Preston-based Wai Sang (Europe) Recycle Ltd – prosecuted last month for illegally shipping waste to China – submitted a planning application to operate from a unit in the Lyon Industrial Estate, Kearsely, Bolton.
Wai Sang tried to assure the community there would be no smells, fumes or noise, from the proposed plant because all operations would take place inside the building. It said there would be only two vehicle movements each day, and two HGV movements each week.
The company applied for unrestricted hours of operation in line with other businesses on the estate and said it would create eight jobs.
A report drawn-up by Bolton Metropolitan Borough Council officers said its elected members should approve the proposal because “it will not detrimentally impact on the character and amenity of the area and surrounding properties, and will not be detrimental to highway safety.”
But councilors decided not to heed this advice and rejected Wai Sang's application. The officially recorded reason for doing so is that it “would have an unacceptable impact on dwellings and other environmentally sensitive properties, to the detriment of the amenities of occupiers.”
More than 140 residents had signed a petition against the increased industrial traffic which they believed the development would bring.
And two letters of objection were also received from nearby steel-pressings company Form Industries, and the head teacher of George Tomlinson school.
They were concerned about increased traffic which would lead to noise, pollution and congestion. A letter from local councillor Derek Burrows objected to increased traffic.
Shipments
This setback for Wai Sang comes just six weeks after it was fined 4,000 for illegal shipping of waste to China and ordered to pay court costs of 2,550, under the Transfrontier Shipment Regulations (see letsrecycle.com story).
| Related links: |
The company had tried to export two containers to China, which contained metal cans and food waste, as well as mixed plastics, but described the shipments as waste plastic only.
The Environment Agency told letsrecycle.com that the containers were stopped at Southampton because of the “smell of rotting waste coming from them”.
Wai Sang was unavailable for comment.
Subscribe for free