Recycoal plans to dig up Hesley Wood

[dynoman 10]

Has anyone in the immediate vacinity of Hesley Wood had any contact by post from either Recycoal or the Northern Community Council (Sheffield City Council) regarding meetings or exhibitions?

 

I am a resident of the Cowley estate and have only found out this week by word of mouth of Recycoals plans. Apparently there was an exhibition by Recycoal back in May informing residents of there intentions and apparently there is another meeting on the 19 July, not sure where yet.

 

I have called recycoal and asked the question as to why i or neighbours have not been informed via post to which the response was that it is the Northern Community councils responsibility.

 

Called Northern Community and asked same question to be told it is Recycoals responsibilty. However, apparently the Cowley estae has been leafleted about future meetings.

 

I haven't recieved any information what so ever. Has anyone?

 

Seems a little underhanded to me.

[Eckolad 10]

It's about time the spoil heap was remediated. Lots of coal in them and will be worth it it in the end. People shouldn't moan just because its in there back yard

 

If anyone knows whitwell there is a absolutely HUGE spoil heap. Lafarge have a quarry nearby and are using the spoil to fill it. Novel idea.

[Gazza58 10]

Theres been talk of different projects being started up there for many years,there was even talk of a safari park at one point,somebody always comes round with a petition to stop it,i would have loved a safari park.

[satman2222 10]

I went to the exhibition in May. I was suprised to find out that they will only remove 8-10% useable material from the heap! It will then be landscaped and paths/trails created.

 

Recycoals webpage

 

 

 

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[SV500 10]

I'd have gone to the meeting in May if I'd have known about it !

But they like to keep stuff like this quiet,

I did go to one a few years ago where the main push was to build up to 100 new houses at the back of Cowley,

Also there was to be a cycling velodrome built !

 

I'm often up that way either walking or on the mountain bike and its OK the was it is,as it has returned to nature as it surprisingly a calm and quiet place to walk,

But maybe better access and paths would be a good idea,not sure,

 

But if the end result is better for everyone then fair do,

 

JJ..

[cainedkaty 10]

It's about time the spoil heap was remediated. Lots of coal in them and will be worth it it in the end. People shouldn't moan just because its in there back yard

 

If anyone knows whitwell there is a absolutely HUGE spoil heap. Lafarge have a quarry nearby and are using the spoil to fill it. Novel idea.

 

I know Whitwell, I live there. We'd love for something better to be there instead of the unsightly spoil heap, it really is an eyesore.

[Bluey1 10]

Received an invite to attend a meeting today.

 

Has anyone in the immediate vacinity of Hesley Wood had any contact by post from either Recycoal or the Northern Community Council (Sheffield City Council) regarding meetings or exhibitions?

 

I am a resident of the Cowley estate and have only found out this week by word of mouth of Recycoals plans. Apparently there was an exhibition by Recycoal back in May informing residents of there intentions and apparently there is another meeting on the 19 July, not sure where yet.

 

I have called recycoal and asked the question as to why i or neighbours have not been informed via post to which the response was that it is the Northern Community councils responsibility.

 

Called Northern Community and asked same question to be told it is Recycoals responsibilty. However, apparently the Cowley estae has been leafleted about future meetings.

 

I haven't recieved any information what so ever. Has anyone?

 

Seems a little underhanded to me.

[chapowlo 10]

There is a public meeting to discuss the planning application by Recycoal on Thursday 19th july at 1830 at Hesley Wood Activity Centre. The meeting has been arranged by the Northern Community Assembly following pressure from local residents who will be most affected by the scheme.

 

The planning application details a 42 month programme that will remove some 395 000 tonnes of coal by washing some 3 million tonnnes of spoil. The planning application contains some 82 documents including a noise assessment that clearly shows there will be sustained levels of noise, close to the levels recognised as environmental noise polution, for 12 hours per day from 0700 to 1900 Monday to Friday and 0700 to 1300 on Saturdays.

 

What isn't clear in the application is the final outcome of the land reclaimation as ownership of the land appears to be with Homes and Community Agency whose primary remit is to extend the availability of housing. The project was contracted by competitive tender issued by HCA and Recycoal were the organisation awarded the contract.

 

Recycoal have a number of scheme operating at present.

 

The key issue for local residents is the immediate noise problem coupled with the operating time scale and the potential impact on the market value of properties in the vicinity. There is also a concern over the ecology of the site which has been colonised by trees, animals and birds over the last 25+ years.

 

At an earlier meeting a number of statements in respect of the spoil tip were made and some of these have been questioned by local residents and academic opinion would suggest that they were misleading and not wholy accurate, particularly in relation to the Silver Birch trees on the site.

 

The application makes reference to 35 jobs as an added incentive to the planners, however, on closer reading it does suggest thaat the majority of these will be redeployment from other contracts drawing to a close. It also offers the carrot of economic benefit of spending in the locality, but as Recycoal is a Doncaster based company it is unlikely that employees on the site would travel into Chapeltown and its surrounds to spend when they are so close to junction 35 of the motorway and a quick return home after a 12hour shift.

 

It is also clear from the planning application that Smithywood Road will be the site access road and consequently will be subject to parking restrictions that will affect commuters who park there to car share and users of the cricket club. The likely consequence of any parking restrictions will move these vehicles down the road onto nearby roads such as Welbourne Close and Woodburn Drive.

Similarly there will be a knock on effect to the motorway junction and Cowley Lane at peek periods.

 

Anyone intersted in commenting on the planning application can do so online via Sheffield City Council's planning portal.

[Eckolad 10]

I went to the exhibition in May. I was suprised to find out that they will only remove 8-10% useable material from the heap! It will then be landscaped and paths/trails created.

 

Recycoals webpage

 

 

 

.

 

 

Yup as the isn't a huge amount of coal left as it has previously been processed when it came out of the mine having been sent through the coalliery washery etc.

However modern washing and reclamation techniques allow for a greater extraction rate etc.

 

But its still a lot of coal. Just wish more spoil heaps in and around yorkshire/north notts would be remediated

 

People also dont realise that the is quite of a lot of pollution run of from spoil heaps

Edited July 11, 2012 by Eckolad

[dynoman 10]

Many thanks to Chapowlo for such an informative response.

 

You have raised an issue such as car parking, which to be honest, i never gave a thought. I do live on woodburn drive and have a growing concern as to wether or not all the residents in the area have been made aware of what is being planned.

After calling both Recycoal and Sheffield City Council it is amazing how a letter has been pushed through mine and adjoining neighbours letter boxes at 8 am this morning.

 

Apparently, Sheffield City Council had 250 letters to deliver on the estate but deliveries stopped due to the adverse weather we have been having. Oh and there are more like 350 to 400 properties on the Cowley.

 

Now in this letter there is a questionaire that you are invited to complete and return so that recycoal will be able to answer any questions (more like be prepared) not forgetting that it is the 12 July today and the meeting is on the 19 July at 6.30pm.

 

The tree line that they WILL have to take down acts as a barrier, blocking the noise from the M1, which means even after they have completed works, there will still be noise polution from the M1.

And regarding the 41000 trees they are planning to replant, how many years will they take to re-establish? NOT IN MY LIFE TIME.

[Gazza58 10]

Something should have been done up there years ago, and proberly would have been if not for locals moaning all the time.

[chapowlo 10]

Have just read the Gazzette free newspaper and there is a notice about the meeting, but no time given. More worrying though is the comment attributed to Ecclesfield Parish Council that the scheme will be 10 years in the making, 5 for coal extraction and 5 for land restoration. This really contradicts the planning application which clearly gives a time frame of 42 months.