RESIDENTS in villages south of York say they feel ‘betrayed’ by the planning system over proposals for a waste transfer station on a former coal mine site.

Villagers say they expect North Yorkshire County Councillors to be recommended later this month to approve the scheme by ASA Recycling Group Ltd to sort 75,000 tonnes per annum of construction and demolition waste on the former Stillingfleet mine site.

But parish councillors claim the proposal, which also includes the installation of a weighbridge, skip storage area, portable cabin and car parking, breaches a condition imposed when the mine was granted planning permission in the 1970s - that the land should be restored to agricultural use after the mine shut.

They also claim it is directly contrary to the Selby Local Plan Core Strategy and North Yorkshire County Council Minerals and Waste Joint Plan.

Richard Rowson, chairman of Escrick Parish Council, said the proposals were ‘completely unsuitable’ for the location but were recommended for approval last summer before the matter was deferred.

“Our assumption is that there has been no change to the recommendation for approval, given there has been no material change to the application.” he said.

“Waste sorting centres by their nature involve large numbers of HGVs coming and going to bring and remove waste, and generate dust and noise processing the waste,” he said.

“This site is nearly seven miles from the nearest trunk road, accessed via a minor road and right past people’s doorsteps in Escrick village.”

He said residents felt betrayed by a planning system that originally promised to restore the site to agriculture once mining ceased, reaffirmed the unsuitability of the site in the Local Plan and identified no need for the site in the Minerals and Waste joint plan,

A flyer has been distributed, urging residents to lodge individual objections by going to www.onlineplanningregister.northyorks.gov.uk/register/plancomment.aspx?recno=10129

Noise consultants said in a report accompanying the planning application that there were predicted to be six HGVs per hour travelling at an average speed of 20 mph in and out along the haul road.

“Arable land separates all of the dwellings from the waste transfer station. This will provide sound attenuation caused by the absorptive effect of a‘soft’ ground surface,” they said.

Highway consultants said working hours would be restricted and the proposed increase in traffic would not be discernible from the daily fluctuations in flows, and the development was considered acceptable.