Bridport: Has a site finally been found for a new waste transfer station?

A FORMER dairy farm could become a new household recycling centre and waste transfer station for the Bridport area.

Lilac Farm, which lies just east of Bridport off the A35, is to be evaluated in depth by Dorset County Council’s independent planning consultants, Nicholas Pearson Associates.

The county council has spent years – and hundreds of thousands of pounds – trying to find somewhere it can shift the current Household Recyling Centre from South Street, Bridport.

In March the council announced a shortlist of six possible sites around Bridport; Lilac Farm makes it seven.

Could Lilac Farm be the answer?

It looks, on first impressions, a strong contender.

Lilac Farm is on the northern side of the A35, just past Lee Lane on the way out of Bridport (before Boarsbarrow Hill and the easternmost turn to Walditch). The site consists of two fields, a collection of farm buildings and a farmhouse.

It’s emerged as a possible candidate because when consultants were trying to establish who owned land at Green Lane Nursery (another possible location just past Lee Lane), Lilac Farm’s owners said that they would be prepared to discuss selling.

The property has now been assessed and given a score of 30 points on a range of criteria such as the risk of flooding, visual intrusiveness, and access.

A score of 30 puts Lilac Farm in joint first place with Gore Cross, Green Lane Nursery, and a site just south of the Miles Cross junction west of Bridport.

It’s ahead of three other sites: Broomhills; a site just north of Miles Cross; and another now described as Eype Junction (previously referred to as Watton Farm, near the Eype picnic area).

It’s 250 metres away from the nearest residential property (Green Lane House), while the Walditch Conservation Area is 300 metres away, and screened from the site.

So what might the drawbacks be?

Look into the site’s planning history, and it’s previously been described as occupying “a sensitive location within an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty”.

Retrospective permission was refused for a barn because its “scale and bulk … has an unacceptable impact on the surrounding area and does not conserve the qualities of the landscape.

“The fact that it is well screened from public view and partially built into the ground, does not sufficiently mitigate the harm, or override the policy objection to such development.”

Which raises the question: how would a Household Recycling Centre and waste transfer station “conserve the qualities of the landscape?” But – could such concerns be overridden?

The access off the A35 – described by Dorset County Council as “direct” – has also been described by West Dorset District Council as “an obscure narrow entrance.”

The Highways Agency has said “it falls below the current standard for vehicular access to an all purpose trunk road. In particular, the site [sic – should this be sight?] lines towards Bridport are poor…”

Access could, however, be improved, by altering tree lines, and fencing and repositioning signs.

Public exhibition

There is, in short, a lot to talk about, and local people can have their say at a public exhibition in Bridport Town Hall on Friday 21 May, from 11am to 6pm, and on Saturday 22 May, from 9:30am to 12:30pm.

In a statement, Dorset County Council’s head of waste management Steve Burdis said:

“Our search for a waste management centre to serve the people of Bridport is proving a long and difficult issue, with no simple answer.

“We strongly encourage residents to come and visit the exhibition to find out about the sites under consideration and share their views with us.

“This is the last chance for local people to have their input before the site assessment process is completed this summer.”

This is how Dorset County Council describes what will happen after the exhibition:

“The seven sites will be evaluated on a number of factors including transport infrastructure and access, flood risk, drainage and water quality, landscape character and visual impact, and the extent to which the land supports the area’s planning policies.

“The results of the assessment will be reported to the county council’s Cabinet, who will then make the final decision about which site will go forward for a planning application.

“Public consultation will of course form part of any planning application.

“For more information about the review of potential locations for a new waste management facility in Bridport visit our website page.”

- Six sites shortlisted, including one near the Eype picnic area

- Leading councillor Ronald Coatsworth gores Dorset County Council

- Pressure group NOWTS speaks out

- Well-known Bridport green Leon Edwards calls for leadership and action

- Steve Spear of NOWTS responds to Leon Edwards