Waste recycling company wins planning appeal

Sheehan Haulage & Plant Hire call for government action to support green businesses

A recycling company has appealed to the Government to urgently overhaul planning policies relating to climate change in response to Sir David Attenborough’s stark call for radical action.

Sheehan Haulage & Plant Hire issued the call for action after they were granted permission to increase production at their advanced recycling plant, on a planning appeal.

The company, who’s CDE washing plant has saved 500,000 tonnes of waste from UK landfill sites since it was installed in 2012, applied to increase a cap placed on the plant from 100,000 tonnes to 175,000 tonnes of waste per year, but was originally turned down.

The treatment facility washes construction, demolition and excavation waste destined for landfill and turns it back into reusable certified sand and aggregate, thereby reducing demand on the environment for natural resources.

Earlier this month naturalist Sir David Attenborough told the United Nations-sponsored climate talks that climate change is ‘humanity’s greatest threat’. Sir David urged ‘decision-makers to act now’ to create a ‘low-carbon economy’.

Sheehan Haulage & Plant Hire’s managing director, Chris Sheehan, said: ‘Common sense has prevailed, but it shouldn’t take a long and very costly appeal to be granted permission to help improve recycling levels and create jobs in sustainable construction and the Circular Driven Economy.

‘It is a strong case study in light of Sir David’s appeal for urgent change in approach to policy. Businesses that are investing in sustainability need to be supported by policy- and decision-makers nationally and locally to help improve sustainability and the low-carbon economy.’

Oxfordshire County Council’s Planning and Regulation Committee originally turned down the application due to concerns over an increase in HGV use of roads in Sutton, near the site in Stanton Harcourt.

However, Sheehan Haulage & Plant Hire vehicles undertake a detour during peak hours to avoid impacting Sutton, which is on a designated lorry route.

In a further sustainability pledge, the company is installing a biomass boiler to produce renewable electricity at its recycling plant and will invest in electric vehicles when they are commercially available.

Finance director Tara Sheehan said: ‘We are proud of our recycling and sustainable construction record and are committed to taking it to the next level. This is a great day for the Circular Driven Economy and sustainable construction industry, and we now look forward to helping improve recycling rates in Oxfordshire.

‘Going to appeal was a last resort and cost the business a lot of money. We now hope this can help lead to a change in approach from decision-makers in the future towards green businesses. For the world to survive climate change we need an immediate and radical change in approach, and that includes improving planning policy for sustainability works.’