FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions about the Development and Planning Application

Planning FAQs

The Planning Act (1936) introduced the requirement to apply for planning permission in respect of ‘development’. For quarries, in most cases, companies were granted permission to work the majority or all of the land they owned. These permissions were granted as Interim Development Orders (IDOs).

On 2nd July 1993, Cowbridge Rural District Council granted an IDO for Forest Wood Quarry. This permission consisted of the winning, crushing, grading and disposing of stone from the quarry. Conditions for the IDO were determined and approved in September 1993. The quarry currently operates under these conditions.

In accordance with Condition 3(f) of the 1993 IDO consent, in 1996 Pioneer Aggregates Ltd submitted details for the replacement of the existing aggregate processing plant and asphalt coating plant (Planning Application Ref. No 56/95/6D). The replacement of plant was granted permission subject to further conditions. While the aggregates processing plant has since been demolished, the asphalt coating plant continues to operate under these planning conditions.

Pre‐Application Consultation was initially carried out in February 2022, with further consultation being carried out in October 2022 as a result of ward boundary changes that came into effect in May 2022 and the need to consult additional Community Consultees.

The following were therefore contacted:

  • Owners and/or Occupiers of land adjoining the development site;
  • County Councillors in RCT and VoG, Penllyn Community Council, Pontyclun Community Council and Llanharry Community Council; and
  • Specialist Consultees – Natural Resources Wales, Dwr Cymru Welsh Water, the Local Highway Authorities, the Coal Authority, CADW, the Local Planning Authority and the Health and Safety Executive.

Full details of those contacted, responses and consideration can be found in the Pre-Application Consultation Report here.

An EIA Screening Opinion was received from Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council on 13th December 2022.

It is considered that the development would not constitute EIA development and that a future planning application would not require the submission of an Environmental Statement (ES).

The letter and reasons for this judgement can be found here.

Operational FAQs

Recycled (or secondary) aggregates are produced by processing waste materials from construction and demolition. This involves crushing and screening the waste to create sized aggregates, including sub-base, drainage stone, sand and clay. The process is carried out in accordance with the Aggregates Quality Protocol and once complete, the recycled materials are deemed to no longer be waste and become products. The recycled aggregates can then be used in construction to replace primary (quarried aggregates) and have a lower carbon footprint than similar quarried materials*.

*carbon footprint is calculated based on a number of factors and as such, actual savings require a complex calculation of all factors relevant to a particular recycling facility.

The aggregates recovery plant has been designed to process a maximum of 200,000 tonnes per annum of either quarry by-product or construction and demolition waste aggregates.

Oversized construction and demolition waste such as concrete and asphalt road breakout will need to be crushed and screened before being introduced into the Aggregates Recovery Plant.  These operations will be located in the north western part of the site where intervening land and distance separates these operations from sensitive receptors.

Once crushed, the process proceeds as follows:

  • Aggregates are loaded into the infeed hopper of the Aggregates Recovery Plant using a front-loading shovel;
  • Screens remove oversized materials. The oversized materials drop into an adjacent storage bay to be crushed and reintroduced into the plant.
  • The material is transferred through the plant, passing an overband magnet to remove any incidental metal contamination and onwards into the wet screening system.
  • Sized aggregates and any non-aggregate contamination (plastic, wood etc.) are separated and exit the plant by conveyor to storage bays.
  • The process water, containing aggregates <4mm in size, is pumped to a dewatering screen to further separate the finer grit and sand fractions. These are transferred by conveyor to adjacent storage bays.
  • The remaining process water is pumped to a water recycling system. Clean water exits the water recycling system to be recirculated through the plant. A residual fine fraction settles out and is transferred to a filter press to remove any residual water; creating a loamy filter cake consisting of fine silt, sand and clay. This is transferred into a storage bay below the filter press.

The proposed hours of operation are:

Monday – Friday: 07:00 – 19:00hrs
Saturday: 07:00 – 13:00hrs
Sunday: Closed
Bank Holidays: Closed

The plant will not operate on Sundays or Bank of Public Holidays.  No tipping or processing of aggregates will be undertaken outside of the proposed hours of operation.

As a responsible operator, best practice will be followed during the operation of the facility. An environmental risk assessment has been undertaken for the proposed development. This has informed the selection of environmental controls and management approaches for the new operations. These have been detailed in chapters 5.11 and 5.12 of the Waste Planning Statement.

The site will operate under an Environmental Permit that will be issued and regulated by Natural Resources Wales. Technically competent staff will supervise the site and ensure that it is operated in accordance with its environmental permit, Environmental Management System and prevailing legislation. All operational staff will receive detailed training to enable them to safely carry out their roles in full compliance with prevailing health and safety, and environmental legislation.

Noise may occur as a result of the movement of plant and vehicles on site and during the operation of recycling equipment. As part of our planning application, we are required to demonstrate that noise from the new facility would not result in unacceptable impacts on local residents.

An environmental sound assessment was undertaken to assess the potential impact of sound upon the nearest noise sensitive receptors (NSRs) as a result of the operation of the Aggregates Recovery Plant This assessment was carried out in accordance with guidance provided in BS 4142 2014+A1:2019 ‘Methods for rating and assessing industrial and commercial sound’. Sound monitoring was undertaken at 2 locations in the vicinity of the closest NSRs and indicated a result of a ”less than adverse impact”.

Initial results from the modelling indicated that mitigation measures would be required to ensure no unacceptable impacts at nearby sensitive receptors.  Acoustic barriers, placed in three locations within the site were modelled and shown to be effective in minimising sound levels at nearby noise sensitive receptors. Acoustic barriers, designed in accordance with the requirements of this assessment, have been incorporated into the site design.

The assessment concluded that “it is considered unlikely that the proposed development will lead to adverse impacts at the NSRs.”

RCT Public health acknowledge the findings of the assessment and that there will be no significant impact on nearby residents. Their response can be found here.

On 23rd October 2023, Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council Public Health Department reconsidered their previous response and requested additional mitigation measures to be implemented.  We are in the process of investigating additional measures for noise mitigation and will be preparing and submitting a revised Noise Assessment in the coming weeks.

Environmental FAQs

The aggregates recovery plant will use a wet separation process that significantly reduces the amount of dust produced during the recycling of the aggregates.

Dust may be produced during the unloading, tipping, crushing, storage, loading or dispatch of wastes. These are similar activities to those carried out in the quarry and dust suppression equipment (water sprays on equipment, damping down of haul roads in dry conditions, access road cleaning, vehicle covers, etc.) similar to that currently used will be effective in controlling dust. 

The Plant

The Aggregates Recovery Plant will be powered by electricity. Therefore, there will be no local emissions (e.g., compared with the use of a generator).

HGV Movements

Vehicle emissions are controlled by Euro standards.  Euro standards were originally introduced in 1992 and through successive revisions, have ensured that HGVs become more efficient and have lower emissions.  Our HGV vehicles all comply with the latest Euro 6 standard.

At the request of the Local Planning Authority we are currently preparing an Air Quality Report to confirm that there will be no unacceptable impact on local air quality as a result of the development.

In the first instance noise is controlled through a combination of acoustic bunds and barriers, and site management approaches.

Acoustic barriers, placed in three locations within the site were modelled and shown to be effective in minimising sound levels at nearby noise sensitive receptors. These barriers have been incorporated into the site design.

Noise reducing equipment will be used and maintained, with an auditory inspection to be carried out by the Site Management at least twice per day. Noise levels which are considered higher than usual will be investigated and recorded in the site diary.  Activities will be reduced or stopped until operations are able to commence without elevated noise levels.

Ultimately, responsibility for regulating noise from permitted waste facilities falls to:

  • The local authority – who are required to investigate complaints about noise that could be a ‘statutory nuisance’ (as described in the Environmental Protection Act 1990); and
  • Natural Resources Wales under the site’s environmental permit as part of pollution control.

In the event of a complaint the local council would establish if a nuisance has been, is being or is likely to be caused, and if confirmed, would serve an abatement notice. The local authority would liaise with the operator and Natural Resources Wales to determine the appropriate route to dealing with any issue.

Material to and from the site will be transported in a combination of 8 wheeled rigid tipper vehicles carrying an average of 20 tonne loads, and 6 axle tractor and tipper trailer units carrying up to 29.7 tonnes.