Another Viridor bid for recycle facility at Ford

CAMPAIGNERS are gearing up for a renewed fight against proposals for a controversial waste recycling site at Ford,

Just six months after its original plans for a materials recycling facility (MRF) were turned down by the county council, Viridor, the county's waste management partner, has submitted a fresh planning application for the same location.

Overwhelming opposition from Arun District and parish and town councils including Ford, Yapton, Climping, Littlehampton, Arundel and Middleton persuaded the county planning committee to reject the scheme in February, but now it's back.

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County councillor for Middleton Christina Freeman, whose division also includes Yapton, Climping and Ford, said yesterday (Wednesday) that allowing the facility to be built would have a "devastating" effect on the quality of life of residents.

High on the list of concerns is the impact the site would have on already congested roads in the area, with lorries bringing waste to the site to be sorted, and then taking it elsewhere for further processing.

However, Viridor said this week its new application was being made because of the "pressing need" to ensure that West Sussex continued to meet European, national and local recycling targets after the county's only existing recycling facility, at Sompting, closed at the end of 2006.

Viridor is also appealing against the county council's refusal of planning permission for its previous application.

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"However, the urgency of the situation is such that we have revisited our environmental impact studies and added important fresh information to support an already strong case for a MRF at Ford," said Phil Bines, Viridor's project manager for the development.

"We believe that Ford is the best possible place for a MRF in West Sussex. All the factors in an exceptionally thorough investigation of the options combine to point to the site as the more sustainable solution. There really isn't a practical alternative for this vital resource management facility."

Mr Bines said new analysis of vehicle mileages had established that Ford was "by far the most logical location".

The new plans include a "highly significant" physical change, with road improvements to Church Lane, Ford Road and the roundabout on the A259 junction. Viridor claims this would "provide considerable benefits to local residents and other road users by increasing the capacity of the junction, and improve the free flow of traffic on the surrounding roads".

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The company also proposes a traffic routing schedule "to minimise what is, in any case, a negligible predicted impact from site traffic".

Viridor adds that the local economy would benefit from a capital investment of 5m and that 73 jobs would be created at the site, many of them new.

Mrs Freeman, who voted against the plans in February, said she would be maintaining her opposition to siting the facility at Ford.

"As a county councillor I am aware that waste recycling is important, but the location is unsustainable. Ford is just a little hamlet. Any major industry would just devastate that part of our community.

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"The traffic situation is already hopeless and the HGVs at the moment make it a nightmare.

"My responsibility is to my residents, as well as to the rest of the county. I am sure there must be other sites available in the county, which could be looked at."

John Dickeson, vice-chairman of Ford Parish Council, was confident that his and other town and parish councils, together with Arun, would against lodge strong objections to the MRF with the county council.

"I can't see any reason why Viridor should be reapplying, and I can't see any reason why we should change our opposition to this.

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"It can't be logical to bring all the waste for recycling from all over West Sussex to the furthest south it could possibly go, and then take it back northwards again to the motorway network.

"The roads infrastructure round here just can't take any more."

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