Example Letter - 3

Dear Planning Officer,
 

I am writing as a local resident who has taken the time to read the relevant planning policies and understand how they apply to the asphalt plant currently operating on the site (Planning Application PL/0112/19) .

 

Having looked closely at the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), the Local Plan, and the Waste Local Plan, I am very concerned that this development does not meet the standards required to protect residents, the environment, or the local community.

The noise from the asphalt plant is intrusive and persistent. It often begins before 7:30am Monday to Saturday, disturbing sleep and making it difficult to enjoy peace and quiet in my own home. This directly conflicts with the NPPF’s requirement for development to safeguard people’s health and living conditions by preventing harmful noise and disturbance. I regularly have to turn up my television or radio, wear a headset for calls, and change how I work and live because of the constant background noise.
 

The fumes and odours from the plant are equally worrying. They spread far beyond the site boundary and can be smelled along the Blackfan Road, Cole Green Way, Rolls Wood, and even at Moneyhole Playing Fields where children play. The NPPF is clear that development must not contribute to pollution or harm the natural environment, yet the emissions from this plant are affecting public open spaces, footpaths, and areas used daily by families, walkers, and cyclists. I am forced to keep my windows closed and therefore even the ability to ventilate my property with fresh air has been taken away.

I am also concerned about the proximity of the plant to several primary schools. Young children are particularly vulnerable to noise and air pollution, and the Local Plan requires development to protect the health and wellbeing of residents, especially sensitive groups. An asphalt plant is simply not appropriate in a residential area with schools and family‑oriented spaces so close by.

In reviewing the Waste Local Plan, I noted that waste‑related development must avoid significant adverse effects on human health and the environment. The impacts we are experiencing; noise, odour, emissions, and increased HGV movements; clearly show that this requirement is not being met. The plant is causing harm, and these effects have increased as the operator has expanded production.

I am also aware that the operator has repeatedly breached planning conditions, particularly around operating hours. The NPPF states that planning conditions must be enforceable and effective, yet this is impossible when the operator does not follow them. It is a well‑established planning principle that persistent breaches should weigh against granting further permission.

Many residents, including myself, were never consulted about the introduction of an asphalt plant. This is not a small amendment to an existing recycling site, it is a major change that brings far greater impacts. Over 300 people have signed a petition calling for a full and transparent planning process, including proper assessments of air quality, noise, and public health. This level of concern should not be ignored.
 

Having reviewed the policies and experienced the impacts firsthand, it is clear to me that the asphalt plant does not comply with national or local planning requirements. It harms residential amenity, affects public open spaces, threatens the wellbeing of children, and has already shown a pattern of non‑compliance.

Moving the plant slightly on the site does not solve these problems.
 

For these reasons, I respectfully ask that planning permission for the asphalt plant is not granted.
 

Yours faithfully,