Ifield concrete crushing plant refused

Plans to build a temporary concrete crushing plant in Ifield have been refused by West Sussex County Council.

The application included a soil recycling facility and was planned for land at Kilmarnock Farm, in Charlwood Road.

During a meeting on Tuesday (July 7), members of the planning committee voted unanimously to refuse it, with concerns raised about the estimated 30 HGVs which would go to and from the site each day – and the suitability of the road to cope.

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Richard Symonds, of the Ifield Society, opposed the plans on the grounds of ‘road safety and common sense’, describing it as ‘beyond lethal’.

Describing the conditions along Charlwood Road, he said: “It’s a very busy, narrow country road with numerous double bends and no pavements.

“This dangerous stretch of road has essentially become a rat run for many drivers. Any walker, jogger or cyclist would be ill-advised to venture along it.”

The application was for five years and would have seen up to 75,000 tonnes of inert construction and demolition waste processed each year.

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The site sits within the area of land safeguarded for a future runway at Gatwick Airport.

Gatwick, along with Rusper Parish Council, Horsham District Council, and Crawley Borough Council all objected to the plans.

There were concerns from some that the applicant – PJ Brown Construction Ltd – planned to make the site permanent in the future.

Recommending the application be refused, a report presented by James Neave, county planning manager, described access to the site as ‘unsuitable’.

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It said: “It has not been demonstrated that the development would not give rise to an adverse impact on the safety of all road users.”

The report added: “The proposed development would result in a significant increase in the level of activity in the countryside and would be of a scale, nature and design that would have a harmful impact upon the rural character of the locality.”

Members agreed and the application was refused.

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