Dartford Council has expressed concern over plans to convert a former car breakers yard into a recycling facility which would aim to take in 75,000 tonnes of waste a year.

The council was consulted on a planning application submitted to the county council which proposes to use the disused site in Manor Way Business Park, Swanscombe, as a recycling plant for waste generated during the development of Ebbsfleet Garden City.

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The application argues a new recycling facility would become a "valuable local resource" during the construction of the housing development as it would provide a nearby facility to process demolition waste and produce recycled materials which could be reused.

View of the proposed site

However, according to council documents there is a concern the development of the proposed recycling plant would interfere with part of the council's core strategy which aims to promote the creation of a "vibrant mixed-use riverfront" along the Swanscombe Peninsula, previously referred to as the Thames Waterfront Priority Area.

It is noted a recycling centre "is not a use which creates a vibrant mixed-use development or which can co-exist with these other uses without resulting in adverse impacts."

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The application, submitted by Mark Luck Ltd last September, does acknowledge this policy, proposing only a temporary permission for 15 years.

However, the council deemed this "inappropriate" as its policy period is to continue until 2026 and would conflict its aims.

Other concerns raised by the council's head of regeneration Teresa Ryszkowska included the possible negative effect on air quality, the increase in the amount of lorries entering and exiting the site each day, and the welfare of cyclists and pedestrians along the nearby London Road.

Kent County Council has yet to make a decision on the application as it is still under consultation.

However if it is to be approved, Dartford Council has requested that only a five-year permission be granted to allow for further monitoring and that the number of lorry trips made each day to the site be capped at 48.