The facility is to be built on the site of a former abattoir and operated by waste management company Veolia Environmental Services.
” Some people in the local area have objected to the facility, but the site has been identified as the only one suitable for this use. “
– Brighton & Hove council
Veolia originally applied for planning permission for the project in December 2004, but the application was turned down.
A fresh attempt at planning permission – with the capacity of the MRF reduced from 200,000 tones to 160,000 tonnes – was approved by the council's planning sub-committee on Monday.
The MRF is to deal with materials collected through kerbside recycling schemes and at household waste recycling centres, while the transfer station will receive general residual refuse.
The city council said both buildings will include noise, odour and dust suppression systems.
A council spokesperson said: “The planning committee acknowledges that some people in the local area have objected to the facility, but the site has been identified as the only one suitable for this use in the city. The facility is vital to Brighton & Hove's waste management, improving the city's recycling rates and meeting waste targets.”
Capacity
The materials recycling facility and waste transfer station will each still have the same capacity as originally planned, the MRF at 80,000 tonnes and the transfer station at 120,000. But according to Jeanette Buckle, spokeswoman for Veolia, the two facilities will not be able to run at full capacity together.
“We have had to be more positive on waste growth and assume that it will not increase past 160,000 tonnes. If it does maybe we will have to apply for a new planning application,” she said.
It is now planned for the facilities to be built and begin operating during 2007.
Commenting on the decision to accept the application, Chris Maltbaek, managing director of Veolia Environmental Services, said: “This is great news for recycling in Brighton and Hove.
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“This facility is central to assisting the town in minimising landfill by delivering significant increases in recycling and enable waste and recyclables to be bulked up to minimise traffic and we look forward to taking the development forward as soon as possible,” Mr Maltbaek said.
Veolia believe that the Hollingdean facility is crucial in order to cut down on the distances travelled by collection vehicles. Residual waste produced by householders will need to be taken out of the county after 2008, and without a bulking station all vehicles would have to make long distance trips.
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