Big bill halts case of David v Goliath

Sep 8 2005 By Hayley Beattie, The Journal

Planners reject protests over recycling centre

People in a former pit village were angry yesterday after losing their fight against plans for a waste recovery centre near their homes.

Families in North Seaton Colliery on the outskirts of Ashington accused North-umberland County Council of letting them down after it approved its own plan for a household waste centre.

The villagers say they are swamped by unwanted developments: a 90-acre business park is being built on one side of the 60-home village and the waste recovery centre will be on the other.

It will handle 10m tonnes of waste a year and draw an extra 500 cars and seven lorries every day.

Villagers say the extra traffic will be dangerous on the narrow North Seaton Colliery access road.

Pat Meikle, 63, who lives in the village with husband Robert, 78, said: "We feel sick and let down."

Betty Mead, 63, who lives there with husband Peter, 72, said: "It is a damned disgrace and we are never going to be able to get in and out of here because of all this extra traffic."

Paul Jones of the council's waste management team, said the centre was needed, that it would recycle 70pc of waste taken there and noise, dust and litter would be controlled.

He said signs would lead drivers to it off the main road, avoiding the access road past the village.