Permit for asphalt plant being recommended by Environmental Health (updated)

Further to the public consultation that took place near the end of last year, Eurovia’s application for a permit to operate an asphalt plant at Medina Wharf will be heard by the Regulatory Committee next week.

The paper work, embedded below for your convenience, states that an “Environmental Permit application has been submitted for the Hot Asphalt Mixing Plant only”.

This sort of permit would normally be decided by delegated powers, the report says, but due to large public interest in this development, the “Head of Planning and Regulatory services has considered that it is appropriate for the Regulatory Committee to determine this application”.

Environmental Health recommends that the Permit be granted with conditions.

Residents are invited to attend the meeting being held at County Hall on Monday 25th February from 10am.

Response from campaigners
Julia Hill from WRAP told OnTheWight, “This represents only a small part of the overall application and the recommendation is heavily conditioned. The environmental health recommendation for the planning application itself is for refusal. Our biggest concerns with regards to air quality have always related to the crusher and recycling unit for toxic road planings; We have campaigned for this to be recognised as a permanent part of the proposed plant and the environmental health officer has said in this report it cannot be operated under a mobile licence from another authority; this is fantastic news for the campaign.

“We are extremely concerned that the IW Council have no actual measurements of air quality in the Cowes area, just computer modelling. Without real measurements we feel this application should be deferred because they cannot make an informed decision. With asthma rates an unexplained 39% higher than the national average real air quality measurements should be insisted upon by the public.”