Council faces fight over its own waste station plan

CONTROVERSIAL proposals for the construction and operation of a waste transfer station on land off Winwick Road, Warrington, come before borough planners tonight.
The scheme has been put forward by the borough council itself – but local councillors Mike Hannon and Morgan Tarr have lodged objections.
There have also been objections from 60 individual residents and a protest petition has been signed by more than 1,000 people.
Another objection is from the Mid-Orford Residents’ Association.
Numerous reasons have been given for the objections – including proximity of housing, existing traffic congestion on Winwick Road, noise, air pollution, vermin, etc. and fire hazards.
Cllr Hannon says the scheme clearly places revenue savings among environmental impact.
The scheme would result in an extra 100 HGV movements a day on the A49 – already one of the most congested roads in the borough.
Residents of the Orford, Longford, Bewsey and Dallam areas would be affected by smell problems, depending on wind direction, along with Warrington Hospital, Warrington and Vale Road College and nearby restaurants and businesses.
Cllr Tarr says resolving traffic problems is rightly a priority for the borough council and, this being so, it is “astonishing” the council is pushing a scheme which will make matters worse.
The location is completely unsuitable, he argues, and the council should reconsider.
Planning officers say at present, Warrington’s waste has to be transferred to Widnes where it is dealt with by a third party.
The council operates 21 refuse crews, each of which have to travel to Widnes and back twice a day. The lorries are heavy, only do six miles to the gallon. Each round trip takes an hour.
They say opening the new plant at Warrington would save about 123 tonnes of fuel per year.
In addition the existing contract ends in January and the council is obliged to seek ways of reducing the cost of waste collection and disposal.