More than 1,000 residents have now objected to plans to build an asphalt plant next to the Allerton waste incinerator, between Knaresborough and Boroughbridge.
Andrew Jones, the Conservative MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough, joined about 100 campaigners fighting the proposal at Marton cum Grafton village hall on Saturday.
Mr Jones told the meeting organised by Communities Against Toxins he too was against the proposal, adding:
“The reasons are two-fold and to do with both head and heart. The heart brings the community together to show this is not welcome, and the head tells you that the dangers of pollution – both air pollution and water pollution – are major risks.
“Campaigners have done an incredible job marshalling the arguments and I hope when councillors come to consider the application they act on these concerns and turn the application down.
“This is the wrong idea in the wrong location.”
Campaign organiser Michael Emsley (left) talks to Andrew Jones.
Campaigners at the meeting.
Tynedale Roadstone Ltd plans to build the asphalt plant at the Allerton Waste Recovery Park.
A 22.5-metre exhaust stack would emit fumes containing carbon monoxide, sulphur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide and lead.
The group fears people living within a three-to-nine kilometre radius of the site would be affected by potentially harmful pollutants.
Communities Against Toxins organiser Michael Emsley wants to put pressure on North Yorkshire Council to scrutinise the proposal’s environmental impacts assessment.
He said:
“We do not believe this plant should be built in this location and we will continue to do all that we can to fight it.
“We will not stop. We will make sure that when North Yorkshire Council sit down to make its decision, they are in no doubt as to what the local communities think and that our concerns regarding the EIA have been addressed.”
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MP rejects company’s offer of Knaresborough asphalt plant discussions
Harrogate and Knaresborough MP Andrew Jones has turned down an invitation to meet the company behind plans to build an asphalt plant near Knaresborough and discuss his concerns about the proposals.
Tynedale Roadstone wants to create the facility next door to the controversial incinerator at Allerton Waste Recovery Park (AWRP), but Mr Jones recently said the company had not done enough to allay worries about pollution, traffic movements, and the potential for ground water contamination.
He also flagged concerns regarding the plant’s long operating hours and said that it would represent “industrial creep” – the gradual expansion of industry at a formerly rural site.
Extending the invitation to Mr Jones, Lichfields, which is acting as planning consultant to Tynedale Roadstone, said the site was an appropriate location for the plant in part due to its proximity to the A1(M) and because it would deliver “sustainability advantages” by reusing one of the AWRP’s by-products.
In a statement, a spokesperson from parent company MGL Group said:
“We are aware of some concerns regarding pollution, traffic movements, operational hours, dust, odour and noise.”
They added:
“The installation of the proposed asphalt plant at Allerton Park will be a brand-new, state-of-the-art facility that will meet stringent environmental, noise and emission criteria in the asphalt production process.
“Modern asphalt plants have extensive process filtration systems used with clean fuels to constantly maintain and monitor all the emissions from the production processes and ensure that they are kept within the correct protocol.”
But Mr Jones replied to MGL, saying he was “not sure a meeting is necessary”. He told the Stray Ferret:
“I share residents’ concerns about this proposal. Legally, councillors and planning officers have to consider the planning application that has been submitted. So, a private meeting between the applicants and me when a planning application is already live cannot change what is before us. And I believe what is before us is wrong.
“The time to meet with me and local residents asking for our advice and views was before the application was submitted. That would have demonstrated a genuine interest in what we had to say.
“So my preference would be for the application to be withdrawn and the applicant to hold face-to-face meetings with residents about their plans. My team and I will be happy to join those meetings. This would allow residents to have real input in a genuine consultation rather than the ‘take-it-or-leave-it’ approach which is where we seem to be now.”
The MGL spokesperson said the technical material supporting the planning application concluded there would be no significant environmental effects as a result of traffic movements, dust, odour, and noise, “subject to best practice measures being employed at the site”.
They added:
“Both we and Lichfields continue to work with North Yorkshire Council and are committed to alleviating concerns and addressing any comments made on the application.”
Read more:
- Allerton Park incinerator near Knaresborough hailed a success at scrutiny meeting
- Harrogate district councils object to Allerton Park asphalt plant plan
- Environment Agency calls for Allerton Park asphalt plant to be rejected