Batteries site set for jump-start
THE former Exide Batteries factory at Salford Road in Bolton looks set to be converted into a waste recycling and transfer centre.
An application by Viridor Waste Management will be heard by Bolton Council’s planning committee on Thursday which would see the site be converted into a waste transfer site capable of handling 70,000 tonnes of waste collected by the council each year.
A household waste recycling centre capable of handling around 15,000 tonnes per year would also allow householders to get rid of items not usually collected by the council. Viridor Waste Management argues that the site could help to improve the amount of residual waste recycled by up to 60%.
The 260,000 sq ft Exide Batteries plant had made lead-acid batteries for use in heavy-duty commercial vehicles until the company closed the plant in 2010.
There have been 11 objections to Viridor’s application for the 19.9-acre site, stating concerns over the increase in noise, odours, dust and traffic along an already busy route.
A petition by local residents concerned about the impact on their quality of life also gained 27 signatures.
However, the council’s officers have recommended that the scheme is approved at Thursday’s meeting, stating that Viridor’s facility will provide “an important facility to assist in meeting the waste management requirements of Bolton and Salford and would assist in promoting recycling of materials”.
“The location of an existing industrial site maximises the reuse of the wider site with sufficient mitigation proposed to ensure the living conditions of local residents are not compromised,” it added.
