Landfill tip's time extension granted in Shropshire after "no committee member was willing" to fight the case
A landfill tip has been allowed to continue operating until 2030 after a council case against it collapsed.
Planning committee members had refused permission to allow the Granville Landfill site, in Grange Lane, Redhill, Telford, back in March.
The issue was set to be decided by a Whitehall planning inspector but it did not get that far as officers say no member of the planning committee was willing to stand up and defend the decision.
"The local planning authority has given consideration to the ability to robustly be able to defend this at appeal," said planning officers in their decision notice this month.
"Specifically the matter was considered by planning committee on March 15 2023.
"In light of there being no robust evidence to support the view of ‘a detrimental impact upon the amenities of existing and future residents in the vicinity of the landfill,’ no committee member was willing to represent the LPA at appeal, and it was concluded that the LPA was unable to defend the previous reasons for refusal.
"Accordingly, the LPA has not requested the applicant to address the previous reason for refusal and accordingly, in making the recommendation has balanced the decision against other material planning matters."
The planning committee had rejected the application because it "would have a detrimental impact upon the amenities of existing and future residents in the vicinity of the landfill."
During previous decisions of the plans last year planning officials at Telford & Wrekin Council strongly backed Potters Group’s plans to keep burying waste at Granville Landfill site, off Grange Lane, Redhill, Telford, until December 31, 2030.
Previously submitted plans had drawn local criticism from councillors who brought up a dislike of rubbish being brought over from Welshpool, in “another country” and even raised the spectre of the Aberfan colliery tip disaster in 1966 which killed 116 children and 28 adults.
The committee heard that all councils have a duty to co-operate with others over the provision of landfill.
One officer told the elected members that even in Telford & Wrekin they can’t recycle everything and some waste still has to be buried in the ground. The council even sends some waste to Shrewsbury and Wolverhampton to waste to energy plants, members were told.
One planner said: “Zero waste to landfill is not yet and achievable goal.”
Council officers noted that matters relating to odour, air quality and other environmental matters relating landfill processes are controlled by separate legislation and are a matter for the Environment Agency.
The report added that the application does not seek to alter the amount of waste permitted in a calendar year or vary the size of the site.
Planners said; "The main change is that any existing impacts would be over a longer period than was originally envisaged. Notwithstanding this, the applicant has recognised that their current rate of tipping is lower than the levels permitted in the consent and for that reason have agreed to reduce the daily limit by 150 tonnes.
"This reduced figure reduces the chances of a larger number of vehicles attending the site on any single day, however this still remains dependent on the weight of material within each vehicle."
Planners also noted that planning permission for hundreds of new homes would have been granted in the knowledge that there is a landfill tip there. New homes are being contrusted at the corner of Redhill Way (currently being constructed by Vistry Homes) and the Priorslee Urban Extension (currently being constructed by Miller Homes)
And as far as traffic is concerned they say issues relating to the noise and fumes from passing HGV lorries are noted,
But they add: "However, as an existing use that does not intend to alter any other condition(s) relating to the use of the site or that increase the daily/annual tonnage limits, any impact would remain unchanged from that already approved."
