Views sought on Waterdale waste site health impact

A development at Brookdell Yard will be an extension of the existing Waterdale recycling and waste centre on the A405 between Garston and Bricket Wood.

Hertfordshire County Council agreed to buy the yard in 2021 for £4.5 million and will introduce a £1.5 million shredding building to process bulky waste collected from at least five Hertfordshire districts.

• Waste shredder to be built on site of coach depot
• Decision looming on controversial multimillion pound plans for shredder
• Neighbours suffering 'rotting smell' fighting plans at waste site

Nearly 50 residents had opposed the application describing it as “inappropriate”, adding they are already dealing with “rotting smells” and noise.

The council had said its proposals were “vital” and would allow for improvements for the transfer station including odour suppression systems and new doors, which it says will help solve smell, noise, and traffic issues.

Permission was granted by the council’s development control committee at a meeting on November 15, last year.

A sign for the current operations at Waterdale on the A405

At the meeting, council officer James Holt said that without a shredding facility, changes to the operations of the waste transfer station would be difficult but not impossible.

Moving bulky waste from the transfer station to the shredder will also help resolve the issue of waste vehicles queuing into the site, he added.

A workshop with the public will take place tomorrow (March 9) and focus on the health impacts of proposed improvements to the existing transfer station building.

Waterdale site (Image: Newsquest)

Any members of the public who wish to contribute are invited and their comments will be used to inform the council’s health impact assessment for a phase two planning application.

Two sessions will be held at All Saints Church Leavesden, in All Saints Crescent, from 3pm to 4.30pm and from 5pm to 6.30pm.

Please support our independent journalism, and get access to exclusive news and sport stories, by signing up to a Watford Observer digital subscription today.

The meeting agenda, which is the same for both sessions, says it will begin with an outline of the purpose of the meeting followed by a description of what the work will involve.

There will then be a one-hour group activity to discuss the potential health risks and opportunities of the development and a short wrap-up.

The council says Waterdale is the most “important” waste facility in Hertfordshire, taking in around 60% of the county’s waste from local authorities.