Blantyre waste-processing site still in operation - one year after council rap

Oct 22 2009 by Chris Clements, Hamilton Advertiser

A SITE is still being used to treat waste materials - almost a year after operators there were rapped for not having a licence.

A South Lanarkshire Council spokesman confirmed this week that waste operations are continuing out of the former Duncan’s scrapyard in Glasgow Road, Blantyre.

This is despite a stern warning being issued by the council last year for the site not having the appropriate planning permission.

On December 2 last year, the council’s planning department received a retrospective application for use of the land as material recycling yard from Strathclyde Transport Ltd - a company which operates at Melford Road in Rigside Industrial Estate, Bellshill.

The application was registered the following week, on December 9.

However, over 10 months since the application was lodged, council officials have yet to decide whether the site is suitable.

A council spokeswoman confirmed that the application remains under consideration.

She said: “The planning service is currently awaiting further information from the applicant to allow the determination of the application.

“In the meantime, the applicant is permitted, on a temporary basis, to operate Monday to Friday between the hours of 9am and 5pm. This operation continues to be monitored by the council.”

A source claims that the former Duncan’s scrapyard has also been accepting waste materials from council projects in the area for recycling.

However, the council spokeswoman dismissed the claims and said: “South Lanarkshire Council has a contract in place for the handling of all waste and as such has not used this facility.”

The Advertiser tried to contact Strathclyde Transport Ltd, who are listed as a freight transport company, but could not reach them yesterday (Wednesday).

In November last year, we reported that two Lanarkshire companies using the scrapyard without planning permission were cautioned by the council.

Martin Tipper Hire Ltd and Strathclyde Plant Hire Ltd - who both also operate from Melford Road in Bellshill and are understood to be owned by the same person - had been operating out of the site.

A breach of planning laws was identified after a member of the public contacted the local authority on June 19 last year. They complained about dust, noise emissions and vehicle movement at the yard.

On the same day, council officials attended and found the companies were using the area for the importing of demolition materials and other building materials.

A planning committee meeting later stated that planning permission for such use is required and, according to council records at that time, no such permission had been issued.