Traffic concerns over fresh plans for Ford recycling plant

The Materials Recycling Facility (MRF), off Ford Road, is operated by Viridor on behalf of West Sussex County Council and takes all the county’s household recycling, with waste mechanically sorted and separated, baled up, and then transported to reprocessors for manufacturing.

Currently the plant recycles waste collected by West Sussex’s district and borough councils and generates an income.

But since it has surplus capacity Viridor has submitted an application to WSCC to vary the condition to its previously agreed planning application allowing it to accept material from outside West Sussex.

The Ford MDF has permission to process up to 100,000 tonnes of recyclable material a year, but the forecast total amount for 2015/16 is only 74,400 tonnes.

Its planning statement reads: “The application submission has demonstrated that the proposal would not prejudice the treatment co-mingled recyclable material arising within West Sussex, nor would it lead to the facility operating above its existing permitted capacity in terms of annual tonnage and vehicle movements.

“The proposal would therefore not lead to any additional detrimental impacts above the existing operational parameters, whilst providing added benefit through the agreed royalty payments to be made to West Sussex County Council for every tonne of third party waste received by the facility.”

Several residents have already written in to object.

One Climping resident said the amount of lorries using Church Lane had risen significantly and said the road had become ‘more and more dangerous’ over the last ten years.

Another Climping resident felt that any more traffic would be ‘unnecessary and dangerous to road users’, while another objector called for the application to be refused and for a more suitable site outside West Sussex to be found to take the extra rubbish.

Meanwhile Yapton Parish Council had concerns about the relaxation of condition 24.

In its response as a consultee it said it did ‘not object as such’, but urged WSCC to use the opportunity to ensure Viridor updated its traffic management plan for the site, and it also sought to make sure that the maximum capacity of the facility remained at 100,000 tonnes a year.

To comment visit http://www.westsussex.gov.uk/planning using code WSCC/009/16/F.

Consultation ends on April 7.

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