Planning application for 24/7 operation of site on Industrial estate

We want to draw your attention to a planning application that has been made by the owners of the site where Hutchings and Carter operate to allow 24 hours a day, 7 day a week operating.

Hutching and Carter recyles skip waste and provides materials to be used in groundworks, building projects and roadworks. HGVs are loaded up with the spoil and rubble using load spreaders. It is immediately behind the household recycling centre in Omega Park (off Wilsom Road). Access to H & C site is via Waterbrook Road off Mill Lane.

If successful, there will be 12 HGV trips per hour and 24 loading shovels per hour between 6pm and 11pm, and 2 HGV trips per hour and 4 loading shovels per hour between 11pm and 7am. On Sundays, there is no limit applied to the numbers of HGV trips and loading shovel movements between 7am and 6pm.

This is an application through Hampshire County Council (not EHDC). HCC have notified anyone within 100m of the H & C site. Fortunately, the owner of one of the businesses within this radius is also one of the ARA residents, and the application was drawn to our attention. We’ve checked, HCC will not be notifying any resident in the nearby area other than through a notice at the entrance to the H & C site in Waterbrook Road, and a notice in the local paper.

We felt that residents need to know about this in case they want to make a comment to HCC. There is potential for noise impact at night, this is confirmed in the applicant noise assessment.

This is the link for further details. You need to sign the disclaimer on the first page each time you access the documents.

https://planning.hants.gov.uk/ApplicationDetails.aspx?RecNo=18917

Comments need to be made by 9 February. You can see other comments made so far if you click on “public representations”. The “application documents” has the list of documents including the noise assessment.

Please pass this email/information on to your neighbours if you feel it would be of interest to them. ARA want people to be informed, and decide for themselves if they want to do anything.

This is one of the planning applications that Alton Town Council will be responding to following their planning meeting at 7pm on Wednesday 17 January at the Town Hall. Anyone is able to attend this meeting to ask for a viewpoint to be taken into account. ATC respond direct to HCC.

We have some members of ARA who, separate to ARA, have very strong views on the unacceptability of this proposal because of the potential noise impact. They want to distribute leaflets to residents to tell them about the proposals, particularly in Wilsom Road, Spitalhatch, Mill Lane, Ashdell Road, Crowley Drive, Kings View, Windmill Hill & Lane. If you are able to help put leaflets through doors, please let me know and I’ll put you in touch with them.

Many thanks

Rachel Palmer

(On behalf of ARA Chair, Giles Lock, and the ARA Committee)