Frequently asked questions

Slyfield Frequently asked questions

Frequently asked questions

Why are you building a new Slyfield community recycling centre and waste transfer station?

In early 2010 Surrey County Council adopted a new World Class Waste Solutions approach which aims to manage the county’s waste in the most efficient, sustainable and cost effective way possible. A key objective is to reach a 70 per cent recycling rate across the county before 2014 and to achieve this the right infrastructure needs to be in place.

That includes providing excellent facilities to enable residents to recycle as much as possible, so SITA Surrey is working on a planning application to relocate the Slyfield community recycling centre and waste transfer station on Moorfield Road, Guildford.

The development will have a number of benefits for local residents, including measures to reduce queuing. It will form part of the Slyfield Area Regeneration Project (SARP), which aims to regenerate the Slyfield area.

Why are you moving the facility to a new location?

By moving the Slyfield waste site to a different location on the industrial estate we can build the facility with a better layout and more room, making it easier for residents to recycle. As the proposed site is in a different location, the existing one will not need to close during construction.

Where will the new site be located?

The new site will still be part of the Slyfield Industrial Estate but on land that is currently unoccupied and in a location that allows easier access to the facility.

How does this development fit in with the Slyfield Area Regeneration Project?

The development will form part of the Slyfield Area Regeneration Project (SARP), which aims to regenerate the Slyfield area. The wider SARP project is currently on hold pending the results of further investigations on the relocation of the existing sewage treatment works, which will enable further options for the SARP site plan to be developed. Once this is complete public consultation will take place on all options.

What are the benefits of the new site?

The new site will have a number of benefits over the current facility, including:

  • By relocating to a bigger site we can build a larger facility with a layout that makes it easier for residents to recycle.
  • Space for more containers, so we can collect a wider range of materials and change what goes in each bin in line with seasonal demands.
  • Separate roads for cars and heavy goods vehicles to reduce queuing.
  • Additional parking spaces so more residents can use the facility at the same time.

These measures will not only help residents to recycle but will provide a more pleasant experience while on site.

Additionally we are planning to redevelop the waste transfer station on site to include:

  • A fully enclosed building for municipal waste.
  • Redevelopment of the waste transfer station to provide the opportunity to collect more materials for recycling.

Will the new site help to reduce queuing?

We are aware that queuing can occur at the existing site during busy periods. By adding extra parking spaces, extra recycling containers and by segregating cars and heavy goods vehicles, we anticipate that the length of queuing time experienced by residents should be reduced.

Are you planning to accept higher tonnages of waste at the new site?

The site is currently licensed to accept up to 220,000 tonnes of waste per year, and we are not anticipating this to increase. However, over time, we expect the proportion of the total waste stream that is recycled to increase and therefore we may add more materials to the list of what is currently accepted at the site.

What happens now?

SITA Surrey is working on a planning application, which we hope will be submitted to the County Planning Authority in February 2012. We are hoping for determination in summer 2012 and should we be successful, anticipate construction beginning autumn 2012, and taking around eight months.

Is the land proposed for the new Slyfield site on an old landfill?

SITA Surrey is aware that a landfill operated in this area previously. Building on an old landfill is not uncommon and is safe providing it is properly managed. SITA Surrey is conducting site investigation works to determine the ground conditions. Depending on the results of the investigation works, there are a number of options that can be used, these include:

  • Continuously monitoring groundwater around the site boundary to ensure there is no contamination during construction.
  • Using filter tanks to capture any surface water during any excavation works. These tanks would be monitored by the Environment Agency.
  • Using layers of compacted recycled stone to strengthen any unstable ground, to allow buildings to be constructed.
  • Using gas membranes and venting systems in new buildings to remove potential landfill gas build up.
  • Using a top layer of soil at least 50cm deep on landscaped areas, to allow plants to grow.

The results of the site investigation works will be made public as part of the planning application.

How will residents and trade vehicles access the new site?

A new road will be built to join the proposed waste site with Moorfield Road.

Will the new development create more traffic?

We are not anticipating any higher volumes of traffic entering Slyfield Industrial Estate once the new site is open. There will be a period of overlap of construction traffic with site traffic, as the existing facility will continue to operate when the new site is constructed. The anticipated build time is around eight months.

Previously the existing Slyfield site was also used as a vehicle depot, but due to congestion on site the depot was moved in late 2009 to nearby Westfield Road, on Slyfield Industrial Estate. If the development goes ahead the vehicles will no longer use the Westfield Road site and will once again park overnight at the Slyfield waste facility. However, as they are currently parking on the industrial estate, this change will not lead to an increase in vehicle movements.

As part of the planning application we will examine the vehicle movements relating to the new site and this information will be made public when the application is submitted to the County Planning Authority next year.

How will you manage construction traffic?

If we receive planning permission to relocate and redevelop the Slyfield waste site we will create a Construction Environment Management Plan. This plan will set out how we will operate during the construction period to ensure minimal disruption to residents and neighbours. The plan will consider numerous factors, including managing delivery vehicle movements effectively and on site parking. This plan will be made public as part of the planning process.

Will this development have an impact on the local area?

As part of the planning application we will carry out an environmental impact assessment. An environmental impact assessment considers the possible impacts that a proposed project may have on the environment and considers issues such as:

  • Traffic
  • Visual impact
  • Ecology and nature
  • Noise and vibration
  • Air quality
  • Hydrology, geology and flood risk
  • Cumulative impact

The results of this work will be made public as part of the planning process.

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