Concerns raised over 'disastrous' waste centre plan

Concerns have been raised over the proposed location of a new household waste centre.

Members of Chesterton Parish Council said the new tip, planned for land in Oxfordshire between their village and Bicester, would risk losing the buffer separating the communities.

Volunteers from the Friends of Burnehyll Community Woodland also fear losing some of the 10,000 saplings planted on green space neighbouring the site.

A spokesperson for Oxfordshire County Council said the proposals were at "an early stage".

"We are engaging with stakeholders early to ensure we're identifying issues as soon as possible and reflecting them in the process," they said.

The county council currently has seven household waste recycling centres, including the 40-year-old site at Ardley, serving north Oxfordshire.

But the size and age of the facility means the council is now looking for a modern alternative, including space for a reuse shop where suitable items can be sold.

Preliminary proposals for the new tip would see it built on land behind Bicester's park and ride, bordering the A41.

Laura Gordon, county cabinet member for environment, said there would be a "buffer" between the nearby Kingsmere housing estate and Chesterton, limiting the smell and litter from the tip from impacting communities.

But Gary Warland, chair of Chesterton Parish Council, described the claim as "fundamentally not true".

He has invited Gordon to visit and "really understand what it might look like on a plan [compared] to what it might look like in reality".

Volunteers from the Friends of Burnehyll Community Woodland also shared concerns over the plans at a meeting earlier this week.

The woodland is still in its early stages, with almost 3,000 saplings already planted on the field neighbouring the proposed new tip. A further 500 trees are due to be planted in December.

But an access road is expected to be needed off Vandee Drive, with the group worried it might need to be built across part of the woodland.

Group co-chair David Pheasey said it was an "absolutely disastrous" idea.

"It's in completely the wrong place. It will increase traffic in an area that's already busy and dangerous," he said.

"We don't really know what the plan is. We don't know how much of the woodland they might want to take."

Oxfordshire County Council said a consultation will be launched ahead of a proposed planning application next summer.

A spokesperson said: "The relationship between the proposed centre, nearby communities and the surrounding landscape would be considered through the planning process, informed by the supporting studies and detailed plans.

"In preparation for a planning application, the council has secured a legal option on the land, subject to planning permission for a new household waste recycling centre," they added.