Protestor says council has 'ridden roughshod' over objections to new wood processing plant near Chesterfield

Derbyshire County Council’s planning committee recently approved Silva Recycling Limited’s planning application to build a wood processing facility off Mansfield Road, Corbriggs, near Chesterfield, with associated roads and the demolition of a former office building and workshop.

Despite criticism, county council planners have stated that they fully considered concerns from 21 members of the public and NE Derbyshire District Council about disruptions, an expansion into the countryside and an estimated 352 weekly lorry movements before giving the go-ahead for the plant at a committee meeting on July 31.

Concerned and disappointed resident Alan Wood, of Corbriggs, stated in a letter to county council leader Barry Lewis: “This latest planning application has increased the waste area yet again and brought it up to the boundary of the highway.

“It has ridden roughshod over the recommendation of NE Derbyshire District Council to reject. It has increased the development area and will encroach onto a paddock area.”

Representations from the public and an objection from the district council to the county council included a wide range of issues concerning feared disruption and the expansion of a development into the countryside.

Public concerns included; an argument that other more suitable industrial sites were available; the impact on highways relating to the volume of HGVs; the suitability of Mansfield Road for additional HGV traffic; that HGV movements would be unacceptable and harmful to residents; and that no vehicle emissions survey was submitted.

Other concerns included the feared impact on the environment relating to: air quality and dust; a risk of fire from the storage of timber; noise due to a busy operation with residents living near the site; light pollution; the impact on land stability; the loss of grassland and trees; ground contamination; and the impact on the health and wellbeing of residents.

NE Derbyshire District Council objected on the grounds that the development would expand beyond an outlined employment area and into a paddock resulting in the loss of natural tree screening along the north west edge of the area and that this would alter the surrounding area’s character.

The district council also raised concerns that insufficient information had been submitted in relation to the impact of the development on neighbouring residents in terms of noise and dust, and that vehicle movements would create an impact on the safe and free flow of traffic.

Temple Normanton Parish Council also objected to the planning application on the grounds of increased vehicle congestion, potential danger, and night-time noise.

In September, 2020, the county council had previously given approval for the site to operate a waste transfer station to allow the storage and bulking-up of dry recyclables collected from NE Derbyshire District Council, Chesterfield and Bolsover’s kerbside collections but this use ceased in February, 2021.

This former operation was situated on the eastern side of the B6039 Mansfield Road and included the overnight parking of refuse collection vehicles, the installation of a vehicle weighbridge, two storage containers and the siting of a cabin.

County council officers stressed that the county council planning committee’s approval for Silva Recycling Ltd’s wood processing facility will be subject to conditions to protect the area, reduce noise, avoid an eyesore, safeguard residents, minimise disturbance and control emissions.

Activities will only be allowed to take place during certain hours including: Between 6am to 7am for pre-start inspections; 7am – 7pm for waste processing and HGV movements except on Sundays and Bank Holidays; 8am to 6pm for waste processing and HGV movements on Sundays and Bank Holidays; 7pm to 8pm for housekeeping; 8pm to 10pm for end of shift inspections, refuelling plant, maintenance and servicing; 7pm to 7am for up to four HGV movements in any period which involves exchanging trailers.

Stockpiles of processed and unprocessed wood waste will also not be allowed to exceed four metres in height, and wood waste shall not exceed 75,000 tonnes per yeare and no more than 6,000 tonnes of wood waste can be stored on the site at any one time.

Daily records of HGV movements will also have to be maintained and made available for inspection by the waste planning authority, and any external lighting can only be installed in accordance with a lighting report.

Dust management will also have to be undertaken in accordance with a plan and the operator must give notification to the waste planning authority of any proposed changes which will be subject to approval.

And a noise management plan has to be submitted and approved by the waste planning authority before developments can begin.

The county council feels there will be benefits from the processing operation involving the storage, shredding, screening and separation of wood wastes before they are exported and recycled for the manufacture of panel boards.

A county council spokesman stated: “The benefits of the proposed development if subject to appropriate controls by conditions and planning obligation would outweigh the disbenefits.”