New Norfolk recycling centre to be built after decision made

A controversial new £1.65m recycling centre will be built, after councillors gave it the go-ahead, despite claims it will blight important countryside.

Norfolk County Council's plans for the new Sheringham Recycling Centre on fields off Holt Road at Beeston Regis, were approved by members of the authority's own planning committee.

Councillors voted, with eight in favour, two against and one abstention, to permit the new tip, which will replace the current one nearby.

North Norfolk District Council, the Norfolk Coast Partnership, the Campaign to Protect Rural England and the owners of the nearby Hilltop Outdoor Centre all opposed the proposals.

They said it went against policies to protect an area of outstanding natural beauty.

At Friday's council meeting, Mark Turner spoke against the proposal on behalf of Martin Read, who owns Hilltop Outdoor Centre.

Mr Turner said there were alternative sites available, with owners willing to sell, which had not been considered, yet the council wanted to build a centre on "the county's most protected landscape".

Concerns that the new access to the site onto the A148 - with the eastern end of the existing Holt Road due to close - would cause traffic problems were also raised.

Mr Turner said a report by an independent expert commissioned by Mr Read found lorries would come into conflict with children heading to and from Hilltop.

County Hall officers acknowledged the proposals were "finely balanced".

They said they were contrary to policies and would cause "adverse landscape impacts" in the area of outstanding natural beauty, but that the harm caused was "outweighed by the public interest of the development".

They said not providing one could lead to fly-tipping and that the road changes would be an improvement on the current set-up.

But Liberal Democrat Philip Bailey, who represents Sheringham South on North Norfolk District Council, said: "It beggars belief that you are telling me this site isn't going to generate more traffic."

He said alternative sites should have been considered, rather than County Hall agreeing to pay £20,000 a year to rent a field for the tip in a designated area of outstanding natural beauty.

But Conservative county councillor John Ward said: "I think it is a fine facility and much more attractive than the existing site."

Courtesy : edp24.co.uk