Council waste plans rubbished by residents

Date published: 01 July 2009

At a public meeting on Tuesday 30 June 2009 at the Royal Court Theatre in Bacup, around 150 people saw exactly what Rossendale Council’s plans for a waste bulking-up depot at Henrietta Street could look and sound like as they were shown a 10 minute video taken at the private base the council currently uses.

Bin wagons were seen dropping tonnes of bottles, glass and plastics in huge heaps and along with the rubbish out poured gallons of disgusting liquid collected from the uncleaned tins and bins where the recycled goods had been stored.

They saw and heard as the rubbish was scooped up mechanically before clattering noisily into large skips and then transported away from the remote moorland site.

But what is proposed for the Valley is not remote, or moorland, it is in the heart of a town, which is not even central to Rossendale.

Residents voiced concern about rats, disease, noise, smells and the fact the proposal would blight a town in need of a boost and regeneration and could lead to pollution of the River Irwell.

A campaign group Bacup Is Not Suitable has been set up. Local resident John Murphy chaired the meeting and told the residents: "What is going to go on at that site will affect the whole of the Bacup, but only a handful of people have been consulted."

He accused the council of covering up what was being proposed by not calling it a waste transfer station and several people were concerned that the application could lead to a much larger rubbish processing site being ultimately constructed.

Criticism of the consultation was also levied by former councillor and Bacup resident Margaret Talukdar. She urged development control chairman Councillor Judith Driver to withdraw the plans until proper consultation was carried out.

Although present Councillor Driver said she could not comment because she would be chairing the meeting.

Bacup Councillors Jimmy Eaton and Graham Haworth did comment and both said they were against the plan.

Rossendale Council is planning further consultation on the proposals and residents have vowed to make their views known in writing and by personally attending the meeting when the plans are debated by Rossendale’s development control committee.

A group Bacup Is Not Suitable has been set up on the social networking site Facebook.