Blandford waste plant design criticised over environmental measures

The proposed plant includes a waste transfer station and household recycling centre

A new £12.8m waste centre has been approved, despite concerns about a lack of environmental measures in its design.

The proposed plant near Blandford, Dorset, includes a waste transfer station and household recycling centre.

Critics said the development, in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), did not match the council's climate change goals.

The council said the town's existing waste centre was too small.

At a meeting of Dorset Council's strategic planning committee, concerns were raised about the lack of solar panels, rainwater harvesting and public transport provision for the proposed plant at Sunrise business park.

There were also worries that trees planted to lessen its visual impact may not survive due to the lack of a watering system, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

'Screaming need'

Committee member David Tooke said the design ran counter to the council's passing of a climate emergency motion in 2019.

"To have buildings designed so they cannot take solar panels is a big oversight… it is the policy of the council to take climate change into account and design things in line with that. I'm not convinced this is good enough."

Pimperne Parish Council also objected to the scheme being located in the AONB and criticised road access to and from the 2.7 hectare (6.7 acre)site.

Dorset Council had argued that the public benefits of the scheme outweighed adverse impacts on the AONB.

The authority said the existing waste site on the Blandford Heights industrial estate could only accommodate 14 vehicles at the same time, which caused traffic congestion.

Among the councillors voting in favour of the plans, Alex Brenton said: "There is a screaming need for a facility like this in Blandford which has had a lot of housing growth in the past ten years and will be having more," she said.

Work on the centre is due to be completed in late 2023.