Tattershall recycling centre approved despite locals’ toxic waste fears

A new Household Waste Recycling Centre in Tattershall Thorpe has been approved by Lincolnshire councillors, despite fears that it was a former toxic waste dumping site.

The council’s new £2 million facility will replace one further up the road contracted to a third party company, which is due to close later this year.

Objectors to the plans warned the new site was used for a long time as a a dumping site for “toxic waste” and worry the area could be dangerous.

The concerns were raised after the appearance of a warning sign on the gate which Lincolnshire County Council denied was theirs.

Officers told councillors: “The site in its present form is not showing evidence of contamination or leakage within the site itself.”

However, they said measures had been taken in order to minimise disturbance to the site, including that it will be constructed on a concrete platform.

They said the location was considered acceptable and that it would result in a similar level of transport and waste to the existing site.

How the new HWRC would be laid out.

Speaking in support of the application, Mike Reed, Lincolnshire County Council’s Delivery and Transportation Manager in Waste, said not replacing the existing facility would “represent a big gap” in the service.

He explained the nearest facilities, in Sleaford and Market Rasen, would be an “inconvenience” to residents and warned there could be an “increase in fly-tipping”.

He said concerns about other LCC-run facilities had “never been borne out”.

“We do operate to a very high standard, we have four facilities which have residential properties as immediate neighbours, which have a shared boundary and none of us can recall any issues or complaints in terms of neighbours,” he said.

The signage at the entrance to the proposed new Household Waste Recycling Centre, including the sign Lincolnshire County Council denied was theirs. | Photo: Daniel Jaines

Ward councillor Patricia Bradwell said she had not had any complaints herself. “If new site isn’t developed then we haven’t anywhere else,” she said.

Councillor Tom Ashton added it was important to consider concerns, but added: “We have clearly shown the site poses little or no risk in its current form because it hasn’t been disturbed for a very long period of time.”

He was pleased a risk assessment would be carried out.

“We just need to be absolutely certain there is nothing in there that is going to cause that level of problem for that river, any other sites or the local community, neighbours, or anyone else.”