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Updated October 2007
Storer's have now appealed the MRF and that the Public Inquiry will be held at County Hall, Hertford from 4 to 7 December, starting each day at 10am.
Herts County Council have served an Enforcement Notice on Storers, who have appealed against it. The notice was served due to the following breaches of operating conditions:
No planning appeal against the rejection by council for a Material Recycling Facility (MRF) has yet been received by HCC but one is expected. This must be in by the end of April. Should this be received by HCC, this, and the above Enforcement Notice appeal, will be heard at a meeting on Decenber 4th at County Hall.
There has been a history of complaints regarding noise, hours of operation, litter, vermin and heavy goods vehicle traffic resulting from operations at Storer's Paper Yard in The Causeway. The addition of green waste disposal facilities at the site and the acceptance of mixed waste from LB Enfield in 2003/4 further intensified activities and increased substantially the amount of HGV traffic in and out of the yard.
The Causeway is a relatively narrow road and there is a sharp bend near the yard entrance, by The Chequers public house and another by Morven Park. These factors make it difficult for HGVs to negotiate the road and result in their using more than half the carriageway at the two bends and when entering or leaving the turning serving both the yard and local houses. (see photographs below)
As Storer's operations have grown over the years without any specific planning permissions restricting the use of the site, Hertfordshire County Council (HCC) attempted to reach agreement with them regarding operating conditions. In the course of this Storer's tabled proposals which inter alia would have allowed operation between the hours of 4am and 10pm. These were discussed by local residents at a meeting organised by the Society in February 2005 and a response submitted to HCC. Subsequently the residents were informed that the conditions proposed by Storer's were unacceptable to HCC who then offered the site operator the opportunity to review their proposals in respect of what were considered to be the residents' three main areas of concern, viz. the hours of operation, the number of vehicle movements and the types of waste recycled. Authority was also given for HCC to take formal enforcement action in respect of activities at the site as it was their opinion that there had been an intensification of the site that had led to a material change of use, without the benefit of planning permission.
Then in September 2005, solicitors acting for the owner and operators of the site wrote to HCC to say that they intended to submit an application for a Certificate of Lawful Use in respect of their use of the site. The residents would be able to make representations opposing the application to the County Development Unit, however, if the application were successful it would forestall any enforcement action.
Subsequently, the application not being forthcoming, HCC at their request held a meeting with the site operator to discuss how to move forward in respect of the site. At this, the operators said they wished to install a new facility on the site, which would entail the submission to HCC of a separate planning application. In order to facilitate this application, the operators said that in line with it they intended to submit to the Council a "voluntary code" covering working practices for the site such as the hours of operation and number of lorry movements to which they would aim to adhere until the planning application had been determined. Whilst this would not at this time form an enforceable set of conditions, it would give residents an indication of the working practices which would be submitted as part of the planning application. The operator also indicated that they had found an alternative site for use as an operating centre for the HGVs (later found to be Sopers Road, Cuffley) which they claimed would alleviate some of the problems associated with the early morning lorry movements, especially between 4am and 6am.
Eventually, in April 2006, the site operator submitted an application which requested permission for a materials recycling facility (MRF) and to regularise their activities in Coopers Lane. The Potters Bar Society not only opposed the installation of an MRF in Coopers Lane as this would lead to further intensification of the site and constitute inappropriate development in the green belt but also sought to limit the existing unauthorised operations. Allowing the application for the MRF (whose gross volume would appear to be twice the sheds it replaces rather than the half claimed), would have resulted over time in either more vehicle movements or larger vehicles or more probably both and as such would be further detrimental to the local amenity. The conclusion was inescapable that the application should be dismissed and that, when a step change in throughput was being considered, Storer's should be searching for a more suitable location in which to resite their existing operations and their new MRF.
The application went out to public consultation and a meeting was held in the Causeway Free Church Hall on 1st June at which representatives of the County Council and the site operator were present to answer questions. Subsequently both Hertsmere and Welwyn Hatfield Councils were consulted and both recommended refusal. Finally the application was considered by Herts CC's Development Control Committee on 7th November and Councillors, having heard presentations for and against, unanimously agreed that the application should be refused and enforcement to 2003 levels instigated.
As the applicant is likely to appeal both enforcement to 2003 levels and the refusal of the MRF application, it is likely that there will be a Public Inquiry some time in 2007 so the nuisance caused by the site is likely to continue for some time yet.
Taken on Thursday, 6th July at around 1815 looking west, the photographs show two HGVs attempting to pass each other on The Causeway, Potters Bar near to the bend at Morven. The one on the right has just left Chas Storer, the other on the left is heading there.
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It took some five minutes for the two to edge past each other with the oncoming vehicle having to reverse on to the pavement (note the wheels turned in) to make way for the other. During this period, traffic built up with the pedestrian seen clearly in the first and partially in the second being unable to pass safely. Other drivers, caught up in the gridlock, congratulated our photographer for catching the image on his mobile phone and hoped he could use them to draw the attention of the relevant authorities to the unsuitability of the road for this kind of traffic.
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| Above: Lorry turning into the Causeway after leaving Storer's yard. | Above: Lorry using the other side of the road to turn into the turning leading to Storer's yard. | |
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| Above: Lorry over the centre line after negotiating the sharp bend just before The Chequers public house. | Above: Another lorry having come around the bend by The Chequers public house | |
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| Above: Lorry straddling white line at The Chequers | Above: Pavement damage near Storer's Yard | |
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| Above: Lorry rounding bend by Morven Park, travelling in a north bound direction | Above: Lorry bend by Morven Park, travelling in a south bound direction |