VILLAGERS failed to gain an undertaking about the future of a giant tip.
Proposals by 3C Waste to increase the height of part of the Gowy landfill site on Ince Lane, Wimbolds Trafford, led to objections.
The company told planning officers at Cheshire County Council it wished to raise the restoration levels of two phases of the tip to extend its life by just over four years to 2016.
The move would provide almost 1.4m cubic metres of new tipping space on the 55.5ha site by increasing the height of the areas concerned by 10m.
After the tip has settled, planning officers say there would be an overall increase of four metres.
County councillors heard the original planning permission for the tip, issued in 1986, was for 20 years. In 2006, this was extended until 2012.
The most recent application led to 14 individual objections together with a 120 signature petition.
Mickle Trafford and District Parish Council objected to any extension to the life of the tip and argued villagers had experienced the negative effects of the landfill for long enough.
With increased recycling, parish councillors felt the need for landfill sites should be reducing and the tip should be closed sooner rather than later.
Residents said they were concerned about the effect on their amenity and quality of life from issues including noise disturbance, HGVs, reversing alarms, bird scaring techniques, dust, odour, environmental pollution, vermin, pests and the spread of disease.
They were also worried about the hours of operation and working on bank and public holidays and questioned the need for a further extension, the effect on the Green Belt and the infringement of human rights.
Occupiers insisted they had suffered long enough and the tip should not be allowed to extend any further.
The main issues were the effect on residential amenity and quality of life, planning officers believed. They felt the change would have little effect on the character of the landscape.
Noise monitoring was undertaken on a regular basis and a number of measures were taken to deal with odours.
The application was recommended for permission subject to conditions.
The company told the County Hall meeting the site was included in the county’s approved waste plan which recognised the need for landfill sites.
It was the only site for the disposal of household waste in the west of Cheshire and no objections had been raised by the Environment Agency.
The plans were approved on the basis that tipping would cease in November 2016 and restoration would be completed 12 months later.
No undertaking was required that there should not be a further application.
