The Anaerobic Digester at Farleigh Wallop

Now that construction has started of the AD facility, just over the M3 bridge on the road to Farleigh Wallop, I thought it might be appropriate to review the position.

There can be no argument that the facility is a good intention;  turning huge amounts of food waste that would otherwise go to landfill into useful fertiliser has got to be good.  However, at the planning stage, the over-riding concern of Beggarwood and Hatch Warren residents was about the amount of HGV traffic the facility would generate along Woodbury Road, close to the school, houses and the Community Centre.  The developer’s agents produced very persuasive statistics showing that the number of HGV movements to feed the digester would be minimal, with minimal impact on the residential area, and the Council imposed a “no school hours” restriction on HGV movements into and out of the site, with all such movements having to take place down the length of Woodbury Road to the Kempshott Roundabout, and from there up Kempshott Hill towards the M3.

It is with some concern, therefore, that I have noted the construction traffic to and from the site, which includes some absolutely huge vehicles, coming down Woodbury Road, turning left (with a struggle) into Long Cross Lane, and then struggling to turn left again up into Wallop Drive to access the A30 by Sainsbury’s.

I have been trying for some time to clarify the intended method of operation of the site when it opens;  as I said, the developer’s agents showed very impressive statistics indicating that the average HGV movements generated would be around 2 per hour.  However, proving that there’s nothing like “lies, damn lies and statistics”, I can show that the vehicle movements permitted by the planning permission would allow the operators to generate over 20 HGV journeys along Woodbury Road in a single hour, each weekday.  So far the Borough and County Council haven’t said how they would address such a scenario which, although within the letter of the planning permission, certainly wouldn’t have the “minimal” impact portrayed.

Neither have I been able to find out quite where the “potential” 30,000 tonnes of local food waste that’s supposed to feed the digester is actually going to come from;  is anybody aware of a proposal, for example, that in Basingstoke we all get a new bin in which to separate out our food waste?  Again, I have yet to receive any reassurance from the Council that the operators are going to be able actually to achieve their 30,000 tonne target of local recycled food waste.  I have raised what I believe to be a valid point;  if they can’t achieve that target from local recycled food waste, will they seek other ways to feed the digester, and would those other ways involve a substantial increase in the number of HGV journeys through the estate?

In my communications with BDBC and HCC on these points I have asked what will happen if the actual traffic impact on Hatch Warren, Beggarwood and Kempshott Rise is much more significant than was portrayed to the Planning Committee, and how they planned  to enforce the “not during school hours” and “Woodbury Road only” conditions – do the authorities have the power, the will and the resources to challenge the operators if the actuality turns out to be worse than the projections, with an adverse effect on our quality of life?

I would be interested in reactions to the above, and also in any residents’ experience of construction vehicles “rat-running” along Long Cross Lane and Wallop Drive.

Sam Weller
samthetax@yahoo.co.uk