My objection to the Relocation of the Mill Hill Waste Depot To Abbots Depot, Oakleigh Rd, South, N11
Objection to planning application ref 15/04005/FUL
The Relocation of the Mill Hill Waste Depot To Abbots Depot, Oakleigh Rd, South, N11
I wish to speak to the committee in support of my objections to this scheme
Additional Vehicle Movements
The planned relocation will add substantial diesel HGV and other traffic to the area. The consequent pollution will add to the already poor air quality in the area.
The survey presented in the planning application documents is inaccurate. It gives an inadequate indication of the traffic flows and volumes that will follow if the application is granted nor the impact on the local community.
The survey does not distinguish between different types of lorries but instead gives a generic count for vehicles over 3.5 tonnes. The Application also states that the area is already heavily trafficked.
RAAD have conducted their own traffic survey to correct the various errors in the existing survey. They have presented the results of the survey to planning officers. Oakleigh Road will not be suitable to accommodate the proposed HGV traffic.
In the Planning Statement, 70 refuse trucks are quoted. The application overlooks vehicles servicing trade rounds, green waste, skips, bin delivery and collections; highway maintenance HGVs, Winter gritters, staff and supervisors’ cars arriving and departing, public service vans, MOT vehicles, or supplies delivery vehicles , including fuel tankers.
All vehicles are re- fuelled, washed and serviced within the premises. This is not included in the planning application vehicle movements estimate.
The HGVs will also be left to idle to warm up engines for 5-10 minutes each morning which will add to air pollution and noise.
Parking
According to the planning application documents more than 70% of employees use their own car or car share to get to work. There are only 70 parking spaces for staff parking planned. If no further parking is provided the remaining private cars will be parked in the nearby roads adversely impacting on residents’ parking and safety.
The number of parking spaces for the council fleet does not correspond to number of vehicles in the planning application, so many of the larger vehicles will also be parked in the surrounding streets.
Conservation
Bats and owls have been detected by a survey commissioned by RAAD. Bats are a protected species and the impact on wildlife has not been considered in the planning application.
It is also intended to cut down 15 mature trees, 2 of which are described in the assessment as ‘irreplaceable.’ This loss of mature trees is unacceptable.
Vermin
The plan will make the current vermin problem worse. This is a residential area and presents a public health problem.
Foul Odour
The proposed facility will produce foul odours which will impact on residents’ quality of life. The suggested mitigation measures are inadequate as during working hours it would be impractical to have the facility completely enclosed.
Noise
The noise produced by this facility will be constant throughout the day, and in winter with gritting vehicles, through the night. Vehicle movements, reversing trucks, trucks warming engines, loading and unloading, and the machines inside the processing facility itself will all cause a cacophony of noise at various volumes, pitches and rhythms.
Light
Flood lights will be on in the early hours of the morning until after 6pm. Some lights will be on during the night for protection of the site.
During winter the gritting and salt barn building will have the lights on 24/7. That will particularly affect the Coppies Grove residential area as well as the houses directly opposite the proposed Depot.
Road Safety
By increasing traffic on a small residential road there will be an increase in the risk of road accidents.
Given the narrow roads, emergency vehicles may be obstructed in the event of an accident due to the size of the additional vehicles.
In conclusion, more traffic, noise, odours, pollution, light and vermin will all have a very large impact on the daily lives of everybody in the area. It should be borne in mind that the first floor bedroom windows of many homes will be on the same level as the depot, due to the height differential of the site. this therefore increases the impact of noise, air and light pollution.
This plan will ruin the quality of life of neighbouring residents and the application should be refused.
Andrew Dismore AM
London Assembly member for Barnet and Camden
