West Suffolk Operation Hub
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West Suffolk Operation Hub Consultation Report Prepared by Copper Consultancy Limited for the West Suffolk councils (Forest Heath District Council and St Edmundsbury Borough Council) and Suffolk County Council May 2016 Contents Contents .................................................................................................................................................. 2 1. Introduction .................................................................................................................................... 4 2. Background ..................................................................................................................................... 5 Project ................................................................................................................................................. 5 3. Consultation approach .................................................................................................................... 6 Lessons learned ................................................................................................................................... 6 Methodology ....................................................................................................................................... 6 The Public Consultation Plan .............................................................................................................. 7 Approach to feedback collection ........................................................................................................ 7 Issues ................................................................................................................................................... 8 4. Consultation activity ....................................................................................................................... 9 Public Engagement ............................................................................................................................. 9 Information availability ....................................................................................................................... 9 Public Exhibitions .............................................................................................................................. 10 Public meeting .................................................................................................................................. 11 Updates to materials ......................................................................................................................... 11 5. Feedback from public consultation ............................................................................................... 12 Summary of findings ......................................................................................................................... 12 Approach to analysis ......................................................................................................................... 16 Feedback – introduction ................................................................................................................... 16 Feedback – Section one: Assessment of options .............................................................................. 18 Feedback – Section two: Assessment of sites ................................................................................... 40 Feedback – Section three: Site suggestions .................................................................................... 109 Feedback – Section four: Sustainability Appraisal .......................................................................... 131 Feedback – Additional: Comments regarding the consultation ..................................................... 140 Feedback – Additional: Other ......................................................................................................... 147 6. Consultation with statutory organisations ................................................................................. 154 Consultation .................................................................................................................................... 154 Feedback ......................................................................................................................................... 154 7. Conclusions ................................................................................................................................. 158 Options Assessment ........................................................................................................................ 158 Site Assessment .............................................................................................................................. 158 The Sustainability Appraisal: ........................................................................................................... 159 Key Issues: Proximity/Relationship to Bury St Edmunds ................................................................ 159 Key Issues: Traffic and transport ..................................................................................................... 159 Key Issues: Proximity of Residents/Impact on Residents – Hollow Road Farm .............................. 160 Page 2 Concluding Remarks........................................................................................................................ 161 Appendix 1: Public Consultation Plan ................................................................................................. 162 Appendix 2: Promotional material ...................................................................................................... 174 Flyer................................................................................................................................................. 174 Press releases .................................................................................................................................. 175 Press coverage ................................................................................................................................ 181 Advertisement – Bury Free Press, 8th January 2016 ....................................................................... 197 Web Page ........................................................................................................................................ 198 Appendix 3: Feedback Form ............................................................................................................... 200 Appendix 4: Frequently Asked Questions ........................................................................................... 208 Appendix 5: Statutory organisation consultation ............................................................................... 223 Page 3 1. Introduction The West Suffolk Operational Hub (WSOH) is a proposal by the West Suffolk councils (Forest Heath District Council and St Edmundsbury Borough Council) and Suffolk County Council (the ‘partner councils’) to relocate a number of waste management and operational facilities to a single site in order to increase efficiency, save money and future-proof waste management for West Suffolk’s communities. This Consultation Report has been prepared to report back on the second round of consultation on the project. This consultation was held in order to scrutinise the work that has been carried out to date. A first round of consultation was carried out in spring 2015. That consultation was held on a specific preferred site for a WSOH, Hollow Road Farm. As well as receiving significant amounts of feedback about the site proposals itself, many people expressed a concern that the site specific proposals were being presented prematurely and there were also comments that the whole of West Suffolk should have been consulted on the approach of the project (co-locating facilities to a new site) as well as the possible sites for a new facility. The Public Consultation Plan, published in December 2015, set out the position regarding the second stage of consultation in response to the feedback received: This method of consultation is not usually needed to support a proposal of this type, however, your councils wanted to ensure everyone has the opportunity to scrutinise the process so that the most suitable site for a WSOH can be identified. In addition, your councils want to offer everyone an opportunity to suggest alternative sites for consideration. This report covers the findings of the consultation including a summary of all the relevant issues that were raised during the consultation and how the partner councils have considered those issues. This Consultation Report has been drafted to help inform the partner councils’ decision-making as well as to report back to those who contributed to the consultation on the issues raised, and how they have been considered. This Consultation Report has not been prepared specifically to support a planning application nor has it been prepared to set out the partner councils’ next steps for the project. Page 4 2. Background Project The West Suffolk Operational Hub proposal is the result of planning for future waste management and operational facilities in the Forest Heath and St Edmundsbury council areas of Suffolk, specifically waste transfer stations, household waste recycling centres and fleet depots. A number of factors have led to a review by the West Suffolk councils (as the waste collection authority)