Nursling Recycling Centre wins approval for expansion

The recycling centre’s proposal doubles the site's size to four hectares, increasing the number of HGV movements and the amount of imported materials.

The scheme for Lee Lane from Collard Group Ltd also requested retrospective planning permission for a picking station – which was built in 2021 without approval.

And the proposal asked councillors to also approve a rise in vehicle movements from 240 vehicles to 350 vehicles, as well as an increase in the amount of waste, materials and aggregate imported from 75,000 tons per annum to 125,000.

Six Station Road residents appeared before the committee in a bid to persuade councillors to reject the plans.

Deborah Clayton, said it is impossible to open the windows of her house due to the noise and amount of dust.

 She said: “I had to reconfigure my house. We no longer spend time in front of the property. We are now trying to spend the majority of the time in the back of the house.

“We can’t have the windows open, even during the heatwave we can’t open our windows; it’s just too noisy.

“I was sold an English cottage, but the area has been converted over the years into an industrial site and as cheap land.”

Fellow resident Ken Wilson said: “I wonder if any of you have stood on the road. You are approving an application today in which residents are talking about speed, dust, and noise; if you actually stand on that road and try to have a conversation, you physically cannot have a conversation due to the noise level.

“Every single day at 6.30am, lorries wake you up; you simply can’t sleep. Our road is being turned into a lorry entrance.

“When I am standing in the living room of my house, the ground shakes when lorries pass. The amount of traffic and dust is ridiculous.

“I’m wondering why we are less important than other county areas where planning applications are refused for exactly the same or for less reasons. Our houses are less important, our community too. By approving, you are destroying everything. I urge you to listen to everyone here today.”

Penelope Gage, a night worker, said there isn’t a single place in her house where she can rest because of the noise.

“I don’t sleep. There is nowhere in my house where I can go to get a rest. The noise, the vibrations, is constant.

“To increase, it would be criminal. Criminal to the countryside, to the residents, and to all of you that are here to do the job of protecting people.

“It is not always about making money. It isn’t always about business rates. It is not always about that. It is about humanity. I’m asking you all to be human.”

Another resident raised the issue of the modular picking station, which required retrospective permission. They said: “The current application includes a retrospective element for a picking station which is already being built and in operation without planning permission.

“What you have been asked to approve today includes the retrospective approval for that picking station, which is one of the reasons the traffic has increased as much as it has and why the neighbours are experiencing disturbances in their lives.”

A Collard Group representative said they pledged to contribute to mitigating road safety issues including supporting the ’20 is plenty campaign’.

Cllr Stephen Philpott asked them to confirm if it was true that they had built a picking station and if they were aware they needed planning consent.

The representative said the structure was installed in 2021 and they weren’t aware it needed permission.

Cllr Meenahag asked if the site owners had any sympathy for the Station Road residents. The representative indicated that they did but that it was difficult and that they felt an opportunity for dialogue had been lost between both parties.

During the debate, the councillors explained that the limits of HGV pollution, noise and movement were already indicated in the first planning application in 2014.

Cllr Mark Cooper said, “In 2014, we set the limits. But here we are saying let’s go beyond the limits. All the officers are saying ‘yes, there will be some mitigations, plan engagements, resolutions to the planning issues’ [..] No, 2014 was ok, let’s stick with that.”

Cllr Alex Crawford and Cllr Roger Price indicated that the planning application couldn’t be approved since the conditions were not acceptable. Cllr Lesley Meenaghan said that without visiting the site, they could not decide.

However, after nearly four hours of discussion, nine councillors voted in favour, with five against, meaning planning permission was granted.

Residents left the hall distressed, with one of them expressing disappointment by saying: “Shame on you all”.