Council and democracy

Agenda item

Linford Household Waste & Recycling Centre - Site Redevelopment Update

Minutes:

Daren Spring, Assistant Director of Street Scene and Leisure, presented the report which provided Members with an update on the progress of the redevelopment of the Household Waste and Recycling Centre at Linford. Daren Spring stated it was intended for the planning application to be heard at the January 2019 Planning Committee following the planning application being submitted on the 5 October 2018.

 

The Chair stated that Members had attended a site visit and how impressed they had been with the changes made since the site had been brought back in house in June 2017.  Members had the opportunity to talk to staff who stated they were happy to be now working for Thurrock Council. The Chair thanked all the staff for their involvement and enthusiasm. The Chair suggested a road sweeper be used on the site.

 

The Chair questioned whether the new redevelopment site would be big enough based on the proposed Local Plan and the forecasted population increase into the borough. The Chair questioned whether in the future a further site may be required.

 

Julie Rogers, Director of Environment and Highways, stated that based on the contractors forecasted figures, the design, the feasibility studies and the use of the currently unlicensed area  of land to the side of the current site the proposed scheme would address the needs of the borough. Julie Rogers stated that the needs would be continually monitored and progress reports would be brought back to the Committee.

 

The Chair questioned how fly-tipping would be monitored when the redevelopment work was being undertaken. Julie Rogers advised fly tips are already monitored on a regular basis.  Previous work had illustrated the majority of commercial waste being presented at the site was coming from out of borough, since the permitting scheme was introduced the monitoring had not shown increase, as was presented to a previous Cleaner Greener and Safer Committee. The Chair also questioned the need for a temporary site while redevelopment work took place. Julie Rogers stated that the safety of staff and residents was paramount whilst the redevelopment work was being undertaken.  As plans progressed and development schedules were better understood the Director of Environment and Highways would be clearer about the position and would report back to the Committee in this regard.

 

Councillor Fletcher agreed that monitoring of fly-tipping was crucial whilst the re-development work was being undertaken. Julie Rogers stated that fly-tipping was monitored on a regular basis based on the criteria set by DEFRA. Julie Rogers stated that a consideration going forward and subject to planning application would be a small trade element being introduced onto the site.

 

Councillor Lawrence stated how impressed she had been when visiting the Linford site and how friendly the staff had been.

 

Julie Rogers thanked Councillor Lawrence for the feedback and would pass back to the teams.

 

Councillor Abbas questioned how the facilities would cope with the proposed increase to houses in the borough. Julie Rogers stated that the feasibility study undertaken would accommodate the borough’s needs and that monitoring would continue and if concerns arose an alternative site could be considered at that time.

 

Julie Rogers thanked her Officers for the good reports that had been presented tonight. The Chair seconded that.

 

RESOLVED

 

That the Cleaner Greener and Safer Overview and Scrutiny Committee noted the report.

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