Fairfields Farm planning application - RASH objection

RASH (Residents Against Skip Hire) was formed in 2007 to organise opposition to Colchester Skip Hire’s expansion plans at the site on Packards Lane. At the request of our mailing list we expanded our activities to oppose the Birch Airfield Composting Services proposal for green waste composting at Fairfields Farm.

Essex County Council has sent out notification of Birch Airfield Services Ltd resubmission of their Planning Application for the land at Fairfields Farm on Fordham Road, which appears much the same as the previous application which was refused. The application is described as “change of use of land from agricultural to composting of green waste”.

Further details are at the Colchester Borough Council website.

The location, operating hours, size of the working area and buildings remain very much the same. Also the noise, light and prevailing winds seem not to have been considered, nor their adverse effects on local residents. The size of the proposal will allow for a capacity of what was originally proposed and refused. It is likely that if this proposal is accepted the amount of lorry movements will increase as it has with Colchester Skip Hire.

It is also worth mentioning that Birch Airfield Composting started off with a similar facility at Birch Airfield; they are now proposing to build a covered facility with a microgeneration plant. This application is being strongly resisted by the local residents.

Some summary details about the Application:

Development
• Change of use of land for a 2.75 hectare site (6.8 acres).

• Site to be enclosed by 2.4 meter green chain mesh fence.

• Installation of a weighbridge.

• Installation of a building for offices and staff amenities.

• Creation of a pond for collection of liquid.

• Moving of Public Right of Way.

Operations
• Shredding and maturation of green waste.

• To bring in up to 8,000 tonnes of green waste each year primarily from Colchester Borough Council’s Shrub End depot.

• Green waste to be put through an industrial shredder.

• Composted material put through trammel screener.

• The resultant noise created by this machinery is not described in detail.

• Composted material created to be used on surrounding farmland.

• Site operating hours 07.30 to 17.30 Monday to Friday, 08.00 to 16.00 Saturdays and 08.00 to 13.00 on Sundays.

Traffic
• Up to 6 HGV vehicle movements per day, so up to 42 per week.

• Articulated lorries and Roro trains (lorries carrying several roll on / roll off waste containers).

• Traffic to come from A1124 through the villages of Eight Ash Green and Fordham.