Applause for councillors as they reject plant nursery expansion which is ‘ruining lives’

Applicant Carrier Landscapes Ltd applied to widen the existing access to a 12ha site off Worksop Road, Lindrick, provide new tracks on the site and erect a water tank and a building to house borehole equipment.

However, councillors rejected the plans during a meeting of Rotherham Metropolitan Borough’s planning board meeting this morning after they had visited the site.

It is unclear if any enforcement action will now be taken as the work has already been carried out.

The application was brought to the board in December, but a decision was deferred after members could not agree on reasons to reject plans.

Residents told members during December’s meeting that residents had been caused ‘distress’ after ‘suddenly finding HGV vehicles practically on [their] doorstep, annihilating the site’.

Others raised concerns about visibility from the entrance of the site onto the A57, and one resident accused the applicant of building ‘contaminated tracks’ over neighbours’ land.

The applicant had agreed to several conditions after concerns about the number of vehicles, particularly lorries using the site, and its operating hours – but residents living near the site still made pleas to the board to reject the plans.

Mr Bignall, who lives close to the site, told the meeting that noise from the site is ‘ruining his life,’ and that of his elderly parents.

He accused the applicant of planning to use the site as a depot.

“This isn’t to be used for just planting trees it’s to be used as a depot, as seen on website and social media sites,” he told the meeting.

Karen Webb, another resident, added: “This is an accident waiting to happen. I am a passionate motorcyclist. I would ride five, six, seven miles to avoid that entrance and exit point.

“It is not a nursery, you don’t need aggregate and big trucks to grow plants.

“Every time I ride my bike out there I risk life and limb, and it will be the council and board which have blood on their hands.”

Peter Wilkinson, the agent speaking on behalf of the applicant, said that the firm was ‘prepared to go significantly beyond’ what planning officers had considered reasonable and adhere to several conditions.

Mr Wilkinson added: “If this proposal is refused, access would need to be restored to its original position and form.

“This is much more likely to lead to vehicles potentially stopping on the highway, that is, to be less safe. This cannot be in anybody’s interest”.

Simon Gammons, RMBC’s senior highways manager, told the meeting that the access complies with standards, and there would not be a ‘significant’ increase in traffic, should the plans go ahead.

“We’ve physically measured the visibility, we’re happy and content with the visibility. Speed data was submitted which we’ve looked at and seems reasonable,” he added.

Councillor Joshua Bacon proposed that the plans be rejected on the grounds of ‘unacceptable’ risk and impact on highway safety, and an increase in vehicle movements.

“I can’t in good conscience walk away from this planning board today, and accept an application that I think on high probability would have an unacceptable risk,” he added.

His proposal was seconded by Councillor Simon Ball and accepted by the board with six votes for and four against.

A decision on enforcement action, if any, was deferred.