A Devon industrial firm wants to hike the amount of incinerator waste it recycles and crank up how often it operates.
Rock Solid is allowed to process 90,000 tonnes a year of so-called incinerator bottom ash (IBA), which is a by-product from the process of burning waste.
That limit was set in 2019 when the firm was given permission to operate from its site at Hill Barton Business Park in Clyst St Mary, near Exeter.
At the same time, the company was only permitted to operate for three sets of eight-week periods each year.
But now it wants to boost production by nearly two-thirds as it seeks a new annual limit of 150,000 tonnes of IBA, while it also wants to be able to operate 52 weeks per year.
The firm said it was a “Devon success story” and wanted to continue to grow the business so it could recycle more material and contribute to the Exeter area’s circular economy.
Councillor Eleanor Rylance (Liberal Democrat, Broadclyst), whose ward on East Devon District Council covers the application site, said she had concerns about the increase in traffic.
Eleanor Rylance
“I’ve always been concerned about the number of road movements,” she said.
“The A3052 is a 50-60mph road and it terrifies me the way people speed down there, and so with potentially even more lorries pulling out onto it, the risk of road traffic accidents will rise in my view.”
She added she had no concerns about what the company did because it was a “good idea to retrieve the ash and turn it into something usable”, but suggested nearby residents might be concerned by the prospect of it operating year-round as opposed to the current 24 weeks.
In documents linked to the application to amend these aspects, the firm said it had been “operating successfully and without complaint”.
Rock Solid on Hill Barton Business Park wants to increase how much material it processes and operate all year.(Image: Google Maps)
However, papers from 2019 show there was strong objection to the firm’s 2019 application from the likes of Farringdon Parish Council and Farringdon Residents’ Association.
Noise, traffic, hazardous waste, and dust were among the issues raised by those groups as part of their objections to the 2019 application.
A spokesperson for Rock Solid said: “Rock Solid’s waste processing and recycling operation is a Devon success story and we want to see the business continue to grow.
“We already receive deliveries all year round, and this change will only result in a very small number of additional HGV deliveries – we estimate no more than one or two per day.
“But it will allow us to process and recycle material more efficiently, supporting the circular economy and continued employment in the Exeter area.”
The firm added it “regularly attends a community liaison group” for businesses operating in the Hill Barton Business Park to engage with neighbours and other stakeholders about any issue or concerns, and that it was “not aware of any complaints about our existing operations being received by either Rock Solid or the Environment Agency”.
It said the company continues to invest in site management and environmental controls to ensure it operates to the highest possible standard.
Back in 2019, East Devon District Council’s environmental health team said it did “not agree” with the firm’s claim that its process was similar to the previous occupant’s composting process as a “completely different material” was involved and the “potential for noise during processing is not comparable”.
The team also contested calculations about the impact on traffic from the change in use at the site, claiming there would be a “noticeable increase in this type of 27-tonne vehicle” equivalent to a 5 per cent rise and not the 0.4 per cent suggested in the 2019 application.
It is not yet known when the planning application will be considered.