MP Helen Jones has added her voice to the chorus of those worried about plans to build a waste transfer station on Winwick Road, Warrington.
The Warrington North MP feels the location of the site, opposite the Orford Jubilee Hub, on the busy A49 would lead to significant traffic problems on a road which is often very congested.
She was speaking after local councillor Mike Hannon had raised similar concerns.
Ms Jones said: “There will clearly be increased traffic on an already congested road. At present the council cannot tell me exactly at what times the station will operate because the company who will run the site haven’t yet been appointed, and won’t be for ‘the next year or so.’
“In addition the answers I have received about possible increased noise and smells from the site have not been reassuring. No guarantees are being given at this stage.
“With regard to noise, the current estimate is that in the day it will increase but not ‘noticeably’, whatever that might mean; and at night there is a chance that some ventilation machinery will be heard.
“The council admit that the waste ‘can be smelly to deal with.’ They promise to work hard to make sure smells are reduced to ‘an absolute minimum’, again whatever that means. In addition, the question about possible problems with vermin has not been addressed at all.
“It seems to me that the council are seeking to approve this venture before we have answers to the questions many residents are asking. Quite often, in these cases, the reassurances given about traffic, noise, smells and vermin before a site becomes operational do not live up to the reality of the situation when the site is up and running. Local residents deserve to have definitive answers before any final decision is made.“
Orford Councillor Morgan Tarr added: “I also have many serious reservations about the impact that this will have on local residents. I am particularly concerned about the smells from the station and the
increased traffic on the A49, which is congested at the best of times. At this point the council do not appear to have any answers to these concerns, other than to say that they will do their best to minimise the impact on residents. I do not think that this is acceptable and unless there are major changes I will be objecting to these plans when they come before the planning committee”.
A borough council spokesperson said: “Traffic assessments have shown that the worst case scenario for the extra traffic at the site would be an increase of less than one per cent. So – in this worst case scenario – each journey on Winwick road would be delayed by less than a second.
“The site operator would be required to implement an equivalent environmental management system, which among other measures would control litter and potential to attract pests. Waste would not be stored at the site for long periods.”
MP joins chorus of voices against proposed waste transfer station
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2 Comments
No mention by anyone about the impact on the Warrington Community Transport that would be surrounded by crap on three sides its almost as if the politicians and council couldn’t care less about the service or perhaps they don’t know it exidts!
It’s a shame that Helen forgot to include the two other Orford ward councillors in this story rather than just give a plug to her employee Morgan Tarr. Just when you thought that she had embraced a new kind of politics, one that involved teamwork in the local scene, it looks like she has quickly slipped back into old habits and playing the old divisive games. A case of one step forwards but two incredibly large steps back. By the way, is there any news yet on whether Helen has agreed to meet to meet with NHS bosses following their invite to her to get around the table with them? Or is she conveniently hoping that the story and that invitation from the NHS in particular has slipped under the public’s radar?