Plans for an East Riding asphalt plant have been put on hold
It's after hundreds of objections from locals
Councillors have put plans for an East Riding asphalt plant on hold following hundreds of objections over its potential harm to locals’ health, the environment and tourism.
East Riding Council’s Planning Committee deferred plans for the plant, in Catfoss Lane by the junction with Bridlington Road in Brandesburton, to visit a similar site to assess potential effects.
Jamie Brown, of applicants Newlay Asphalt Ltd, told councillors the plant would cut down on unnecessary trips from its existing facility in Dewsbury, West Yorkshire and boost the local economy.
But objector Adrian Olsen said locals feared odours, noise and air pollution from the site would have a devastating and damaging effect on people and the environment.
The plants propose building a plant capable of processing up to 100 tonnes of materials an hour around 500m away from the nearest homes.
The production process involves coating roadstone with bitumen using a directly heated batch coating plant.
Plans propose opening hours of 5am to 3pm, Monday to Friday and until 10am on Saturdays, with the site closed on Sundays and bank holidays.
They also propose a total of 30 HGV movements a day for 15 vehicles, with potential for 10 more from smaller lorries making 20 trips to and from the plant.
No objections were lodged from technical consultees including council highways, public protection and environment teams, or from bodies such as Yorkshire Water.
Council planning officers recommended the plant be approved and it is also subject to a bid for an environmental permit from the authority.
Permission was previously granted for industrial development on the site which it is earmarked for employment use and is next to light industry.
But 375 objections were lodged from locals and local parish councils claiming emissions would harm health and degrade the local environment, fuel congestion and put tourists off the area.
Objector Adrian Olsen said the amount of applications showed the strength of feeling about it among locals.
He added local parish councillors visited a similar plant near Norwich and locals there claimed they could not leave their windows open because of emissions.
Mr Olsen said: “This is thought to be one of the most controversial applications in a life time in the area.
“Asphalt plants are dangerous to human health and to the environment.
“Catfoss Lane is already home to a number of businesses but not heavy industry like this.
“This plant would also be close to homes, a school and sports facilities recently approved by the council.
“It will make traffic worse and it will have a devastating impact on leisure and tourism businesses in the area.
“It’s a wholly inappropriate development for our community and should be rejected.”
Cllr Jane Evison, whose East Wolds and Coastal ward covers the site, said she objected to the location of the facility and not to the plant in principle.
Cllr Evison said: “This site is next to light industry but it’s quite clearly in the open countryside.
“There is a farmer next door who grows peas which are harvested and then frozen, he has to have his soil tested and he’s also concerned about this.
“We’ve tried hard to grow and encourage tourism in the East Riding, the site is not suitable for a development like this.”
But Mr Brown said the company was investing in warm mix asphalt production which would odours by 90 per cent and require 25 per cent less fossil fuels.
He added examples of plants referred to by objectors, including one in the US, were not comparable because of stricter UK regulations.
Mr Brown said: “We’re a small independent asphalt company which produces high quality materials.
“This is an ideal location in central East Yorkshire, where a lot of our orders already come from.
“This site will employ 12 people and benefit the wider economy.
“Assessments have demonstrated that this will not have an unacceptable impact.”
Committee chair Cllr Leo Hammond said he felt landscaping was lacking on the site’s eastern boundary, needed to screen it from homes in Brandesburton.
The chair said: “Substantially more landscaping is needed to protect local residents.”