South Gloucestershire | Archive | 2005 | November | 5
From the archive, first published Saturday 5th Nov 2005.
CAMPAIGNERS fighting against a controversial compost site in Old Sodbury have accused the local authority of failing to stop the operators from illegally storing green waste.
After ten months of campaigning, the Compost Farm Action Group believe they have evidence that the owners of Southcroft Farm is in breach of planning regulations and is storing 5,000 tonnes of unlicensed waste.
An inspection carried out by South Gloucestershire Council, revealed that the site is storing 1,000 percent more waste than the maximum allowed under planning consent and Environment Agency rules.
Old Sodbury residents believe the council should have acted sooner and that the authority failed to act quickly enough when presented with evidence of breaches of the planning consent.
A member of the Compost Farm Action Group told the Gazette that the composting farm had been temporarily closed for six months since the inspection but that the council had not acted soon enough.
"The council's officers were fully aware of breaches of the planning consent as far back as September 2004 but have consistently failed to act promptly or adequately, if at all," she explained.
"In the meantime, until activity on the site stopped about six months ago, residents of Old Sodbury have had to suffer persistent and noxious smells from the site."
The group is also claiming an environmental risk assessment carried out, prior to consent being granted, was based on the false premise that there were no residential houses or businesses within a 250-yard radius and that operators Green Waste Management has made £75,000 by breaking planning regulations.
A spokeswoman for Green Waste Management Ltd told the Gazette, however, that the company had been working with the Environmental Agency and council to solve the problem.
"In May we received a letter from the Environmental Agency which stated that the compost material was deemed to be waste even though it had been spread on the land," she explained.
"As a result it was decided that we had exceeded the amount of waste that is allowed to be stored on the site."
"We have been working towards reducing the amount of waste on the site and have not received any deliveries for six months."
Now the action group is calling on the council to fine the company and retrieve the money they say was obtained illegally.
Debra Davies, spokeswoman for South Gloucestershire Council, said that the authority was taking action and was hoping to solve the problems.
"In the case of Southcroft Farm the amount of stored material has exceeded the limit on the planning permission and the Environment Agency waste management licence exemption," she said.
She went on to explain that the council had devised a reduction strategy and that deliveries of green waste and cardboard had ceased in April.
"Officers from both the council and the Environment Agency are regularly inspecting the amount of material on site to ensure that the approved reduction strategy is being complied with.
"This is proving to be an effective and practical way of remedying the breach."
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