Plans for a controversial waste transfer station in Ystrad Mynach have taken a step closer after councillors agreed to grant planning permission.
Permission for the site on Dyffryn Business Park, that could handle 70,000 tonnes of waste a year, was given at a meeting on July 8, but comes with more than 40 conditions.
These include forbidding a planned extension to create a household recycling centre where residents would take their own rubbish to dispose of.
Waste will not be treated on site, but household waste collected by the council will be stored there before being removed to an external processing plant.
The plans also include a vehicle wash, fuelling station and room for the parking of 62 HGVs.
Previous proposals to treat and process waste on the Dyffryn House site, dating back to 2005, were shelved after public opposition.
But opposition remains to the new proposals, with objectors citing increased traffic, noise and pollution.
Mike Hallinan who lives on Caerphilly Road, opposite the site, spoke against the proposals at the planning meeting.
He said: “They’re proposing that the site’s going to run from 6am to 8pm all week, so there’s going to be a fleet of vehicles from 6am.
“But the workers, about 300 of them, are going to be arriving from around 5am. This is going to introduce a huge number of vehicles onto the estate.”
Mr Hallinan also raised concerns about who would police the conditions tied to the planning permission.
He said: “Natural Resources Wales (NRW) are not going to be proactive, they’re going to be reactive.”
In a joint statement Plaid Cymru ward ?councillors Alan Angel and Martyn James said: “People remain very concerned about an increase in traffic movements in our area, also working hours and pollution.
“Particular weather conditions in this location can lead to pollution being trapped in the valley which could lead to an increase in health problems.
“The council needs to set up a liaison committee so that any issues can be tackled quickly if and when this development becomes operational.”
An operational licence for the waste transfer station must still be sought before it is housed on the site.
Objections from NRW regarding flooding were removed when they became satisfied that waste will only be housed indoors.
But, leader of the Plaid Cymru group on the council, Cllr Colin Mann, said residents were not given a fair say in the planning process.
Cllr Mann said: “Residents living near this proposed waste transfer station are very disappointed at the decision because they do not believe they were given an adequate voice
“After spending a huge amount of time going through around 2.000 pages of background documents, to give one resident a mere five minutes to address the planning committee is not satisfactory.
“They have genuine worries about this development and how it will operate based on past experiences of another waste operation on Dyffryn Park.”
A Caerphilly County Borough Council spokesperson said: “This council’s normal procedure is to allow one speaker to address the planning committee about a planning application, with the applicant being given the right of reply.
“It’s important to point out that whilst planning permission has been approved for the development, there are still a number of issues for the council to consider before any decision is taken about the future of the scheme.”