On Thursday I attended a meeting of Suffolk County Council’s Development Committee where the main item on the agenda was consideration and approval (or otherwise) of the proposed Waste Transfer Station in East Ipswich. An existing landfill site a few miles up the road is scheduled to be full (and therefore closed) in 2021. The Waste Transfer Station will be one of three within the County that will receive waste from the kerbside collections and Household Waste Recycling Centres and transfer the waste onto larger lorries for onward transportation to a Materials Recycling Facility, In-vessel Composting facility or the Great Blakenham Energy from Waste facility. There were a number of objection letters from local residents, adjacent businesses, and the developer of Ransomes Europark.  Concerns raised included the potential for increased traffic congestion on the highway and compatibility with other businesses. The Officers advised that the proposed development complied with national and local planning policies.  It was considered to be appropriately located and would not give rise to unacceptable impacts upon commercial and residential amenity. The development would not detract from the special characteristics of the Suffolk Coasts and Heaths Area of Outstanding Beauty, and would protect and enhance habitats for biodiversity including Protected and Priority species.
So there we are Ipswich will get a new Waste Transfer Station. I visited the site earlier in the month and saw little to complain about. Among the objectors was Ransomes still produce a variety of grass cutting equipment. From professional high quality turf machines to more industrial gang mowers for use on wider areas such as public parks etc. Their complaint was that the Waste Transfer Station could cause an increase of vermin on their site (more than 100 yards away). Upon questioning they indicated that they categorised seagulls as vermin! The chutzpah prize goes to the neighbouring Nacton parish council who thought that a location to the west of Ipswich would be preferable (definitely contestants for the NIMBY Council of the year).