New plant could be built to sort waste

Yorwaste is seeking permission to develop a new waste transfer station which will handle approximately 33,000 tonnes of waste a year from the Craven district.

The company say it is required for dealing with waste currently received at Yorwaste’s own Skibeden landfill site, due to close next year.

Yorwaste has submitted a planning application to North Yorkshire County Council to develop a quarry site currently operated by Aggregate Industries at Halton East, near Skipton.

The site will deal with waste including general black bag waste, green waste and recyclable materials such as plastic, cans, paper and cardboard. A small amount of material will also come from commercial customers in the Craven area.

All of the waste will then be taken to Yorwaste’s Resource Recovery Centre at Harewood Whin in York, some of which will be recycled or recovered.

The company say the work will be carried out within a steel-framed building, with additional screening being provided around the site. Operations will only occur during normal working hours and vehicle movements will be kept to a minimum.

Steve Grieve, Yorwaste’s managing director, said: “Once it is operational we expect it to make a major contribution to the diversion of waste from landfill and an increase in the amount of waste that is recovered and recycled.”

If permission is granted, work on re-developing the site will start in 2012, with a view to it becoming operational in spring/summer 2012 to coincide with the closure of Skibeden landfill.

After its closure the landfill site will be restored to grassland in accordance with the existing planning consent.

Yorwaste’s latest planning application will be determined by councillors when they meet at a later date.