A controversial planning application will be scrutinised in more detail after a motion was passed by Cotswold District Council on Wednesday.

Valley Trading, based in Babdown Industrial Estate near Tetbury, has submitted a planning application to Gloucestershire County Council requesting permission to increase the scale of its business from transporting 45,000 to 75,000 tonnes per year.

Worried residents and councillors fear, there will be a sharp rise in the number of lorries going to and from the site along the A4135 if permission is given to expand.

On Wednesday, Cllr Richard Morgan (Grumbolds Ash with Avening) submitted a motion to Cotswold District Council requesting the application is scrutinised in more detail.

In particular he asked for clarification on four technical questions including if the application is in conflict with the Tetbury Neighbourhood plan and if the application is in keeping with the Gloucestershire Waste Core strategy plan.

He also asked to Gloucestershire County Council to conduct an independent survey over multiple random days to ascertain the exact level of HGV movements along the A4135.

Speaking after the meeting, Cllr Richard Morgan said: “I am hugely appreciative my motion received cross party support and Cotswold District Council will now be seeking further clarifications and information about this application.

“I would like to go on record and say Valley Trading are doing nothing wrong and they are following the correct planning process which is set out for them.

"However, it’s also fair to point out that if a new business came along and asked to build a 75,000-tonne waste processing & recycling business in this location they would stand little or no chance of being successful.

“We are in a grey area of a successful small business growing over a number of years by submitting a number of small planning application extensions.

"We are at risk that in a few year’s time we could have a major business operating in the wrong location that is wildly different to their original planning permission granted many years ago.

"It’s for this reason I am asking for this application to be slowed down and securitised in as much detail as possible."

Cllr Richard Norris (Tetbury with Upton) seconded the motion and said: “Local residents and businesses in Tetbury are deeply concerned about the potential increase in noise, pollution and congestion in our town.

"In particular where the A4135 enters Tetbury is already heavily congested for long periods throughout the day.

"I fully support calls for more scrutiny of this application, and would like to thank colleagues at Cotswold District Council who supported the motion."

It is now understood that the planning application will be reviewed by committee at Gloucestershire County council on September 26.

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