Polegate business withdraws shipping container scheme

On Wednesday (April 13), East Sussex County Council’s planning committee had been due to decide whether to allow a group of shipping containers to remain as part of a waste management business known as Paul’s Mini Skips at the Chaucer Industrial Estate.

The application, which had been recommended for refusal, was made retrospectively, after the council received an anonymous complaint about the containers.

As the meeting began, however, officers informed the committee that the applicant had withdrawn their application. As a result, no debate took place.

According to planning papers, the containers, 12 in total, had been placed at the site around 18 months ago, in breach of the site’s existing planning permission. They were to be used both to temporarily store valuable waste and as hireable self-storage for members of the public.

While officers found there may be some value to retaining some of the containers to store the valuable waste (which is allowed under the site’s existing planning permission), concerns had been raised about the self-store use.

This use, officers said, could not be suitably mixed with the waste and recycling use already at the site. As a result, officers had recommended the application be refused.

For further information on the proposals see application reference WD/862/CM on the East Sussex County Council website.