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Veolia 2013 hours Part 06

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Questions for planners & politicians
about Veolia

1. To access the noise impact assessment take this link to the documents tab of BH2013/02219
2. Then (to the left of the green button APPLY) change "Show All" to filter by "Supporting Documents" before clicking on the green button
   
   
3. Select the Noise impact assessment" from the list of documents under 3rd July 2013.
4. Click on adjacent icon in the "view" column
5. The Noise Impact Assessment" should then show! 

[6 of 11] Veolia's Noise impact assessment (point 1.1) cites historical noise (that of an abattoir closed 25 years ago) and current noise (from the City Clean Council Depot on the far side of Hollingdean Lane) as precedents to justify the extra noise from Veolia's Waste Transfer Station and Materials Recovery. Little consideration is given to the objectionable quality of Veolia's noise.

Question 1 - character, duration, & frequency Is it fair to create rules which may subject people in their homes & gardens to prolonged periods (for up to 15 hours a day 363 days in the year) of a most unpleasant mix of industrial noise - (banging / echoing / rumbling within the MRF & WTS; glass-tipping, high-pitched hums / high pressure cleaning equipment / loud beeps from vehicles & machinery within the yard) ?

Question 2 - removal of protections When in 2006 permission was granted for Veolia's Waste Transfer Station and Materials Recovery Facility in vicinity of several homes and gardens, protections were put in place in accordance with
(a) General amenity considerations within points 8.4 to 8.9 of the East Sussex and Brighton & Hove Waste Local Plan.
(b) Local Plan policy QD27 Protection of amenity
(c) SU10 Noise nuisance

Should these periods of respite from industrial noise (weekends & Bank Hols) - the main success of The Dump The Dump campaign) be eliminated at a stroke in 2013 by approving Veolia's planning application BH2013/02219?

Veolia reminds us (see point 7.6 of their supporting statement for planning application BH2013/02219) that they are also regulated by The Environment Agency. As interest in residents' amenity has clearly been abandoned by the Council, we can now seek the protection of The Environment Agency by signing this community petition.

Question 3 - removing limits on operating hours must facilitate extra industrial activity & HGV movements

Does not Veolia's proposal (longer operating hours: 15 hours a week / 353 days a year) create extra potential for industrial noise and HGV movements, also at sensitive times (weekends & Bank Holidays)?

Veolia's Noise impact assessment 2.1.4 [Select from list under 03 Jul 2013] acknowledges that not all the vehicles using Hollingdean Depot yard have 'white noise' smart reversing alarms - vehicles from outside of Brighton and Hove and from companies other than Veolia are permitted to use the yard . It should follow from this acknowledgement that extending the operating hours by so much more creates potential for more vehicles from outside our city to use Hollingdean Depot.

"The maximum permitted tonnage will remain unchanged"

"The maximum permitted tonnage will remain unchanged" would only be relevant to an application to extend operating hours if the WTS and MRF were already operating at peak levels.

"The maximum permitted tonnage will remain unchanged" does not address local residents' wish not to have the nuisance of industrial noise on Sundays and Bank Holidays.

The Council's Sustainable Transport Department argues in THE PLANS LIST that the unit (MRF & WTS)'s maximum capacity of 160,000 tonnes per annum effectively controls the vehicle numbers allowed per annum and that Veolia's application does not change the maximum permitted tonnage.

However, Hollingdean Depot has never been operating at its maximum permitted tonnage. Its current level of operation causes an intolerable level of nuisance to residents living nearby. Application BH2013/02219 creates potential for even more nuisance.
NEXT 7 of 11: 2 days respite out of 365 from industrial noise