Campaigners welcome ex-brickworks extension refusal

Campaigners objecting to plans to extend operations at a former brickworks have welcomed the county council's decision to refuse them.

Johnson Aggregates Recycling Limited runs a construction and demolition (C&D) and incinerator bottom ash (IBA) recycling plant at the former Saxon Brickworks in Whittlesey, near Peterborough.

The firm applied to increase the amount of C&D and IBA processed at the site from 250,000 tonnes per year to 614,000 tonnes, which would increase the site's HGV traffic from 62 vehicles per day to 332.

On Wednesday, Cambridgeshire County Council's Planning Committee refused the plans and cited that the extension of operations could have an "adverse" impact on the community.

Concerns were raised to the authority over the potential increase in traffic and congestion along the A605 in Whittlesey and its surrounding road infrastructure as a result of more HGVs travelling to and from the site.

The plans - which were originally recommended for approval by officers - were refused following a six-hour council meeting.

The meeting's discussion included input from the county council's public health team, which objected to the plans.

The planning officers said the extension would "intensify the noise and dust and would adversely affect the health and well-being of the local community".

They further added that the development would have an "unacceptable impact" on the highway capacity and air quality on the area.

Some neighbours of the site have spoken of hosing down cars and window sills because of dust they believe has been coming from the site.

About 50 residents from Whittlesey attended the meeting to protest against the plans for the extension.

Clive Vaughan, who lives in the town, told the committee "not to make our lives worse".

He later added he was "pleased" the plans had been refused by the council.

"No objection to Johnson themselves doing what they do. My biggest problem was I don't want them processing this material 200 yards from my house and I don't want them doing it through the night," he added.

Audrey Vaughan, another resident, said she was asthmatic, adding: "I've got a permanent cough, I've got a permanent stuffed nose and it is just not good."

Rod Dolby, who lives 50m (164ft) away from the recycling plant, said he would have been "devastated" if the extension had been approved.

"I asked Johnson if they wanted to buy my house at a reasonable price and they can move in tomorrow because I shall move out, because that's how we feel about it," he said.

John Bradshaw added: "Families live there with young children, there's a housing estate less than 200 yards away and they've got to put up with this if we don't do something about it."

Alan Bessant, from the action group Saxon Gate, said: "I just think it's been a marathon, an exhausting day. It kept swinging backwards and forwards.

"I'm satisfied that a good decision has been made but it's an ongoing process.

"It's really important that so many residents came today. I think that really showed the committee how much the people of Whittlesey are keeping a close watch on this."

BBC approached representatives from Johnson Aggregates Recycling Limited at the meeting, but they did not wish to comment.

The firm has six months to appeal against the decision.

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