TOWN Hall planning bosses at Warrington have agreed to vary some conditions attached to the final closure of the giant Risley landfill site – but are insisting that the final deadline of October 19 next year be adhered to.
Members of the borough council’s planning committee approved an application by tip operators Biffa for amendments to allow them to retain equipment on site until eight weeks prior to the closure.
Biffa wanted to omit the date from the wording of the amendment – and this raised fears among nearby residents, parish councils and planning officers that the company was anticipating the deadline would not be met.
As a result, the committee decided the date should be retained in the wording.
Over the years there have been repeated applications to extend the life of the tip at Silver Lane, Risley, which, residents claim, causes a loss of amenity because of noise, smells, flies, heavy traffic, etc.
There has been considerable anger that planners have allowed tipping to continue well beyond the original expected life of the tip.
A variety of excuses have been put forward for extending the life of the facility – including the recession causing a shortage of materials for tipping.
The new application related to a requirement that all plant and machinery used to remediate contaminated soils used for restoring the site be removed at least eight weeks prior to October 19 next year.
Biffa want to change the wording so that it became “at least eight weeks prior to the restoration of the site”.
Planning officers agreed that objectors had raised a “valid concern” and recommended the date be retained to reinforce the council’s expectation that the target be met.
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TOWN Hall planning bosses at Warrington have agreed to vary some
conditions attached to the final closure of the giant Risley landfill
site - but are insisting that the final deadline of October 19 next year
be adhered to.
Planners stand firm on tip deadline
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Gary Skentelbery
Experienced journalist for more than 40 years. Managing Director of magazine publishing group with three in-house titles and on-line daily newspaper for Warrington. Experienced writer, photographer, PR consultant and media expert having written for local, regional and national newspapers. Specialties: PR, media, social networking, photographer, networking, advertising, sales, media crisis management. Chair of Warrington Healthwatch Director Warrington Chamber of Commerce Patron Tim Parry Johnathan Ball Foundation for Peace. Trustee Warrington Disability Partnership. Former Chairman of Warrington Town FC.
8 Comments
As a member of the committee – I remember BIFFA giving us assurance of dates last year and the promise that their schedule would be monitored by our planning department.
BIFFA agreed to the dates.
Theyknew what the conditions were and would be so they have no excuse for not meeting the agreed dates.
They have been given more than enough time to adjust and deliver on time as agreed!!!!
Can anyone tell me what penalties are available if the date is missed?
Yes Geoff. It’s just a shame that planners only act tough in certain cases. Other individuals can apparently commit breaches over a seventeen year period with no action. Any idea why that might be?
Probably remiss of me I know but I should have asked (and I may have but have since forgotten) about penalties when we were pushing for conditions. I will ask next meeting by which time I should have received a report that I asked for about monitoring of this site and others.
As for breaches – (something that is being asked about me currently but not in a planning context) – I belive in planning terms if so many years have gone by you can apply for retrospective planning certificate/consent and possibly get it – that is the planning law.
My economics lecturer used to say to me ‘The more you learn about economics the more you realise how much you still have to learn’ I now realise that this also applies to planning.
Glad to see the Planners standing firm on this issue. I hope that our Councillors endorse this. The Councillors have just got to get a grip of the Planning Dept. Are we any nearer the review into the destroyed documents, I wonder?
Maybe so, but that doesn’t really answer why repeated breaches were ignored for 17 years in the case of Marton Close. This isn’t going to go away.
I would imagine it will take some time, but I trust the councilors will deliver the enquiry. Not to do so will be unacceptable to the electorate.
I only became aware of the case this year which is why I voted the way I did – I couldn’t believe the situation. Having said that I made my decision on my visit and reading the documentation before me. I can’t comment on what went on before.