Tarmac's bid to operate Banbury site 24-hours stirs fierce opposition

(L-R) Pamela Hawkins, Joyce McAdam, Cllr Hannah Banfield, Penelope White and Lee Groenewald are among those concerned about Tarmac's plans to work 24 hours a day NNL-181121-113816001

The firm has applied for permission to be able to work at all hours to cope with increased demand for its asphalt from HS2 and house-building.

But some residents fear the prospect of listening to the noise of the factory at all hours and the impact that will have on their lives.

And Cllr Hannah Banfield believes extra traffic from lorries on Hennef Way will make the road even more polluted, to the detriment of road users, neighbours and the ecology.

“Personally I feel they shouldn’t go to 24-hour production as the noise will be too great and I do really worry about the air pollution and the effects that will have on my residents and people travelling on Hennef Way,” she said.

According to Cllr Banfield, a Labour representative on the county, district and town councils, the number of pollutants on Hennef Way is twice the legal limit so traffic should be reduced, not increased.

Pamela Hawkins, who lives very close to Hennef Way and Tarmac, said they are worried about the impact on house prices from the extra noise.

While fellow neighbour Penelope White said they are not convinced any mitigation will reduce the disruption enough and Lee Goenewald said Hennef Way ‘cannot cope with extra traffic’.

Cllr Banfield is holding a meeting to discuss the plans with residents at Grimsbury Community Hall at 5.30pm on Saturday, December 1.

A Tarmac spokesman said they understood the concerns but the company would use new technology to minimise the impact on residents, such as low emission lorries and insulated buildings.

“This change in operation at the site is needed due to Banbury’s growth and success,” she said.

“We are really keen to work with the local community and would be happy to discuss any element of the application with them.”

The application is expected to be discussed by Oxfordshire County Council in the new year, Cllr Banfield said.

The deadline for comments has passed but to view the plans, search for reference MW.0116/18 at oxfordshire.gov.uk.