Car recycle centre fought

There were 844 cars abandoned in Pembrokeshire last year

Residents in Narberth are fighting plans for a recycling centre for old and abandoned cars at a former World War II base.

More than 250 people are objecting to the proposed development at Templeton.

Last year 844 vehicles were abandoned in Pembrokeshire and Waterloo Waste Management wants to use the site to recycle the vehicles along with construction and commercial waste.

But people living nearby say the rural location is inappropriate and the business will increase traffic.

They also say they fear it will lead to a lose of wildlife habitat for barn owls, foxes and badgers.

There is no question that we need to encourage these sorts of facilities for waste Pembrokeshire Council

Over 60 letters of objection have been sent to Pembrokeshire Council's planning committee along with a petition signed by 211 people.

Templeton community council says water, noise and air pollution would affect surrounding buildings and says there are alternative sites where well- established industries already exist.

The recycling centre would occupy land that currently has two air-raid shelters, a brick building and overgrowing plants and trees.

The company behind the scheme estimates the operation will see about 130 vehicles a day visit six days a week.

But neither the Environment Agency or Countryside Council for Wales are objecting.

Councillors have visited the site and a decision is set to be taken next Tuesday following the submission of an environmental impact assessment.

Encourage

Officers are recommending it is approved so long as roads leading to the site are improved beforehand.

They also say the centre should not be open to the public and landscaping of the site should be carried out.

More than two million cars reach the end of their working lives each year in Britain, and the government is under pressure to enforce European rules requiring as much material as possible is recycled.

About 75% of the weight of each car is recyclable although there is no large scale plant to do it in Pembrokeshire.

The council's own assessment concludes:"There is no question that we need to encourage these sorts of facilities for waste.

"If for example Pembrokeshire has no facility for dealing with abandoned vehicles then we would be exporting our problem out of the county, which is not acceptable."