Plan-EL Neighbourhood Planning Group have provided the following information and guidance to object to the proposal for a waste transfer station next to St Philips Nursery School.
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Grundon Waste Transfer Station – Planning Objections
To Object to this planning application email democratic.services@bristol.gov.uk
If you wish to make a written Public Forum Statement, the deadline for your submission is 12pm on Wednesday 3rd March 2021
However, if you wish to register to speak at the meeting, there is a separate deadline – 2pm on Tuesday 2nd March 2021. Please also note that, if you wish to register to speak, you MUST submit an accompanying written statement by the written statement deadline.
You can cut and paste the following, or use it as the basis for your objection
Model Objection
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Objection to Planning Application 20/03286/F: Swift House Albert Crescent Bristol BS2 0UD – Erection and operation of a waste transfer station and ancillary structures, including a trailer shelter, a weighbridge and weighbridge office
Community Involvement Statement
There has been no communication with the Community or local facilities like the school. Reliance cannot be placed upon its use of Community Liaison groups elsewhere in the UK. If permission is granted, the establishment [and maintenance] of a liaison group should be a condition of operation.
Objections and Supporting Comments
Fourteen of the supportive comments came from outside Bristol, from places as far afield as Windsor, Sandhurst, and Gwent. This contrasts with the objections, all from Bristol and many local to the site.
Learn @ MAT the Meriton Adolescent Unit Is also opposite the proposed Waste Transfer Station but is mostly ignored in the Application.
Noise
Loading and tipping waste within the building may seem to satisfy the noise concerns. Still, the residents of Totterdown have frequently complained about the noise from Bristol Waste’s operations during ‘normal’ working hours. Loading late at night when there is little other activity means will carry far further from this site and affect a far wider area.
Flies/Odour/Rats/Gulls
The waste transfer will create problems. Arguing that the company will operate at the highest standards, is undermined by the experiences of similar assurances that have been given to the residents of Avonmouth.
Odour is notoriously difficult to monitor in a consistent way. Not allowing the problem to occur by refusing Planning Permission is the obvious solution. If granted, a monitoring system must be put in place with the onus on Grundon’s to remove the odour or disprove the complaint; rather than the Nursery School staff having to ‘prove’ a problem via an app like ‘OdourCollect’.
Lorry Traffic
It is hard to see how 116 additional lorries will not significantly affect the local traffic flow and patterns every day. Coupled with the impact of displaced traffic from the Clean Air Zone avoiding the city centre, the Totterdown and Avonmeads access points to St Philip’s Marsh will become overloaded at critical times of the day. Similarly, the access via Avon Street is subject to current traffic management discussions between BCC and the University
To argue that the Nursery School Children will not be put at risk by increased heavy lorry traffic because they will be accompanied by their parents/carers
- Displays a lack of knowledge about the behaviour and unpredictability of small children, and
- Ignores the lack of a safe crossing point
Further, the Adolescents attending the Learn @ MAT the Meriton Adolescent Unit will not be accompanied, and by their very nature, are likely to be young people who lack an ability to concentrate of be always aware of their surroundings.
If granted; provision of a pelican crossing opposite the school should be a condition of development.
Air Quality
The original objections remain unanswered and the Committee report fails to distinguish between Nitrogen Dioxide and Particulates. There is growing evidence that the impact of Particulates is more sever upon human health than previously recognised. Ultrafine Dust from handling waste on the site is a serious threat to the health of the infants attending the Nursery school.
The entire report is based on modelling using sensor data from outside St Philip’s Marsh. There were no Air Pollution readings for St Philip’s Marsh until RADE [Residents Against Dirty Energy] installed Particulate and Nitrogen Dioxide sensors at the school earlier in September. Already their data indicates the situation on St Philip’s Marsh is far worse than the developer’s report states. Time should be allowed for the gathering of accurate local air pollution data.
The Council must not forget that the ‘Sensitive Receptors’ referred to in the report are very young children [2-5 yrs] from some of the city’s most deprived communities.
In the middle of an industrial area, it’s hardly surprising that the air quality is poor at the bottom of a valley. Nothing should be done to make it worse. Tipping waste, storing it, then loading and unloading lorries are all going to make the situation worse.
Arguing that the Air Quality Management Area passes by on either side of the site, ignores the fact that air [and pollution] know no boundaries and can easily travel 50 meters. So close to a Nursery School and an Adolescent Unit, the Precautionary Principle should be applied – our children’s lungs are too valuable to risk.