County council gives Broomhills the green light
Dorset County Council s Cabinet has given the go-ahead for a planning application to site a waste management facility at Broomhills, Bridport.
On Wednesday, 7 September, councillors considered the findings of a report assessing Broomhills suitability for a household recycling centre and waste transfer station. The report concluded that out of the top three sites short-listed in September 2010, Broomhills has the greatest development potential (Gore Cross and Miles Cross 2 are the other two frontrunners).
Cabinet unanimously supported this view and agreed the Dorset Waste Partnership should now undertake detailed design work to progress with a planning application for Broomhills. Actual development costs will be fully assessed as part of this work but preliminary estimates indicate it could be around 8m.
Supporting the Highways Agency s and the county council s highways officers preferred junction arrangement, it was also agreed that traffic signals should be installed to provide access to the site.
Negotiations with the landowner to purchase an option on the land will also be concluded.
Dorset County Council s Cabinet member for the environment Robert Gould said:
This is a long running and complex issue but the time has come to move forward. It is not just about saving money but also about the environmental benefits improving our recycling rate and significantly reducing the number of heavy vehicles movements in the west.
Broomhills is not perfect but we ve assessed all potential sites, and the DWP is unanimously agreed it is the most suitable site and the best way forward, so we need to press ahead with a planning application.
I understand the concerns some residents have about the impact on traffic, but the evidence shows we can manage this by providing a signalised junction. A waste transfer station will not generate much additional traffic, as many of them are already taking place.
Dorset Waste Partnership Director Steve Burdis said:
A new waste management centre in Bridport is essential for the future development of waste services in the west of the county. Not only for the long term provision of a household recycling centre in the area but also because taking waste to Wareham in refuse collection vehicles is simply not sustainable or environmental best practice. We are committed to helping deliver a new site and are confident Broomhills is the right site to progress.
I appreciate that residents feel strongly about where the facility should go and as a result pubic information days about the proposed scheme will be held before a planning application is submitted. People will also be able to formally comment during the planning application process.
The provisional timetable of work to progress with a waste management facility is as follows:
Public information days and exhibition spring 2012 Detailed design and planning application autumn 2011 summer 2012 Planning consent granted and land options actioned autumn 2012 Planning application for South Street submitted winter 2012/13 Construction commences winter 2012 Temporary planning consent for South Street expires March 2013 Site operational summer 2014
More information, a copy of the Cabinet report, and supporting documentation (including an indicative site layout and FAQs) are available at www.dorsetforyou.com/Broomhills.
