Hailsham tyre-recycling centre approved on casting vote

On Wednesday (March 11), East Sussex County Council’s planning committee approved an application to open a tyre-recycling centre at a former coal yard in the Swan Barn Road industrial estate.

An earlier version of the application had been due to go before the committee back in January, but was deferred after developers asked for an extension to amend and improve the proposals with a new enclosure.

While the previous application had been recommended for refusal, officers and applicants said the amended proposals address previous concerns around the potential noise impact on neighbours.

Speaking on behalf of applicant Pyrite Industries Ltd, planning agent Alan Potter said: “The possible effect of the proposal on the locality has been considered in depth, and now found to be negligible. 

“In particular, the noise impact assessment, that demonstrates the proposed facility will have no impact on the surrounding area, now the principle operations are to be conducted inside

“This has been accepted both by the Wealden environmental health and your own internal noise advisors.

“The dust management plan  has been found by the county ecologist to be acceptable in preventing any potentially adverse impact and the traffic generated by the proposed use will remain relatively low.”

Mr Potter also said the applicant was “committed to being a considerate neighbour” and would be working to “the strictest standards.”

Once up and running, the facility would be expected to import approximately 5,000 tonnes of end-of-life tyres each year, turning them into recycled materials for sale.

Tyres which are in good enough condition would be stored on site and sent to be reused, planning papers said.

The committee also heard that the site, while currently vacant, is considered to be an existing industrial site as a result of its history as a coal yard. This view was backed by officers as part of their recommendation to approve.

Despite the officer’s recommendation, concerns remained around its location and what impact it would have on the surrounding area.  

Particular concerns were raised about the future residents of the nearby Station Road housing development, which was granted outline planning permission for 400 homes last year.

Speaking as ward councillor at the meeting,  Bob Bowdler (Con, Hailsham Market)  argued that the site would be inappropriate given the level of development planned in the surrounding area.

He said: “I think it is an admirable business and I commend that method of recycling tires, however that is not the issue. The issue is the location where it is being undertaken in southern Hailsham. 

“The area is becoming surrounded by major applications and although the area may not be allocated [for housing], as Wealden District Council has just lost its local plan we are all of the belief that everywhere is at risk in southern Hailsham.

“It was disappointing that our officers decided to change their opinion on this application to support this time.

“I would ask members to think carefully about what problems we are creating for southern Hailsham in relation to the large number of houses that we are aiming to build in Hailsham as a whole.”

It is understood Wealden district councillor Neil Cleaver had also requested to speak at the meeting, but was turned down as no objections had been raised by his residents. Speaking after the meeting, he said he was “disappointed” with the decision.

The committee’s opinions proved to be split on Cllr Bowdler’s argument, however, with some in support and others strongly opposed

Kathryn Field (Lib Dem, Battle and Crowhurst) said: “I think this is a really good thing to be doing with old tyres, there is no doubt that this what we need to be doing in the county to get rid of the polluting nature of old tyres.

“However, I do also think that we are looking at this process on a disused space in a residential area and that for me causes enormous problems. We know there are houses around it. We know there is a travellers site around it. 

“Everything in the paper really is guesswork; it is considered there will be no damage from dust, it is considered the noise will be okay. There is no proof, because of course it hasn’t happened yet.

“I am therefore very conflicted. I think it is a good thing to do, but I do think this is the wrong place to put it because of all the residential development around it.”

However, this view was not shared by all of the committee. Among those to take an  opposing view was Godfrey Daniel (Lab, Hasting Braybrooke and Castle).

He said: “It does have a planning application on the [neighbouring] green land and you are confident it will get built. Well, maybe it will get built and maybe it won’t.

“To say it is surrounded is patently not true. That is not true, that is not defensible. If this goes to an appeal it will be granted quicker than the speed of light.

“You are desperately searching, so it seems, for conditions to turn it down for some reason which is beyond me.

“When that green piece of land got its planning application in Wealden they will have taken into account that over the other side of the road is an industrial site, when granting that application.” 

Following further discussion the decision came down to the chairman’s casting vote, after the committee tied on three votes to three. 

Committee chairman Richard Stogdon said: “I am using my casting vote, to vote in favour, accepting the points that have been made.

“There are real issues with this, but it seemed to me the substance of the issue is determined by the existing use of this site, which we are not in a position to change.

“We can try to ameliorate, amend or whatever, but at the end of the day it seems to me that however undesirable it may be it is now for Wealden to decide how it goes forward with the future residential applications.”

For further details of the scheme see application reference WD/831/CM on the East Sussex County Council planning website.