Comments about the proposed asphalt plant are continuing be added to the Isle of Wight council planning Website.
In the last few days residents have left comprehensive comments regarding the predicted noise levels at the asphalt plant.
Tony Robins, a Chartered Engineer living in East Cowes, raises some interesting points in his latest objection to the application (added 21/12/12).
Inadequate comparisons
He says, “Firstly, the applicant now gives details of the 8 other asphalt plants that he previously referred to as possibly similar enough to allow sample noise levels to be taken from. However, it now seems that none of these is typical enough, in other words, the applicant cannot find another plant in either this country or Ireland that is achieving anything like the noise levels that they are claiming they will achieve in this application.
“Indeed, the noise levels are obviously not even close enough for the applicant to demonstrate that, with some sensible, practical attenuating measures, their claimed levels will achieved.”
Insufficient acoustic lining
He goes on to point out that the housing planned for the machinery, would not, in his view, help with the reduction of noise levels, “There is not one single attribute in the housing shown that would contribute to noise reduction that is apparent.
“There is no acoustic lining shown, and for impact sounds of gravel tipping into steel hoppers, a lining at least 100mm thick of a high density mineral fibre is essential to provide sound absorption within the enclosure and to improve its sound transmission loss. Without a lining the enclosure will be reverberant magnifying the sound rather than reducing it.”
“Unreliable data”
More points are raised in the objection letter on the council’s Website, but Mr Robins finishes with a plea to the planning officer, “Please refuse this application as the data that you have been provided with is not reliable and there is no doubt that the noise levels from the plant, if it is built, will be considerably higher than the applicants predictions.”
U-turn from planning officer?
The pattern of inconsistencies being pointed out continues with an objection from Anthony King, another East Cowes resident (23/12/12).
Mr King refers to paperwork from September which states that the planning officer was not satisfied that the “suggested noise conditions are appropriate”. Yet in paperwork provided by the applicant at the end of October, showing no changes to the recommended noise conditions, the planning officer appears to suddenly be in agreement.
Confused by the about turn, Mr King asks, “What happened at that meeting on 30th October to suddenly convince officers that the applicant’s suggested noise conditions, for many months considered inappropriate, were agreeable after all and that the Council’s own long established standard noise conditions should be abandoned?”
He goes on to layout inconsistencies in data provided and gives more detail on the predicted noise levels in his objection on the council’s Website.
Image: Andrew Starwarz under CC BY 2.0
