In a further blow to the Brent community Barnet councillors gave the green light for a rubbish dump on the borough borders.
Councillors and activists put in one last plea to Barnet planners on Wednesday night not to wave through a waste transfer station (WTS) in Geron Way, Cricklewood.
But the site, which is part of the larger Brent Cross redevelopment plans, is going ahead and will handle 195,000 tonnes of waste a year and lead to more than 400 trips to and from the site by heavy goods vehicles every day.
Anger remains over Barnet’s decision to allow an aggregate site behind Lidl on the Edgware Road all of which will have a detrimental impact on those living in Brent.
Mapesbury councillor Lia Colacillo said: “The result wasn’t a surprise. I tried to make sure the conditions outlined for the dump would be stable especially so they don’t impact the people nearby. There was trouble with the last application for the aggregate where the conditions set out weren’t in the final document.
“It was quite a shock when we saw the conditions, decibel levels had pretty much doubled from what was agreed. I didn’t want that to happen again.”
In July, the new local government secretary James Brokenshire refused a cross-borough plea, led by Cllr Colacicco, for a public inquiry into the super hub.
Former Dollis Hill councillor Alison Hopkins, who lodged more than 4,000 petition signatures against the dump, added: “We are bitterly disappointed that yet again, Barnet has decided to ignore the objections of thousands of its neighbours to this disastrous and damaging plan. It’s clear they had already made their minds up.
“Brent admitted on Wednesday that they couldn’t enforce the lorry ban in Dollis Hill which is supposed to stop Barnet’s massive lorries rat running on our roads.
“Brent has also agreed without argument to Barnet’s proposals to change our road layouts, pushing yet more traffic into narrow residential streets here. Dollis Hill is being used as the overspill for Barnet’s extra cars and lorries. We are the forgotten fringe of both boroughs – Barnet only care about Brent Cross and Brent only care about Wembley.
“We will take this to the Mayor of London, but given he refused to intervene in the aggregate terminal, will he act on this?”
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