The company has submitted an appeal to the Planning Inspectorate against the decision to refuse planning permission for a 100,000 tonnes a year capacity MRF, for Grundon's integrated waste management facility at Wingmoor Farm.
” We were completely baffled at the time by the decision to refuse planning permission for the proposed MRF “
– Paul Wormald, Grundon
Grundon submitted the application in April 2004, but members of the planning committee rejected the application, against the advice of its officers, in February 2005.
Gloucestershire said today that the decision was initially refused because of odours that the specific type of technology was likely to produce and additional traffic problems that would be incurred because of the site.
The decision was made despite the site being identified as a preferred location in the county's own waste disposal plan.
The plant would have taken PET and HDPE plastic, glass, aluminium, steel, paper, card and newspaper. It would also have had the potential to accept municipal or trade and commercial waste.
Baffled
Only last week Grundon opened a MRF at Randall Road in Leatherhead, to take waste from Mole Valley council and other nearby authorities.
Paul Wormald, Grundon Estates Surveyor, said: “We were completely baffled at the time by the decision to refuse planning permission for the proposed MRF. This decision flew in the face of the comprehensive officer's report – which already carefully considered all the apparent reasons for refusal – and still recommended approval.
“At a time when local authorities are struggling to reach mandatory recycling targets, it seems completely bizarre for members to override their professional officers' recommendations, particularly for an application on a preferred site in their own waste disposal plan,” he added.
Grundon also pointed out that as the site already housed the county's landfill the increase would be minimal. Vehicles coming onto the site would deliver to the MRF rather than the landfill and any waste coming out of the MRF would go straight into the landfill next door.
According to Grundon, the only increase in vehicles would come from those collecting recyclables and taking them away from the site.
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Gloucestershire county council said that it was currently putting together a timeline for the appeal.
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