People worried by growth of waste park at Melton, East Yorkshire

Thousands of leaflets have been delivered to homes in East Yorkshire over concerns about multiple plans to increase waste processing close to residents' homes.
Coun Julie AbrahamCoun Julie Abraham
Coun Julie Abraham

In the past year different developers have seen plans approved both for a wood-burning incinerator and an energy from waste plant, which will convert 250,000 tonnes of refuse-derived fuel into electricity, at a site at Gibson Lane, Melton.

Now fresh applications, which have gone in to make waste processing at the existing Transwaste plant 24/7 and to instal 20 containerised gas engines within 80 metres of homes, are arousing new concerns about the cumulative impact on residents.

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Local parish councils have done a combined leaflet drop to 3,000 homes, with letters delivered to businesses on the Melton site, assisted by ward councillors Julie Abraham and Vanessa Walker.

Coun Abraham said: “People are very concerned about being able to sleep at night, and are concerned about the quality of air they are breathing.

“We have particular concerns about the impact on children and young people because they are very susceptible to pollutants.

“Our residents are dismayed that a self-designated waste park appears to be being allowed to expand in an untransparent, piecemeal manner without any respect to adjacent local residents."

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The generators would be fuelled on an anaerobic digestion plant, plans for which have yet to be submitted.

The councillors said: “In our opinion it is about time that planners, public health and the Environment Agency take seriously the cumulative impact of the noise, odour and emissions from these applications on human health and stop the future blighting of surrounding villages.”

Doncaster-based waste firm Attero Group which took over the Transwaste part of the site in July, said the application for 24/7 operation - the only one which they are involved with - would have an environmental benefit because waste would be processed more quickly.

The move would also create new jobs.