From: Development Control (DMW)
Subject: FW: Planning application comments
From: Web Staff [mailto:webstaff@eastsussex.gov.uk]
Sent: 26 November 2016 08:32
To: Development Control (DMW)
Subject: Planning application comments
Title: Mr
Name: Edward Nodder
Address1: THE RED HOUSE
Address2: 67
Address3: SOUTHOVER HIGH STREET
Address4:
Town: LEWES
County: East Sussex
Postcode: BN7 1JA
Reference: WD/782/CM
Description: The continued use of land for green waste composting
and wood waste processing, including an increased through-put for up to 10,000
tonnes per annum of waste wood and the relocation of the waste wood processing
area including an extension to the existing storage building and yard area, the
replacement and relocation of the existing overflow pond (no.3) with a reed bed
system and the repositioning of the earth bunds at the southern and eastern
boundaries of the site.
Comments: My wife and I are the owners (in trust for our
children) of Scimcorner Wood to the SE of the site. This is scheduled ancient
woodland of high ecological and amenity value. There is a diverse flora and
fauna including a heronry and a population of bats, amongst which has been
recorded Bechsteins bat, Myotis bechsteinii, an exceedingly rare and highly
protected species listed as near threatened on the IUCN red list. Since our
original objections to the composting site when it was first proposed some 16
years ago and a prolonged and expensive planning battle which resulted in the composting
activities being moved further from our woodland boundary, we have coexisted
reasonably well with just occasional quarrels over hours of operation when
these were breached. But it is certainly true that the steady expansion of
activities at the site have increased the noise disturbance to Scimcorner wood
and that is why, when this further expansion was first mentioned to us by KPS
last year, we asked that they place the barn extension at an angle to better
shelter our woodland from noise and raise an earth bund along our boundary
which they have done. The use of a wetland system to treat run off is
ecologically sound and strongly supported provided there is no pollution of the
shallow lake in Scimcorner Wood which is home to the herons as well as several
species of water fowl. We do however have a concern about the increase in
operations from 5,000 to 10,000 tonnes of wood waste processing per annum which
was not mentioned to us before. We are especially concerned about the extra
vehicle movements and noise that will result. Scimcorner wood is closer to the
site than Honeypot Nursery and Oaklands where the noise survey was done. We
note with dismay there is to be a six fold increase in the hours of operation
of the wood shredding machinery. For us and our woodland wildlife it is very
important there are some daylight times each day when we can enjoy peace. We
would therefore like to see restricted hours of all shredder operations on site
with these being strictly limited to weekday mornings and not at all on
weekends and public holidays. That would seem a fair compromise given the
increase in throughput proposed. Some screening of sound from the shredders
with solid walls would also help to alleviate the noise nuisance.
Comment date: 26/11/2016
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