Retrospective application for wood processing at site

A RECYCLING centre that has been operating without the correct permission, has submitted a retrospective planning application.

Wood shredding and recycling operations have been ongoing for some time and are regulated by an environmental permit, however the original planning permission granted did not include the processing of wood.

Collard Group has applied to Hampshire County Council for retrospective planning permission to extend the operations of Warren Heath Recycling Facility, in Eversley, from secondary aggregate recycling to include wood processing and recycling.

The facility is responsible for processing construction and demolition waste into recycled and secondary aggregates.

The wood processing area comprises approximately one hectare in the north-west corner of part of the wider recycling site, which, as a whole, has a maximum throughput of 250,000 tonnes per annum.

To the west of the site is the Cemex Bramshill mineral processing facility, with mineral extraction areas and commercial forestry beyond.

The application said the raw waste wood is shredded to size, producing wood chips suitable for power generation in biomass boilers.

The process uses a variety of plants and equipment, such as a Liebherr L24 wheeled excavator, a HAAS 2500 slowspeed shredder, a Terex high-speed shredder 635, and a JCB high-tip loading shovel. Dust suppression is undertaken using a dust boss water cannon and high-powered tractor water bowser and water cannon.

The wood processing area will continue to operate from Mondays to Saturdays between 7.30am and 6pm, except for Saturdays, when it will close at 1pm. There are no anticipated changes to the volumes or types of vehicles that access the site, which would result from the grant of permission for this operation.

Comments on the application, reference HCC/2023/0545, can be made until February 1.