Council will pay to fight recycling plant plans
A VILLAGE parish council is prepared to stump up £30,000 to fight controversial plans to build a recycling plant.
Earlier this month the Worcester News revealed residents in Norton, near Worcester, agreed to allow Norton-Juxta-Kempsey Parish Council to more than double their Council Tax precept to raise £30,000 for possible legal action if Worcestershire County Council approved Mercia Waste Management's plans to build a recycling centre in the village's Woodbury Lane.
Now the parish council has announced it has almost £30,000 which the J7-Waste Action Group, set up to fight the proposals, can use should it be necessary.
Parish council chairman Michael Reeves said he does not think the application will be approved.
"The site being proposed for this sort of development is totally unsuitable," he said.
"It's inconceivable that planners could approve such a scheme for a development within one or 200 metres of private residential homes and a nursing home for the elderly."
Mr Reeves did not want to say where the money had come from.
"It's investments which have been accrued through prudent handling of parish council affairs over the years," he said.
"The reason we are doing it this way is because we are very conscious of people with fixed incomes and old age pensioners within the parish who may find an increase in their council tax to meet this call for funds a burden."
He said the money would be recovered by increasing the precepts gradually over the years.
Had the 2008/2009 precept increased, the £26 cost on a band D property would have more than doubled to about £58.
The Worcester News has followed the action group's campaign against the plans to build a centre capable of handling 105,000 tonnes of material annually from Worcestershire and Herefordshire.
Members fear the site will cause pollution, traffic problems and devalue homes.
Spokesman David Crosby said he was pleased with the parish council's decision.
"I think it's a solution where everybody is a winner," he said.
Ian Barber, spokesman for Mercia Waste Management said: "It's an industrial use on allocated industrial employment land and it already has planning permission for industrial-type development.
"If it wasn't adequately allocated land I could understand why people might not think it's suitable."
11:58am Tuesday 1st May 2007
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CommentPosted by: Global Warming Instead of This, Worcestershire on 12:33pm Tue 1 May 07
People should think about global warming prevention instead of some tip issue,seeing as April was the hottest April on record also now.
People should think about global warming prevention instead of some tip issue,seeing as April was the hottest April on record also now.
Posted by: JCV on 4:50pm Tue 1 May 07
Nimbyism in all its glory.
The Bilford Rd recycling facility is right in the middle of a residential area the planning for its ugrade was passed-- Havent seen many complaints in the Worcester News about that one
Nimbyism in all its glory.
The Bilford Rd recycling facility is right in the middle of a residential area the planning for its ugrade was passed-- Havent seen many complaints in the Worcester News about that one
Posted by: Observant one, worcester on 8:54am Wed 2 May 07
Try opening your eyes.
There has been plenty of comment about it.
Try opening your eyes.
There has been plenty of comment about it.
Posted by: realist on 12:58pm Wed 2 May 07
Surely modern waste disposal facilities should be on industrial land and away from residential areas?
It`s time we saw through this privatisation nonsense and took back control of sensitive matters like waste disposal from the capitalists and their supporters in politics.
Surely modern waste disposal facilities should be on industrial land and away from residential areas?
It`s time we saw through this privatisation nonsense and took back control of sensitive matters like waste disposal from the capitalists and their supporters in politics.
Posted by: Chris Morag, Littleworth on 12:31am Mon 14 May 07
Outline permission was given for 22 light industrial units. This would have provided employment. The buildings would have countered the planners folly adjoining. The loss of amenity does not compare. Allocated use can change - the former industrial site at Sixways that housed Cosworth will now be used for offices!
Outline permission was given for 22 light industrial units. This would have provided employment. The buildings would have countered the planners folly adjoining. The loss of amenity does not compare. Allocated use can change - the former industrial site at Sixways that housed Cosworth will now be used for offices!
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