Decision date set on call to 'reconfigure' South Shields' recycling depot

A decision is due to be made on plans to “reconfigure” and improve South Tyneside’s Middlefields Recycling Village.

Earlier this year South Tyneside Council submitted an application to its own planning department for the reconfiguration of the Middlefields Industrial Estate and Recycling Depot.

It currently houses a number of local authority services including highways construction, waste services and collection, fleet services and maintenance, business support and greenspace and street scene.

It also provides facilities for third party organisations including Suez, Remondis and Wolseley relating to recycling, waste transfer and materials storage respectively.

The latest plans aim to revamp the site with the “construction of a new gatehouse, addition of a canopy to the domestic bin store and the relocation and addition of parking”.

Council chiefs have said the work would “both rationalise and improve its layout; so that it may operate more efficiently and alongside providing improvements to site safety”.

The application is scheduled to go before the next meeting of the local authority’s planning committee on Monday (October 21) for a decision to be made.

A report from council planners ahead of the meeting is recommending the proposals are approved, subject to conditions.

They said: “The proposals are supported, in principle, by employment/industrial Local Development Framework policies that apply to both the depot site and its location within the wider Middlefields Industrial Estate.

“In terms of highways, flood risk, drainage, ecology, landscaping, contaminated land, visual amenity and residential amenity matters the proposals are considered acceptable.”

A design and access report notes the proposed redevelopment aims to “maximise the efficiency of the site, as the demands upon the site will increase in future years”.

Plans also seek to “safely accommodate the current needs of the site, whilst future-proofing the electrification of the vehicle fleet”, in line with the council’s pledge to become carbon neutral by 2030.

Works include organising the site into “defined areas” for fleet parking and staff and visitor parking (including electric vehicles), as well as refuse vehicle parking and commercial and domestic bin stores.

There will also be designated areas for container storage, “enhanced MOT and vehicle parking”, motorcycle parking, other storage areas and a new gatehouse.

As part of the proposed works, a number of buildings and structures are proposed to be demolished “in order to enable the best possible scheme on the site”.

This includes a mix of derelict or temporary buildings and the “outdated” gatehouse.

Council documents clarify the scheme “does not propose any amendments to the waste management facilities onsite” and existing Suez, Remondis, Wolseley and vehicle wash facilities would be retained.

If approved, the proposal would be carried out in a phased manner to allow the Middlefields Depot to continue to operate while the development is carried out.

Councillor Jane Carter, deputy council leader with responsibility for governance, finance and corporate services, speaking earlier this year, said the site “has become inefficient in terms of layout and configuration”.

She added: “The proposed changes would maximise the current and future use and efficiency of the site, and reduce maintenance costs and energy consumption.”

The decision-making meeting will take place at 10am on Monday at South Shields Town Hall and is open to members of the public wishing to attend.