Warehouse premises to let awaiting the future of Avonmouth
Our logistics warehouse to let is intrigued to see what is decided for Avonmouth.The future of Avonmouth for recycling waste and generating power will be decided in three separate appeals before the end of this year
On three occasions, councillors have disregarded planning officers’ recommendations and voted against an oil refinery and two waste disposal plants to the north-west of Bristol.
A public inquiry will begin on 30 November, when Viridor Waste Management will argue against the refusal in June by Bristol city councillors to permit a resource recovery centre.
Viridor has a lease on the former Sevlco site on Severn Road. However, councillors argue that there are too many waste disposal plants in Avonmouth.
Viridor’s spokeswoman retorts: “We are confident our plans are robust and that we have solid grounds for appealing the reasons given by Bristol City Council for rejecting the planning application.”
The appeal will be the second on land at the Sevlco site. In February planning inspector Trevor Cookson said councillors could not reject a planning application from developer W4B to erect a biofuel plant on the ground that it was not sustainable.
The councillors argued that harvesting jatropha from Indonesia and Malaysia and shipping it to Avonmouth for conversion into biofuel, involved climate change and sustainability issues.
Cookson said the source of fuel was not a planning matter. The Communities and Local Government department now has to decide the next step.
Sita, the waste disposal company, will appeal against South Gloucestershire Council’s refusal to allow an energy recovery and waste disposal centre on 16.6 acres at Central Park, Severnside.
Gareth Phillips, Sita’s planning and property manager, says: “We have every intention of appealing. The officers recommended approval, and it confirms everything in the draft waste management policy for the West Country.”
Paul Hobbs, industrial partner in GVA Grimley’s Bristol office, comments: “The refusals have been the result of public pressure and the realisation that the fuel used in a power station is not a planning matter. This is a challenge we have not seen elsewhere in the UK, except the north-east.”