‘Extraordinary’ meeting to decide fate of railway sleeper factory
The future of a concrete railway sleeper factory in Bescot sidings will be decided at an ‘extraordinary’ planning meeting devoted solely to the application by Network Rail.
The highly unusual step comes after the development was met by fierce opposition from residents who have collected more than 6,000 formal objections opposing the scheme.
The People of Wednesbury Say NO to Network Rail group says the plant will create air pollution and traffic congestion.
More coverage:
If approved, it will provide up to 600,000 railway sleepers every year, 60 per cent of Britain’s annual requirement.
Campaigners say the factory would add an additional 75,000 vehicle movements a year to already busy roads.
Protest group spokeswoman, Carol White, said their greatest fears were over the potential impact on health: “All that concrete dust contains silica and that is highly dangerous.
“We have kept this at bay now for almost two years and this would be a horrendous development. We have 21 schools within one mile of the site and the silica that will be released into the atmosphere will be unbelievable.”
But Network Rail has said cement – which contains the harmful dust – will be brought into the plant in sealed lorries and unloaded in an airtight area within the building so it can’t escape.
And after consulting local people it says it has made significant changes to address their concerns, include relocating the proposed site 600m further away from local homes.
Anthony Marley, programme director at Network Rail, said the company and had listened and responded to residents’ concerns, adding: “This new facility will bring millions of pounds to the local economy and support hundreds of jobs in the West Midlands.”
The company also estimates the number of HGV vehicles coming onto the site would average only 30 a day.
Confirming it will be holding a special meeting to discuss the plans, a Sandwell Council spokesman said: “We are planning to hold an extraordinary site visit and planning committee meeting solely for this planning application.
“The date and time have not been confirmed as yet. Residents will be informed of the date and time for the visit and meeting.”
