The Carmarthenshire Council Planning Committee met on Tuesday 19 November 2024 and resolved to approve two planning applications. The committee decided to grant permission for an inert waste recycling facility at Cilyrychen Quarry, subject to Welsh Government approval, and also approved the construction of a nutrient store near St Clears.

Cilyrychen Quarry Inert Waste Recycling Facility

The committee resolved to approve, subject to the Welsh Government's Article 18 Direction and any subsequent determination by them, the planning application for the construction and operation of an inert waste recycling facility, waste processing, and associated works, including a screening bund, at Cilyrychen Quarry, Llandybie, Ammanford.

Councillor A. Davies and Councillor D. Nicholas addressed the committee regarding the application. Concerns raised included the lack of community benefit and new jobs, the impact of increased HGV traffic on local roads, particularly near schools, and questions about the adequacy of ecological and water reports. Objections were also made regarding the proximity to a children's home and residential gardens, the impact on residents' quality of life, the height of the bund, and the absence of a crusher on-site to assess noise impact.

The Development Management Officer for Minerals and Waste presented the report, highlighting that the Head of Place and Sustainability recommended approval, subject to conditions. The committee was informed that a site visit had been undertaken earlier that day to assess the site's impact on the local environment.

The application was ultimately recommended for approval, with the caveat that it was subject to the Welsh Government's direction. The detailed conditions and reasons for approval are outlined in the Public reports pack and the Addendum and Plans.

Nutrient Store and Associated Works at St Clears

The committee unanimously resolved to grant full planning permission for a nutrient store and associated works at Land west of Middle Newton, St Clears, Carmarthen.

The application sought permission for a new satellite earth bank nutrient store with a capacity to store 7360m³. Concerns raised by third parties included the location of the site notice, lack of direct notification to local residents, the misleading term nutrient store, highway safety impacts, congestion on rural roads, the proximity of the store to the main farm complex, and potential damage to local roads and hedgerows. Further concerns were raised about the displacement of wildlife, noise and daily disturbance, gases released from slurry, ammonia impacts, potential water pollution, odours, and a decrease in local property values.

The report indicated that the proposed store is intended to help the farm comply with The Water Resources (Control of Agricultural Pollution) (Wales) Regulations 2021, which mandate increased slurry storage capacity. Natural Resources Wales had no objection, provided the structure was designed and built to meet regulatory standards. The applicant's ammonia screening assessment suggested a reduction in ammonia emissions due to less frequent agitation of slurry.

The Head of Highways and Transport raised no objection, and the Public Rights of Way team also had no objections. The proposal was considered to accord with relevant Carmarthenshire Local Development Plan policies, including EMP3 (Employment – Extensions and Intensification), SP1 (Sustainable Places and Spaces), GP1 (Sustainability and High Quality Design), TR3 (Highways in Developments – Design Considerations), EQ4 (Biodiversity), and EP2 (Pollution).

In addition to the standard conditions, a specific condition was added: No soil shall be imported to and/or exported from the application site during the construction phase of the development hereby approved unless a Construction Traffic Management Plan has been first submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority. The development shall thereafter proceed in accordance with the approved details. This condition was deemed necessary to ensure that traffic impacts were fully assessed in the interests of highway safety. The full details of the approved plans and conditions can be found in the Public reports pack.