Waste facility approved despite noise fears

Sandwell Council has granted permission for a new contaminated waste facility just metres away from a housing development

People living next to a newly-approved waste contamination site in Smethwick believe they will be plagued by noise and dust.

Plans to build the waste contamination facility on Bridge Street North in Smethwick were approved by Sandwell Council’s planning committee.

But residents on a nearby development had urged planning chiefs to reject the proposals and accused the council of sending mixed messages.

Those who voted in favour of the plan said leaving the site vacant would potentially result in more issues, including anti-social behaviour.

Planning permission allows for nearly 900,000 tonnes of contaminated waste such as demolition and excavation material to be processed over the next three years.

One resident, who lives in a three-storey townhouse on the Galton Lock development and is separated from the site by a canal, said he was concerned about noise.

"It’s the noise, the dust and the fact that it’s unsightly," he told councillors.

Plans amended

Sandwell Council’s planning committee had already approved a ‘temporary’ five-year plan which would eventually see 1,000,000 tonnes of contaminated waste processed.

The plans had to go back to councillors after it was discovered the applicant, Dunton, did not have permission from the government to process more than 30,000 tonnes a year.

The new application reduced the temporary permission from five to three years and put a cap on the amount of waste that could be processed to 29,999 tonnes a year.

At a planning meeting on 29 November, Conservative councillor Scott Chapman said he would vote against the plan.

“I don’t think a contaminated soil site so close to housing and in an area where we want to develop is appropriate,” he said.

But Labour councillor Liam Preece argued there had not been any interest in building homes on the land.

“That isn’t an option at the moment,” he said. “Leaving the site vacant would potentially result in more issues, particularly antisocial behaviour.”

This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service which covers councils and other public service organisations.