‘Noise and smell’ waste site row
COUNCIL chiefs insist the expansion of a recycling depot does NOT equate to creation of a controversial waste transfer site.
Fed-up residents say they knew nothing about the planned redevelopment of Rossendale council’s depot on Henrietta Street, Bacup, which they claim is causing noise disturbance and “horrendous” smells.
One resident said they were “shocked” upon returning to their home after being away to see “a fully operational waste transfer station” - something which 150 residents successfully campaigned against and blocked 11 years ago.
However, the council have confirmed the planning approval of recycling bays at the depot exactly 12 months ago this week, does not constitute a waste transfer station.
This is despite a procurement document on their website seeking tenders for the “installation of new recycling waste transfer station at Henrietta Street Depot, Bacup”.
It’s understood the document was ‘badly worded’.
Three new planning applications - to increase the height of the recycling bays by 1.8m, add trash netting, and to construct a retractable roof and 30m long, 5m high protective fence with anti-trash nettings - are pending consideration. The council says they are site “improvements”, and acknowledge residents’ concerns.
Pam Bamford said the council bin yard is directly behind their house on Rochdale Road.
She said: “They tried this several years ago, but after receiving numerous objections they decided against it. It started out as just a storage place for the bin wagons and wheelie bins.
“Now, however, bin waste is emptied and stored here overnight, as is street waste. In summer the smell alone is horrendous; they now wish to make the lego bays larger to hold more waste. The problem also arises when the waste is left over the weekend or overnight. Apart from anything else, it’s also a breeding ground for vermin.”
The development control committee approved the revamp of the depot on March 17, 2020. Councillors unanimously granted conditional approval for two concrete recycling bays for storing recyclable materials. The officer’s report stated that 17 letters were sent to residents six weeks earlier, with no objections.
Resident Mark O’Neill said: “They say that there were no complaints, and carried on. Unfortunately I cannot find any resident that had received this letter, plus I can guarantee that some one would have said something and sent representations to the planning office.”
Mr O’Neill said he and his wife had to self-isolate at their holiday home last summer due to mitigating health reasons - and the full scale of the development only came to light upon their return.
“I was shocked to see a fully operational waste transfer station,” he said.
“The neighbourhood say it smells during the summer, can’t use their gardens because of the smell and the noise. On a windy day waste flies everywhere. In the small waste store area there are piles of normal household waste - probably rat infested. It just seems unfair that the council can do this to us, and now we have received another letter and it seems they want to make it even bigger.”
Mr O’Neill’s neighbour Lynda Melvin said the council began the work at the start of the pandemic last year.
She said: “As no-one was aware on the row about these plans it’s quite obvious why we didn’t object. Going back to the very first time we objected to the station, we were assured that the exact thing they have done would not be done.
“Not to mention the smell and bluebottles that this causes in the summer months, the waste gets blown into the river.”
Bacup Conservative councillor Peter Steen said: “I’ve had a number of complaints about rubbish blowing around and noise, which I’ve relayed to [council] officers. The residents are pretty annoyed.”
The council say they have had a Waste Management Licence since 1997.
A spokesperson said: “The original application for recycling bays was to allow the transfer of recyclable materials, and was passed through planning in March 2020. Following further feedback, the council want to make further improvements to the site to minimise recycling leaving the enclosed area. To do this we have an application in to add netting and a further two applications to add a roof to the area to the recycling bays. This should limit any recycling escaping the area which we understand is a concern of some residents. The netting will also ensure recycling does not enter the river at the site.
“With our waste management licence, we have always had the ability to transfer recyclable materials. Applying for planning permission to construct recycling bays does not equate to gaining permission for a waste transfer site.”