Campaign launched against plans to import 960,000 tonnes to West Sussex landfill
Residents in a Horsham district village are calling for the county council to reject controversial plans, that could see nearly one million tonnes of material transported to a former landfill site over the next six to eight years.
The Small Dole Action Group has launched a campaign against proposals, by CEMEX, to import approximately 960,000 tonnes of inert soils and clays to the former Hales landfill site.
The planning application, reference WSCC/004/26, involves bringing around 500,000 cubic metres of material to the site to reshape the former landfill and create a layer intended to improve the management of rainwater and leachate.
According to CEMEX's planning statement, the work would take place over six to eight years, with material imported at a rate of around 140,000 tonnes a year.
A statement proposed by the Small Dole Action Group read: "We are being asked to accept nearly one million tonnes of material being brought into our countryside over the next six to eight years.
"That is an extraordinary undertaking for a small rural community.
"Small Dole has already lived with the legacy of landfill operations. Residents should not now be expected to accept years of further disruption without the strongest possible justification and independent scrutiny.
"We are deeply concerned about the effect on our roads, our homes, our environment and the people who live here.
"West Sussex County Council has a responsibility to consider the wider consequences of this proposal, not simply the engineering objectives put forward by the applicant.
"We want to know whether every alternative has been properly examined and whether all environmental and highways concerns have genuinely been resolved.
"Our message is clear: we object to this development, and we are asking the council to reject it."
The development would be carried out in five phases, progressing across the site from east to west.
But residents fear the scale of the operation could have serious consequences for surrounding communities, with concerns raised about heavy lorry traffic, road safety, noise, dust, flooding and potential groundwater contamination.
The group is urging West Sussex County Council to refuse planning permission and is organising a public meeting next month to bring residents together.
A council spokesperson said: "No decision has been made on this planning application. A report is being prepared for the Planning and Rights of Way Committee, which will consider all relevant planning matters, including comments received from residents, community groups and consultees.
"When the committee date is confirmed, anyone who has commented on the application will be notified.
"If invited, county councillors may choose to attend the Small Dole Action Group public meeting on November 11. Council officers will not be attending."
Communities potentially affected include Small Dole, Henfield, Woodmancote and Upper Beeding, along with other villages connected to the surrounding road network.
Campaigners say local roads are already affected by speeding traffic, narrow carriageways and inadequate pedestrian provision, while some older properties could be vulnerable to vibration from additional heavy vehicles.
They want to know how many extra HGV journeys would be generated each day, which routes would be used and whether the cumulative impact on village roads, homes and residents has been properly assessed.
CEMEX's planning statement says the site currently has a thin layer of restoration soil covering the existing waste. It argues that, combined with the site's gentle slope, this allows significant amounts of rainwater to enter the landfill, generating large volumes of weak leachate.
Leachate is liquid that has passed through waste and can contain contaminants. CEMEX says the volumes generated at the site can be challenging to treat, particularly during winter months.
The company proposes creating an attenuation layer across the landfill to encourage managed surface water runoff and reduce the amount of rainfall entering the waste.
Its plans state this would spread leachate generation more evenly throughout the year, reducing the higher volumes produced during winter and potentially lowering the risk of uncontrolled discharge into the adjacent River Adur.
CEMEX also argues that the work would help improve the long-term management of the former landfill and reduce the time it requires active management.
However, the proposed layer would not form an engineered cap. CEMEX says maintaining some rainwater infiltration is beneficial because it helps flush contaminants out of the landfill for removal and treatment, while promoting the biological stabilisation of the waste.
The company says the site would ultimately be restored to species-rich pasture, with a permissive footpath also proposed. It says the development would provide an opportunity to improve biodiversity across the site.
The developer says an environmental impact assessment has been undertaken. The company concludes that, with mitigation and best-practice measures in place, the development could proceed without unacceptable impacts on the environment or local amenity.
It also argues that the proposal complies with national and local planning policies and should be granted permission.
The action group wants confirmation that relevant consultees, including the Environment Agency, Natural England, highways and drainage specialists, Horsham District Council and the South Downs National Park Authority, have completed their assessments.
Residents and local councillors are invited to a public meeting at Small Dole Village Hall on Wednesday, November 11, from 7pm to 9pm.
The meeting will provide an opportunity for residents to discuss the proposals, share their concerns and coordinate opposition to the application.