Over the last few months the County Council has talked with and listened to local residents who are contributing their views about the proposals for Four Ashes. The County Council has also participated in a number of public meetings in Calf Heath, Brewood, Coven and Bridgtown.

Thank you to everyone who has contributed their views.

The County Council has also been putting together the final documentation for its planning application. We have responded to comments about traffic and continued to look at how to improve the road network around the Four Ashes site, particularly along Vicarage Road near to the junctions with the A5 and the Straight Mile.

Introducing the Planning Application

A planning application for this facility will be submitted in May 2008. After careful consideration, the County Council has decided to submit the application based on the design shown.

The council appreciates that the overall appearance of the building is very important to local residents. This design has been selected so that as much as possible of the equipment used to process the waste will be enclosed within the building. In particular there will be no waste stored outside the building. Parts of the facility will also be below ground level, thus reducing the overall impact of the building.

The building will be located so that the administrative offices and parking face the nearby fields and most of the parking will be out of sight in a basement. The industrial face of the facility will point towards the industrial estate. The building will also have a ‘green’ or ‘living roof’ which would be covered by natural plants.

Exterior lighting will be designed to minimise light pollution and the visual impact of the building at night.

Once the County Council has decided who we want to work with to build and run the facility , we will work closely with them to ensure the building is as small as possible.

What Happens Next?

The planning application will be considered over the coming months and a decision will be made by the planning committee towards the end of 2008. There are opportunities over the summer for everyone to have their say and contribute to the decision-making process. To find out about this process please visit www.staffordshire.gov.uk/planning.