BOSSES of a concrete batching plant that has opened in Wokingham say they will work with the council to sort out an issue that saw them refused retrospective planning permission.
Last summer, Berkshire Concrete – also known as Wiltshire Concrete – sublet land from the Suez recycling plant on Old Forest Road.
Since then, residents have complained of a “significant increase” in lorries using Old Forest Road, noise and environmental issues including pollution.
And last month, a refusal notice from Wokingham Borough Council was served to the company’s initial planning application. It sites a lack of environmental enhancement to the area, the buildings not being in keeping with the surrounding area and the application not having sufficient information to determine noise impact and traffic movements.
Paul Gallagher, chairman of the Emmbrook Residents Association, said: “Last May a huge tower appeared on the site. On enquiring, it was discovered that this was part of a ‘concrete batching plant’ installed on part of that land which Suez had sublet to Wiltshire Concrete and already in operation.
“Planning permission is required for such an installation but had not been applied for.”
He added that residents had concerns over the way in which Berkshire Concrete had been operating since it opened the depot.
“Local residents were very concerned about this for any number of reasons, including the significant increase in heavy lorries using Old Forest Road visiting and leaving the plant, the potential noise and other environmental issues such as pollution,” he said.
A large number of objections to the planning application were received from residents and Wokingham Town Council also raised concerns over potential environmental damage, including flooding and noise.
Subject to its appeal being heard, Berkshire Concrete is still operating and said that it was working with the Council to meet their requirements.
But Mr Gallagher wanted action to be taken now.
He said: “The plant has been operating without permission for seven months and is now continuing to operate after permission has been refused with no immediate prospect of WBC acting to close it down.
“Wiltshire Concrete has acted disgracefully, Suez has been complicit and WBC has been negligent and now apparently unable to stop an illegal operation on its own land to the ongoing detriment of residents – noise, pollution and traffic.”
Cllr Simon Weeks, executive member for planning and enforcement at Wokingham Borough Council, said: “While we can’t go into specifics at this stage, I can confirm we’ve been letting the site to Suez, who in turn have been sub-letting part of it to Wiltshire Concrete, who were refused planning consent on the site.
“They have the right to appeal and we’re considering the situation.”
Kevin McQuaid, a director from Wiltshire Concrete, told The Wokingham Paper that the site was in a perfect location as it was in an industrial estate and backed on to the A329m, rather than residential homes.
He added that when they first inquired about opening the branch, which supplies concrete to new homes being built across the region, they were told that planning permission was not required as it used a mobile concrete tower.
“We’re trying to get our planning submission adjusted to meet requirements,” he said. “We are in constant touch with them [Wokingham Borough Council’s planning department] to get everything legitimised.
“We’re working on getting them more detail they need and we’ll resubmit.”
Suez was contacted for comment but no response had been received by the time we had gone to press.
