Earlier this week I sent a letter to Jim Kehoe, Chief Planning Officer at Bromley Council, to put on record my strong objections to an application currently before the Planning Department which proposes to develop a new waste transfer site on Old Maidstone Road.
I have already met with a number of local residents who share my concerns about the plans, and I am adamant that this is the wrong site for this application. I believe our Green Belt must be protected wherever possible, and the vital role it plays in preventing urban sprawl in our towns and cities – something that is particularly important in the Borough of Bromley – is reflected in law by the strong protections offered to it. Only in October the Government’s guidance was updated to ensure applications, just like this, would not be permitted, and I feel the Council’s own planning rules are firmly stacked against the plans which have been put forward.
With the proposed site being only one mile away from Waste 4 Fuel on Cornwall Drive, it was inevitable that the application was going to be met with anger, frustration and fear, based on the past experiences of nearby residents. The waste being sorted on the site would be hazardous in nature, and it is completely unreasonable to expect local people to accept what seems, on the surface, a very similar operation.
I have attached a copy of my letter to Mr Kehoe below, and will post any updates on my website as and when they become available.