COUNCILLORS have ‘called in’ an application to double the size of a composting plant in Purton, meaning it will face scrutiny from the planning committee.

Since a second application was lodged by Hills Waste Management to increase the capacity of their Parkgate Farm site from 25,000 tonnes to 50,000 and make the site permanent, a number of concerns have been raised.

A bridge crossing the railway line, allowing access to the site via Mopes Lane, has caused a significant increase in HGV traffic through Cricklade and the surrounding roads to Purton.

Originally granted a temporary licence until 2014, the new application seeks to make it permanent.

Hills say the projected increase in green waste being processed at their site makes the move necessary, but with imminent changes to the process in Wiltshire, the council has cast doubt on the claims and will put the application before the committee.

Jacqui Lay, Wiltshire councillor for Purton and Braydon, said: “How we deal with waste has changed considerably over the years and although dealing with green waste at composting sites using open windrows may be current thinking, it may not be in the future.

“Wiltshire Council proposals to charge for green waste may have an impact on how residents deal with their green waste – perhaps composting within their properties or using local facilities.

“Purton Parish Council perhaps is an example of dealing with waste locally, as despite having a composting site in the parish at Parkgate, they have built their own composting unit for parish council green waste using the precept monies (from council tax), hence at the cost of the people of the parish.”

While Hills have calculated a small increase in traffic as a result of the application, Coun Lay said more needed to be taken into consideration.

“There needs to be a clear understanding of the route vehicles will use to access the site, and it is not clear in the application as to whether any will come from the Swindon direction at Packhorse Corner,” she said.

“Bearing in mind the construction of 700 houses at Ridgeway Farm to include a primary school on the route, access to the site from the Swindon direction should not be encouraged.”

A spokesman for Hills said: “Parkgate Farm has been identified as a strategic site for waste management in Wiltshire and is considered suitable for composting activities. The increase in green waste for composting from households in Wiltshire saw 35,000 tonnes of material processed at the facility in 2014.

“Although there will be a small increase in vehicles associated with bringing more of the county’s green waste to the site, it is calculated at one vehicle per hour, which has been assessed as being well within the normal daily variation in traffic flows on local roads.”

The application will likely be discussed at Wiltshire Council’s planning committee on April 22.