Controversial plans for a £20million waste hub on the outskirts of Bury St Edmunds have been approved after councillors met again to review the application.
The West Suffolk Operational Hub proposal at Hollow Road Farm in Fornham St Martin was first approved in September, but St Edmundsbury Borough Council’s development control committee decided further clarification was needed on a matter of planning policy.
Jim Thorndyke, chairman of the committee, asked officers to provide a report for the committee, which was heard as part of the council’s regular committee meeting yesterday.
Councillors voted 10-5 in favour of the application, and it will now be referred to the secretary of state to see if he wants to call it in for review.
Plans to build the hub, which will be a combined household recycling centre, vehicle depot, and transfer station, have been met with long-standing concerns over traffic, safety, and infrastructure.
A spokesman for the applicants – West Suffolk council and Suffolk County Council – said: “It was important that the decision was made after full consideration of all matters.
“We understand why the committee chairman felt the need to consider the application afresh.
“We are pleased that the committee has taken the time to consider the application thoroughly and have balanced the need and benefits of a waste hub against the views put forward by some local members of the community and representatives.
“The secretary of state will be informed of the decision in case he wants to call it in for review.
“We have undertaken a great deal of work to get to this point to address their concerns and this has been reflected in the committee’s decision.
“A waste hub is needed to deal with increasing levels of waste as our population grows, in a cost effective, efficient and sustainable manner.
“This development will improve efficiency of our waste services by bringing a waste transfer station, household waste recycling centre and a vehicle depot together on one site.
“It will reduce the use of rural roads by HGVs and reduce the miles travelled by vehicles moving waste from west Suffolk to the energy from waste plant at Great Blakenham.”
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