Plans For Wrexham Asphalt Plant Rejected

Plans to develop an asphalt plant on the Wrexham Industrial Estate which would create eight jobs, were tonight thrown out by councillors.

Members of Wrexham’s Planning Committee rejected proposals to create a 24-hour manned asphalt plant on Clywedog North Road on Wrexham Industrial Estate, despite a request for a deferment by Breedon Aggregates.

Concerns about the risk of potential odour had been raised by neighbouring food suppliers to the site, who had threatened to relocate if planning approval was granted for the asphalt plant.

Collectively the Village Bakery, Ash Manor Cheese Company and Roil Foods Ltd employ around 500-600 people, with a spokesperson telling the committee tonight: “They would feel forced to seriously reconsider moving their business, possibly outside Wrexham to avoid risk of food being tainted.”

Speaking about the application, Planning Officer David Williams said: “The plant itself is fairly close to the food processing companies. In normal circumstances we would be recommending that the application should be supported; it is on the Industrial Estate and and no objection from public protection. The key concern is odour and odour control. The refusal relates to the perceived risk to those companies.”

A deferral had been put forward by applicants, Breedon Aggregates who pointed out that when the application was initially due to go before the committee in March 2015, the development of the plant had been recommended for approval.

A spokesperson for Breedon Aggregates said: “We feel a deferral is the right course of action as there has been no detailed consideration of the technical aspects.”

Cllr Mike Edwards said: “I don’t see any reason why we should be rushing this, I cant see what risks are if we defer it. There are risks if we don’t, the risk is applicant can come up with further info and further mitigation which we should listen to so we have heard the whole of the story.

“I don’t believe we should hear it tonight i think we should defer it. It is the applicant who has asked to defer it can’t be a question of deciding it must be heard, app has said they can bring some additional information and I think we should hear all the information.”

Cllr John Pritchard added: “We encouraged food companies to come to the area and they’ve invested a lot of money, feel if we do defer it and don’t go with the officer recommendation of refusing, is going to let these companies down.”

However a recommendation for deferral was rejected by councillors, who voted in favour of debating the application on the proposals put forward by the planning officer.

Speaking about the potential risk of odour, Cllr David Griffiths said: “There are a lot of perceived odours that can have an adverse effect on the food industry. I was quite happy at that time with the officer recommendations. If the odour comes out it could have catastrophic effects on the food industry and employment.”

Cllr I David Bithell added: “The speaker for application says no significant odours, so even they are aware there is an issue with odours. I’ve got major concerns about this application, we have 500-600 people at these businesses and as a previous speaker said, any sort of contamination, they are going to lose large orders.”

12 councillors voted in favour of refusing the recommendation, while one councillor abstained from the vote.