Brookhill site extension recommended despite footpath concerns
Flintshire County Council’s Planning Committee will next week consider whether to extend operations at the Brookhill waste transfer site in Buckley for 20 years.
Planning officers have recommended that councillors approve the application, which seeks to vary a condition on the existing planning consent at the Pinfold Lane Industrial Estate site.
The Council-run facility handles around 1,920 tonnes of streetsweeper and gully waste each year, and can also process kerbside and household recycling centre waste if needed. Three on-site staff manage the operation, with no physical changes proposed.
The application, submitted by Paul Murphy on behalf of Flintshire Council, asks to replace an existing condition that linked the site’s use to the opening of the North Wales Residual Waste Treatment Plant at Parc Adfer in Deeside.
Officers say the Brookhill site is still required to support the county’s waste operations.
The report also highlights the linked leachate treatment plant on the same site, which is expected to be required for another 20 years.
Leachate is the contaminated liquid that drains through old landfill waste.
At Brookhill, rainwater still seeps through the restored landfill and produces leachate, which must be treated on site to prevent pollution of surrounding land and water.
Buckley Town Council and local member Councillor Carol Ellis requested that the application be considered by the committee rather than decided by officers.
Ramblers Cymru have lodged a strong objection, citing the long-standing obstruction of Public Footpath 5, which runs through the site.
They argued that a 20-year extension would fail to address the issue and suggested granting only a short-term permission.
Planning officers acknowledged the frustration but said that any diversion or stopping-up of the footpath must be dealt with separately under the Highways Act, not through planning conditions.
In recommending approval, the officer report concludes: “The proposal is considered in accordance with policies STR2, STR15, PC2 and EN21 of the adopted Flintshire Local Development Plan.”
The committee will make its decision at its meeting on Wednesday 24 September.
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