A bid to keep a waste recycling plant near two Isle of Wight villages has encountered opposition from a parish council.
Roger Morgan’s application for planning permission to continue siting a mobile crushing plant for recycling waste building materials at Knighton Sandpit is facing an objection from Newchurch Parish Council.
Knighton Sandpit is north west of Alverstone and north east of Newchurch.
A renewal and ‘exactly the same’ as previous applications
Mr Morgan’s proposal is a renewal and ‘exactly the same’ as previous applications to keep the plant on-site that stretch back to 1999, according to a Design, Access and Heritage Statement submitted by Nova Architectural on the applicant’s behalf.
NPC: Site unsuitable due to the use of country lanes by large vehicles to access it
Gareth Hughes, clerk at Newchurch Parish Council, said,
“At its meeting on 16th December 2024, Newchurch Parish Council resolved to object to this application as the site is unsuitable due to the use of country lanes by large vehicles to access it and the associated impact on highway safety including the ever-increased heavy traffic it is creating.
“This is adding to hazards at the top of Knighton Shute, damage to road surfaces etc.
“Continuous temporary applications are effectively making this situation permanent and alternative sites should be examined for this continued activity.”
No other objections
Suz Greenwood, a planning advisory at the Environment Agency, said the public body has no objection to Mr Morgan’s proposal.
The Isle of Wight council last gave permission for the plant to remain at Knighton Sandpit in November 2014, which is due to expire in February next year.
Conditions attached to the approval included development being in line with submitted plans and time restrictions on plant operations.
Regulations relating to the storage of materials, waste and hazardous substances, drainage, the location of the plant within the site and vehicle cleaning were also included in the permission.
View the plans
You can view the plans on the council’s planning register (24/01668/FUL).
The public consultation runs until 15th January 2025.
This article is from the BBC’s LDRS (Local Democracy Reporter Service) scheme, which News OnTheWight is taking part in. Some alterations and additions may have been made by OnTheWight. Ed
