Issue - meetings

To consider the call–in of the above decision

On behalf of the Group of members that had signed the call-in notice, Counclllor David Neilson addressed the Committee and outlined the basis of the call-in which was in relation to  :-

• The appropriateness of this particular site for a Waste Transfer Station in view of its proximity to a housing estate and Astra Zeneca, the largest employer in the town of Macclesfield;

• Potential problems with access and egress to the site, due to congestion problems on the Silk Road

Councillor Neilson amplified the grounds of call- in by stating that :

• During the Shadow year of the Council, a modelling exercise, carried out under the auspices of the Places Advisory Panel, in relation to a potential waste collection  centre in the north of the Borough, had pointed to the most appropriate site for a transfer station being located somewhere between Knutsford and Wilsmlow;

• A large number of houses would suffer noise nuisance from the proposed site.

Councillors Hilda Gaddum and John Goddard also addressed the committee in support of the call–in.

Councillor P H Mason – Procurement, Assets and Shared Services Portfolio Holder, outlined to the Committee, the basis of the cabinet decision taken on 11 August 2009.

The provision of waste treatment facilities or the closure of the Danes Moss landfill site required a waste transfer station to be located in Macclesfield to allow refuse collection vehicles to continue to tip locally, to allow the waste to be bulked up for transfer to the waste treatment plant.

The scheme was being driven by the Waste Treatment PFI contract which would provide waste treatment facilities for Cheshire West and Chester and Cheshire East Councils.

The site at Hulley Road was compatible with the use allocation of the land within the approved Local Plan and Waste Plan.

The facility would minimise the number of vehicular movements by transferring waste in bulk from the transfer station to the treatment plant in Cheshire West and Chester.

The land was available immediately for acquisition, but would require planning consent.

In response to questions from members of the committee, the Portfolio Holder, supported by the Head of Environmental Services and Strategic Manager – Contract procurement – Shared Services stated that:

• Although no other sites were currently under consideration, in the event that the Hulley Road did not progress, the decision of Cabinet did include a contingency for  officers to continue to keep options open in respect of alternative sites.

• There had been no guarantee from the current owners that they would sell the land to the Council for its intended use.

• The site at Lyme Green Depot was owned by the Council.

• The waste Transfer site was expected to be in use for 25 years.

• No work had been carried out to assess  how long it would take to prepare the site at Lyme Green depot for a transfer waste facility, but it could be expected that construction costs at that site would be significantly above the budget identified for the scheme at Hulley  ...  view the full minutes text for item 40