CONTROVERSIAL plans to extend a recycling centre near Romsey will be decided by the county council.

Nursling Recycling Centre wants to expand its site, build a new workshop and upgrade parking at the adjacent paintball centre, in Lee Lane.

Hampshire County Council's regulatory committee will make a decision on the plan on January 11. The council's planning officers have recommended that permission be granted.

The application, submitted by Collard Group Ltd, will increase the total number of vehicles at the site from 240 to 350. The amount of waste, materials and aggregate imported to the site will also increase from 75,000 tonnes to 125,000 tonnes per year.

As of January 3, a total of 22 objections (from 16 people) have been sent to the council. A petition was also sent with 20 names objecting to the application.

The main concerns were over: highway safety, air quality, noise impacts and habitat impacts.

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Nursling and Rownhams Parish Council submitted an objection. Roy Hamilton, parish clerk, said: “The site is on the border of Nursling and Rownhams Parish Council and the majority of the traffic accessing the site used Lee Lane to the south of the site, which falls within our parish.

“Any increase in the level of traffic would be detrimental to the quality of life of the residents of Station Road. The road connects to other business sites, which contributes further commercial traffic to Lee Lane and Station Road. Both Station Road and Lee Lane itself is small and not suitable for the current volume and vehicle size using it to access the wider road network. 

“The council do not wish to see further land lost and urbanisation of the countryside environment.”

Cllr Nick Adams-King said: “I’m grateful to the HCC planning team, and to Collards, for attempting to take into account both my, other local councillors and local residents’ concerns when preparing the conditions attached to this application. Much progress has been made, although I remain concerned at the way by which the number and speed of lorry movements to and from the site will be managed. I’ll be making my concerns known to the committee next Wednesday.

“Sites such as this are needed if we are to maximise our recycling of materials, which is great for the environment. We must though take into account the effect on local people and ensure they are not detrimentally affected.”

The planning statement points out that the site would increase employment from 21 full time employees to 30 and that it would be a safer site with more room to separate vehicles and plant from staff and customers.

Also, it would also reduce the amount of material sent to landfill.

The application will be decided by the regulatory committee on January 11.