A DECISION on Eurovia Roadstone’s application for an environmental permit to mix hot asphalt at the proposed asphalt plant on the Isle of Wight has been deferred for further tests to be carried out.
Members of the IW Council’s regulatory committee agreed to defer the decision on the Cowes site for three months and issue a further information notice on the applicant calling on the company to monitor background airborne pollutants, including nitrogen dioxide, so-called PM10 particles and sulphur dioxide.
The initial three-month deferral could be extended to six months if the results show concentrates above guideline levels.
Eurovia applied for an environmental permit to mix hot asphalt at the plant, which it hopes to build at Medina Wharf, off Arctic Road, to supply asphalt for the Island’s highways PFI scheme.
Permits are issued to protect air quality and Eurovia had to show it would use the best available techniques to control air pollution.
Environmental health officers said the company had provided sufficient information and recommended the permit was granted.
But the committee, which heard representations from a number of objectors as well as Eurovia’s agent, David Marsh, this morning (Monday), called for site-specific background air-quality monitoring which could be used as a baseline measure to judge the impact of the proposed plant.
The decision to defer came after a motion to reject the application, proposed by Cllr Jonathan Bacon, was defeated.