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Household Waste Recycling Centre Redevelopment
Port Solent recycling centre – keeping you informed
February 2008
The planning application has now been submitted for approval to the planning department. For more information use the link on the right-hand side.
January 2008
As you may be aware, the planning permission for the site is due to run out at the end of this year and city councillors have decided that Port Solent should be the permanent site for the HWRC.
Back in August, we invited residents of Port Solent to a public consultation evening to present our proposals and to have an opportunity to comment on them.
It was very clear from the consultation evening that the primary concern was the impact the development would have on traffic in the area. Therefore, a specialist consultant was appointed to assess traffic queues around Port Solent and to recommend suitable ways of keeping vehicles that are queuing to use the HWRC off the public highway.
As a result of this, the queuing lane has been redesigned to ensure that as much traffic as possible will be kept off the public highway.
Now that the design of the site has been finalised, it has been submitted to the planning department. If you wish to view the planning application or have any comments about it then please use the link on the right-hand side or alternatively, please contact the planning service on 023 9283 4092.
Discussion evening for the Port Solent Household Waste Recycling Centre (HWRC) 15th August 2007
Here are a list of questions and comments that were asked at the event, along with the answers (note; some additional information has been added where indicated that was not given on the night): -
What will be the impact on site traffic during the redevelopment/building stage?
It has not yet been decided whether the site will be fully closed during the refit, or if it will remain partially open throughout. The health and safety aspects of partially opening the site will be considered during the project planning stage, which will proceed subject to a successful planning application.
What are the anticipated future traffic increases as a result of the redevelopment? If the redevelopment means that the site is going to be attractive, efficient and something we can be proud of, it will surely attract more users and therefore more traffic.
The amount of traffic visiting the site is expected to remain the same, as the redevelopment is intended to improve facilities and increase the segregation of different materials. The traffic report (carried out by an independent consultant) that will accompany the planning application will also consider an expected increase in traffic as a result of population increase in the Portsmouth area.
Additional notes:
Basingstoke HWRC was redeveloped in a similar fashion to how we hope to redevelop Port Solent. After Basingstoke had been upgraded, there was no increase in waste tonnage to the site, which also indicates that there was no comparable increase in traffic movements.
As residents from neighbouring authorities use Portsmouth's HWRC, who pays for it?
Hampshire County Council (HCC) and Portsmouth City Council (PCC) share the costs of the site. 25% of visitors to the HWRC are from outside the PCC area, therefore, 25% of the costs are met by HCC. Likewise, 30% of the users of Havant HWRC (operated by HCC) are from Portsmouth, therefore PCC contribute 30% of HCC’s costs. HCC and PCC conduct a survey across all the HWRCs in the county every three years to determine where site users live. Additionally, PCC conducts its own ‘in house’ satisfaction survey every 12-18 months, which includes postcodes of visitors.
Can the traffic to the HWRC be fed straight from a slip road off the M275?
This will be very unlikely due to the huge costs that would be involved. Additionally, because of the motorway set-up, journey times to the site would dramatically increase as site users from outside Portsea Island would need to travel south on M275 and then u-turn to join the northbound M275 before entering the slip road.
Can a third lane be built on Port Way purely for traffic going to the HWRC?
This is possible, but unlikely, and will be looked at in the independent traffic survey as part of the planning application. It is unlikely because of the huge costs involved in constructing the third lane.
Can some of the area designated for the new Country Park be used for extra site capacity or traffic queuing?
There is scope for additional queuing space at the HWRC. This additional space could be used if it is felt that more queuing room is required as a result of the independent traffic report, however the scope and area this could cover would again have to be balanced against the available budget
Are there any plans for traffic to flow from the south end of the Country Park into the city?
Seeking clarification about this project. An update will be posted on here shortly.
On the proposed design for the new site, you will have to turn right to get to most of the containers, but left to dispose of electrical items - how will cars be able to negotiate this?
A ramp will be built between the two areas allowing customers to walk between them. The areas will be clearly signposted to allow site users to decide what is the best route for them. Additionally, site staff will be happy to assist site users as and when appropriate.
How many more spaces for cars will be on site?
There are currently 17 bays for cars at the HWRC. This is expected to increase to 28, an increased capacity of around 65%. This will reduce queuing time.
If Portsmouth introduces fortnightly refuse collections, will this increase traffic to the HWRC?
The council has no plans to introduce alternate weekly collections. The introduction of alternate weekly collections in Fareham a couple of years ago did not result in any increases in waste to the HWRC.
Will an increase in the types of items that can be separated slow down the traffic going through the site?
This should not impact on the time visitors spend at the site, as operatives are always on hand to assist site users. Better, clearer signage and a 65% increase in parking spaces will also help to increase throughput.
How extensive has the research been into alternative sites for Portsmouth's HWRC?
Portsmouth City Council’s Asset Management Services have been instructed to be “on the look-out” for a suitable site in Portsmouth for the past five years. Below is a list of sites that were considered and the reasons why they were rejected: -
- Dundas Spur, Copnor – land costs were too high
- Voyager Park (former gas works site), Copnor – land agent unwilling to have a HWRC on the development
- Burrfields Road (playing field changing rooms) – on a flood plain, environmental problems in developing the site
- Former Eastney Caravan Park (Eastern Road) – planning permission extremely unlikely, next to a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and Langstone Harbour open coastal area
- Land adjacent to Kendall’s Wharf, Eastern Road – planning permission extremely unlikely, next to SSSI and Langstone Harbour open coastal area
- Land on the junction between Robinson Way and Airport Service Road – landowner unwilling to sell land to PCC
- Quartremaine Road (adjacent to incinerator) – land area is too small for a modern HWRC, current landowner unwilling to sell lease
- Land on the junction between Airport Service Road and Williams Road – landowner unwilling to have a HWRC as part of development
- Collaboration with Hampshire County Council (HCC) to build a large single facility at Havant – PCC would still be required to build at least a small site within Portsmouth (Quartremaine Road was considered). The costs of providing one small site and contributing to another larger site were too great.
Can we see the results of previous traffic surveys carried out at the HWRC?
The results of previous traffic surveys will be included in the traffic report for the planning application. This document will be available for public viewing on the council website once the application has been submitted.
Do the plans for the HWRC comply with the Port Solent 'Action Plan'?
We are still seeking clarification on this, and will update this question when we have the appropriate information.
The site will not have enough extra capacity for peak time use
The redevelopment will include a 65% increase in the number of parking spaces available. Additional queuing roads will be included, the length of which will be determined following the findings of the independent traffic survey. The survey will take into account peak traffic flows and will use data collected during the peak traffic period in August, as well as relying on previous data.
Existing plans have the same access road for both the HWRC and the eventual Country Park. Those wishing to visit the park could be discouraged if they have to queue with those for the HWRC
The redevelopment aims to reduce queuing on the public highway by stacking HWRC vehicles in a queuing lane within the curtilage of the site. The entrance to the car park will be adjacent to the entrance to the HWRC, therefore visitors to the country park should not in theory be affected by queuing HWRC traffic.
How much traffic is anticipated on the access road to the country park when it is built?
As there are only a small number of spaces available at the country park car park, and because of the comparatively long length of time a typical visitor is likely to spend at the park, this is not expected to have any impact.
Residents would like another meeting to discuss the results of the independent traffic survey and the final plans before they are submitted to Planning
This may not be possible. However, the waste management team will be updating this section of the website regularly, and if there are any significant changes to the plans you would be able to read about them. Once the planning application is submitted, it will be a public document, which anyone can view and comment on via the planning department.
Signage on Port Way needs to be more prominent on the route to the HWRC
Clearer signage for the HWRC along Port Way will be included as part of the redevelopment.
£3/4M is a lot of money - for what the council says will not be an increased throughput and no increased usage - why not use all the money to put in a second access route?
The site in its current state is in a poor condition, the drainage is not adequate and the bin bays are slowly subsiding. If the HWRC was to remain at Port Solent, then money would have to be spent on improving the site infrastructure. The remainder of the money will be spent on increasing the length of the queuing road and the addition of a roof for the bin area.
The highways authority would need to comment on the proposal before the planning application is submitted, not after
PCC’s highways section will be consulted about our proposals before a planning application is submitted and they will be formally consulted as part of the planning application process.
Councillors seem to have changed tack - the landfill was to close 10 years ago, it didn't. The HWRC was to close too, it didn't. Now its life is being extended again - why should anyone at the meeting believe anything the council has to say?
Answer included with the question below:
There is a feeling that the decision to remain at Port Solent has already been made by PCC, albeit not yet approved by Planning
A decision to keep the HWRC at Port Solent was made by the city councillors at the full council meeting of the 20th February 2007. PCC’s Waste Management Section has been asked to submit a planning application to stay at the current site as a result of this decision.
Is this consultation part of a feasibility study?
The consultation is part of the feasibility study. It allows interested parties to voice their views and concerns and to forward any ideas that they may consider could be of benefit to the proposed redevelopment.
Is there a Plan B? If there is no Plan B, Port Solent residents feel that PCC is just going to do this, whatever residents say
The reality is that if the planning application is unsuccessful for Port Solent, then Portsmouth City Council will need to apply for a temporary planning application to remain at the site for up to a further five years. During this interim period, another suitable site in the city will need to be found. As has been the case in previous years, the land costs are likely to be very high; this will inevitably mean that additional funding will be required.
Associated documents:
HWRC information leaflet (0.35 MB)
