn the Packer's Leaze site into a higher capacity waste vehicle parking facility stays.

 

"The withdrawal of the second planning application for the waste transfer site is contingent on the return of a Conservative majority council.

 

"Even then, the words contained in Mr Stowe's statement 'we will then consider whether or not to submit another planning application to the County Council' means we could post election be right back where we started."