Whittlesey firm's expansion plan to be determined on March 4

Saxongate Residents Group is calling for as many people as possible to attend a meeting of Cambridgeshire County Council's planning committee on Wednesday, March 4, when the application by Johnsons Aggregates Recycling Ltd is set to be determined.

The campaign group have raised a number of concerns over the application, not least that there are still ongoing investigations into the site operations.

These include the fact that the council's planning enforcement officer has confirmed further damage to the concrete pad within the waste reception area at the Johnsons site.

Findings of a public health risk assessment on Saxon Pit in Whittlesey was published by Cambridgeshire County Council's Public Health team in January. (Image: Cambridgeshire County Council)

As a result, incinerator bottom ash (IBA) has again been stored outside the designated containment area.

The officer has confirmed this is a breach of condition 25 of the planning permission and has stated that ongoing unauthorised storage of IBA to resolve an operational matter is not sustainable.

Officers are liaising with the Environment Agency regarding the removal of the material and are continuing to investigate the pad damage and standing water on site.

A group spokesperson said: "This is the second pad issue within months. The current application seeks to nearly double IBA throughput on the same footprint while adding new processing activities.

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"Residents are therefore questioning whether expansion should be approved while infrastructure performance and compliance are under active investigation."

The group is most worried that IBA was not included as a possible contamination risk in the public health assessment of the site published last month by Cambridgeshire's public health team.

Saxongate are also concerned that the Environment Agency has granted a permit allowing East Midlands Waste Management Ltd, another operator on the site, to release surface water into the King's Dyke.

The group is hoping that the Middle Level Commissioners, who are responsible for the dyke and have the final say on whether water can be discharged into the waterway, will withhold that permission and have written an open letter setting out their case to the drainage board.

Saxongate is concerned about the planning meeting being called when there is so much "new material" being produced about the site and its operations.

The spokesperson said: "A significant amount has happened in a very short time. New traffic, odour and noise reports from Johnsons were only published earlier this month.

"Further technical objections and responses have been submitted. Investigations into site conditions are ongoing.

"It is concerning that so much new and material information has emerged so close to the committee date, leaving limited time for residents and consultees to review and comment properly."
Now the group is asking residents to attend the March 4 meeting to give a "visible community" presence and is asking anyone with a minibus to help with transport to the council's headquarters at Alconbury Weald.
The spokesperson added: "A strong public presence matters. To reflect the strong public objection and to reflect the level of concern within the town."
The planning application reference is CCC/24/091/VAR, and it can be viewed along with all submitted documents on the council's planning portal:
https://planning.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/.../applicationDet...
The application is seeking permission for importation, storage, processing including use of trommel, picking and recycling of incinerator bottom ash and construction and demolition waste, for exportation for use as incinerator bottom ash secondary aggregates, Informative: S73 planning application to vary conditions 5 (Approved plans & documents); 6 (Hours of operation); 15 (Vehicle movements); 21 (Annual throughput of waste); and 25 (Stockpile heights) of planning permission CCC/21/024/FUL to increase: the quantity of waste imported to the site, number of HGV movements, stockpile heights and hours of operation within building 1; make changes to the layout of plant; and to crush and screen IBA/IBAA and C&D waste.