Residents believe plan unacceptable due to pollution and traffic

Acton Goods Yard. Picture: David Hawgood

The proposal to relocate a cement batching plant from Park Royal to Acton Goods Yard on Horn Lane is continuing to attract opposition from local residents.

Ready mix concrete supplier Quattro has been asked to relocate from its existing facility on Victoria Road as the site is needed for HS2. They want to build cement storage facilities, a workshop and office facilities at the site near Acton Mainline station which would continue to allow their product to be distributed by rail.

The firm employs around 60 people in the Acton area and, in an Air Quality Assessment submitted with the application, claims that the new plant would not add significantly to air pollution in the surrounding area. It is accepted that dust from the site will have an impact on the local area but it is argued that, as there are similar facilities already in the same yard, the marginal impact will be limited.

The plan, which was first submitted in April last year, has yet to be considered by the Ealing Council planning committee even though it was due to do so last October. It is believed that the delay is due to uncertainty as to whether HS2 will proceed and therefore whether the relocation will be required.

The application continues to attract a large number of objections from local residents with 59 submitted at the time of writing. Most raise the issue of poor air quality and how the plan would make the situation even worse, particularly on Horn Lane. This area already exceeds the EU limits for nitrogen dioxide, PM10 and PM2.5. Concerns are also raised about the high incidence of lung cancer around the existing facilities and the impact the plan will have on West Acton Primary School, Melrose Nursery and London Bunka Yochien School. Some objectors also point out that the Air Quality Assessment does not take account of the extra lorry traffic that will be generated in the area and there are concerns that lorries will use Noel Road as a way of avoiding congestion around Gypsy Corner.

The Council has said a determination date for the application has not yet been decided and residents can still make comments which will be taken into account when the application is considered.

Click here if you wish to make a comment on the application.

January 20, 2020