Hounslow councillors defer decision on plans for Sita rubbish depot (From Richmond and Twickenham Times)

Hounslow councillors defer decision on plans for Sita rubbish depot

11:40am Saturday 20th March 2010 in

• Skip social links
• Print
• Email
• Comments(0)

A planned rubbish depot could cause a horrendous smell and chaotic traffic for nearby residents, councillors have warned.

Hounslow Council’s waste contractor Sita has applied to relocate its recycling centre from Shepperton, Surrey, to the Hanworth trading estate in Hampton Road West, Feltham.

The proposed site would include a 35-space lorry parking area with five storage bays for depositing a predicted 17,000 tonnes of plastic, paper, card, cans and glass every year.

The plans would lead to 96 more HGV lorries going in and out of the site every day except Sunday, starting from 6.30am on weekdays.

About 60 residents packed a sustainable development committee meeting on Wednesday, to hear councillors debate the proposal.

Councillor Ruth Cadbury said: “The plastics and cans and bottles will be food-related and will have residual food in them.

“The lorries that bring the plastic will also have food waste in them because we’ve got lorries that are 25 per cent food waste and alternate weeks are used for plastic and green waste.

“On a plastic week those lorries are coming to this depot to tip plastic with food waste sitting in them.

“Those lorries drip smelly liquid.”

Councillor Peter Hills, leader of the west area Independent Group, questioned whether the recycling depot would be a suitable neighbour for the Dairy Crest headquarters and a food distribution centre in Hampton Road West.

Graham Latham, 62, of Hampton Road West, was applauded by residents after outlining major concerns over the plans, which he said gave “little or no regard” to neighbouring households.

He expressed residents’ fears over the potential smell and noise, as well as the 6m lampposts, which he said could affect young children sleeping.

He said the extra traffic would also make the nearby junction “a notorious black spot for drivers and pedestrians”.

He said: “The negative impact on residents, neighbouring properties and property values would be severe.”

Council officer Cathy Gallagher said the nearest house was 74m from the trading estate.

She said the depot would only collect “dry” waste, adding: “I presume people wash out everything before putting it in the recycling bin, but I know we don’t all do it.”

Councillors voted to defer their decision on whether to approve Sita’s application.

• What do you think? Let us know by email (gholt@london.newsquest.co.uk), phone the newsdesk on 020 8744 4271 or leave a comment below.