Quarry owners seek to keep Horton waste recycling facility

Jayflex Aggregates Limited, the owner of Horton Brook Quarry, wants to continue the use of the inert waste recycling facility on the 12-hectare land east of Horton Road in Horton village, which borders Colnbrook.

The small independent operator gained temporary planning permission to use the site, which is 55-hectares in total, to extract sand and gravel with waste processing since 2010.

Jayflex will put its case forward to keep the inert waste recycling facility to councillors sitting on the Windsor and Ascot development management panel on Wednesday, January 4.

Birds eye view of the Horton Brook Quarry, opposite the reservior (Image: Google Maps)

It argues that predictions from the now adopted Berkshire Minerals and Waste Local plan, there will be a shortfall of 574,000 tonnes of inert waste each year by the end of 2036.

Consultant Phillip Taylor from EGON Environmental wrote: “Given the shortfall in permitted sites, the proposed recycling site would create 200,000 tonnes per annum of capacity and contribute significantly to the county’s requirement for more additional facilities.

“To put this in context, the recycling site would contribute 35 per cent of the predicted required inert treatment capacity within Berkshire. This would make up a significant shortfall in capacity need.”

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The recycling site would continue to operate from 7am to 6pm Monday to Friday and 7am to 1pm Saturdays and not at all on Sundays and public holidays.

But not everyone is happy with the proposed scheme. Horton Parish Council and the charity Colne Valley Park Trust objected to the scheme.

Both states that approving this diminishes a commitment made to restore the site to its rural green belt status, it could pollute the nearby Queen Mother Reservoir – which is a main source of drinking water for the South East – it will impact the green belt, and increase air pollution.

Horton Parish Council also fears the increased heavy goods vehicles going through the village, causing traffic nightmares.

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Meanwhile, the Colne Valley Park Trust said as the site sits within the green belt, it requires very special circumstances for developments to be approved, and believe this has not been demonstrated.

But Mr Taylor argued the very special circumstances have already been met as the site is earmarked within the Berkshire Minerals and Waste Local Plan, therefore it is not inappropriate for the green belt.

He also said Jayflex is progressing with the restoration of the quarry to agriculture from south to north and that further landscaping of the site, such as bunds and planting, is proposed.