Expansion of the Recycling Works at Oare could mean thousands more lorries driving through Oare, Ospringe and Davington. There are already too many lorries thundering through these villages, rattling homes and historic buildings and contributing to pollution. No wonder residents are seriously worried about these proposals. I’ve made a formal submission objecting to this planning application and I hope it will not go ahead.
The landscape around Oare and the creek is precious. It's a haven for wildlife and a site of special scientific interest - hardly an appropriate location for a large and polluting waste site. I am meeting representative of the Environment at the site later this week, so they can see the effects all the pollution is having for themselves, and I’ve written to Michael Gove asking him to intervene.
I've submitted an official objection to a planning application to expand the East Kent Recycling Plant in Oare.
I've also demanded that the environment agency visit the site to assess the potential risks to Oare Creek and surroundings, which include an area of scientific interest and a bird sanctuary.
The plant has a strict limit of 40 trucks entering and exiting every day, but local people have filmed and counted more than 100 lorries in a single day.
If the plant’s application to expand is successful it could mean 50,000 trucks a year barrelling along narrow lanes through villages like Ospringe, Davington and Oare. This could increase pollution and damage the environment.
You can read my letter, in which I also raised concerns that people living in Davington and Ospringe have not been consulted on the planning application, even though their lives will be affected if it goes ahead, by clicking here.
Local campaigners from UPROARE have also been working hard on this, and Gordon Henderson MP. I’m confident that, working together, we can make local people’s voice heard.