Residents win time in planning battle

ANGRY residents fighting proposals for increased operating hours at a Warrington recycling plant have been given more time to gather evidence.
People living near the ADS Recycling plant in Camsley Lane, Lymm dispute the company’s claim that they have been breaching planning conditions for 10 years.
But neither they, nor the borough council, has any evidence to support their argument.
Planning chiefs have deferred a decision on the issue to give residents time to find evidence.
ADS has applied for a lawful development certificate on the grounds that two planning conditions have been breached for more than 10 years and are therefore unenforceable.
They have produced signed witness statements to support their application.
The conditions restrict working hours and the unloading of waste materials to a transfer building.
Local councillor Graham Welborn (pictured) says neighbours dispute that the conditions have been constantly breached for 10 years – especially between 1992-2002 when there were few complaints about the company.
Residents say complaints re working hours have increased over the last 2-3 years as the volume of work has increased.
They say there has been an increase in noise and early morning traffic over the last 12 months.
Cllr Welborn says the original conditions were laid down to protect residential amenity and still apply – only more so because ADS has expanded enormously.
“The rights of these neighbours are being ignored if this breach is allowed,” he said.
So far residents have been unable to produce substantial evidence that the breaches have not taken place.