FENLAND: Ups and downs of agreeing waste and mineral proposals in and around market towns

FENLAND Council is to protest over the county council's decision not to come up with proposals for a household waste recycling centre in Chatteris.

The council is also concerned over the "lack of definite proposals" for March once the household waste centre at Hundred Road closes in 2012.

And the council is also planning to tackle the county council over land fill proposals for Star Pit, Whittlesey, which is destined to take waste from London.

Chris Hodson, strategic planning manager for FDC, believes Whittlesey has access problems that he feels the county council have not adequately dealt with in their latest consultation on minerals and waste.

Mr Hodson believes there will be a cumulative impact on Whittlesey especially in relations to other proposals for King's Dyke Brick pits and Saxon Pit as well as the proposed Magna Park rail freight development.

Cabinet discussed his report yesterday and are expected to recommend the county council not approve Star Pit since "a suitable means of access needs to be created, and it is not clear at this stage how it can be achieved."

So far as the recycling plant in Chatteris is concerned, Fenland says the nearest new proposal is at Witchford Road, Witchford. Fenland, says Mr Hodson, is keen to encourage more recycling of household waste and the council wants to seen an enhanced network of such centres to serve existing and future residents.

However Fenland Council is expected to support proposals for Block Fen/Langwood Fen near Chatteris which will provide for 1.4 million tonnes of sand and gravel extraction from 2010.

The site will also recycle around 240,000 tonnes per annum of recycled aggregates and created around 480 hectares of lowland wet grassland adjacent to the Ouse Washes.

Mr Hodson says the Block Fen proposals allow for "strategic after use and biodiversity enhancements.