With a big heads up to the lovely neighbour (hellooo!) here's a planning application for down towards the Hythe that has been slipped in by Anglian Water Services to Essex County Council. Essentially AW is propsing to put in place a 16m high flue stack, full of, well, full of...

The location is on the current Haven Road site, which is more or less opposite where the Knowledge Gateway is being built. The stench currently coming out of the pooh factory doesn't really hit you until are side by side with the University along the Trail. On a windy day, and with the increased flue stack, this of course might change.

A definite alteration will be an increase in HGV's entering the site, once the stack is in place. AW predicts a rise from 34 to 54 a day. Of course this won't impact upn Wivenhoe, but any locals using Bannatynes or other facilities on the industrial estate will certainly see a change. Twenty-two months (!) has been estimated as the construction time, with HGV's entering the area from 7:30am.

The Essex County Council planning section on their website is rather weak. Sadly only a pdf of the application is available to download. I'm attaching it here, along with posting the details below.



On a not entirely unrelated matter, the waste re-processing story at Fingringhoe has gone rather quiet...

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Summary of application 
 
This summary has been prepared by Essex County Council using details
supplied within the application.  The details at this stage have not been
verified.  It is intended as an aid and does not form part of the application details.  This does not reflect the views of the Planning Authority.
 
To understand the full extent and implications of the proposed development, it is recommended you view the full planning application at the local library, district council offices or County Council offices
 
Case Officer: Matthew Wood
Phone 01245 
435755 Email address Matthew.wood@essex.gov.uk  

 
Planning Application for: The construction of plant and structures on operational land associated with an Enhanced Digestion Programme, consisting of 1 flue stack measuring 16m in height, 1 new secure plant storage building, 1 odour control unit and 10 kiosks housing plant.
 
Application Reference: ESS/36/11/COL
 
Location of site: Colchester Wastewater Treatment Works (WwTW), Haven Road,
The Hythe, Colchester CO2 8HT.
 
Application by: Anglian Water Services Ltd.
 
Summary of proposal: The application site is an existing Waste water Treatment
Works (WwTW) serving the Colchester area owned and maintained by Anglian
Water. 
 
The purpose of the proposed development is to upgrade the existing conventional Sludge Treatment Centre on the site with enhanced digestion treatment. 
 
Anglian Water currently has an Ofwat (Office of Water Services) obligation to increase capacity for biosolids treatment to enhanced treated standards across the eastern region and improve the quality of biosolids recycled to agriculture. The proposed enhanced digestion project at the Colchester WwTW plays a vital part in meeting the Ofwat obligation.
 
The proposed development would cover a small portion of the overall footprint of the site and would be constructed in close proximity to existing plant and structures. The present secure perimeter fencing would be maintained and access controlled through the sole entrance to the site, off Haven Road.
 
An increase in vehicle movements is proposed as part of the proposal. 
Currently there is, on average, 34 HGV movements (i.e. 17 inbound and 17
outbound) per day at the site with this application proposing an increase to 54 HGV movements per day (i.e. 27 inbound and 27 outbound). This is due mainly to additional biosolids imports and exports connected to the proposed upgrading of the works and the importation of sludge cake from other satellite wastewater works in the area. Access to the site would be via the existing access off Haven Road to the north east of the site.
 
During the construction period an average of approximately 90 light vehicles (cars/LGVs) and 25 HGVs per day from Monday to Friday would be predicted, in addition to the existing traffic movements generated by operational and office staff at the site. Construction traffic could potentially rise to a peak of approximately 130 private vehicles and 40 HGVs per day during the busiest points of the construction period.
 
The construction period itself would last approximately 22 months (December 2011 to September 2013) with construction activities proposed to take place between the following hours:
 
Monday to Friday: 7:30 – 18:00
Saturdays: 8:00 – 13:00
 
It has also been stated that there may be occasional working outside of these hours, but that would only occur if construction were to fall behind due to bad weather. The Waste Planning Authority (Essex County Council) would be advised of these occasions in advance.