Decision on Eriswell concrete batching plant in Brandon Road due following push back

A decision is due on a concrete batching plant after it was previously pushed back.

Members of West Suffolk’s development control committee are due to meet next Tuesday to once again discuss plans for the three-year operation of a concrete batching plant within the Lakenheath recycling centre, on land at Brandon Road, in Eriswell, near Brandon.

The application was submitted by Rory Holbrook and was deferred in late April due to councillors raising concerns over the impact on traffic movements, noise, routing of vehicles, and the destination of the end product.

Mr Holbrook said the plant would be used to support the existing centre, used to recycle construction materials, as well as be essential in supporting air bases in Mildenhall and Lakenheath.

The new planning documents show the operation of the concrete batching plant would only increase the noise by a single decible, which officers concluding the difference would not be audible.

In terms of traffic, only three extra vehicle movements would be created on a weekly basis to bring cement to the site, in contrast to the five initially stated during the April meeting — as for routing, there is currently no traffic plan in place with the county council to restrict or monitor traffic.

As per the officer’s report, the destination of the cement would be decided by market forces but would most likely be RAF Lakenheath, RAF Mildenhall, RAF Feltwell and other agricultural users.

With more clarification on the concerns raised during the April meeting, officers have kept their recommendation for approval subject to conditions.

The report states: “The proposal would support the existing recycling centre, which is a well established commercial use.

“The development will also be used to facilitate necessary upgrades for the adjacent RAF base, as well as providing concrete to other local RAF bases and agriculture.

“Whilst the potential impact upon the landscape has been taken into account, it is considered that on balance this would not outweigh the benefits brought by the development and any harm can be minimised sufficiently to enable the proposal to be supported.”