Judkins update: the latest facts and what happens next
Warwickshire County Council’s Regulatory Committee is to look again at the application for a soil decontamination plant at Judkins in Nuneaton by holding a development control forum.
The committee also decided to visit one of the existing mobile plants in the country using the technology proposed for Judkins.
The committee made its decision after hearing that the local community felt that it had not been adequately consulted about the proposed plant. Although objectors acknowledged that legal requirements had been met, they compared the level of consultation with the high standards observed by the county council when it was proposing its own developments.
The forum will allow the committee to investigate the most important issues in greater detail.
The committee were presented with reports giving much more information than they had seen when they made their original decision in June. Having seen the extra information, the committee want to explore some of the objectors’ concerns in more depth.
The forum will be organised by the county council, which will try to find a time and place convenient to everyone who will want to attend. It is possible that this will be in Nuneaton and outside normal working hours.
The forum will be structured, but informal. Councillors, officers, objectors and the applicant may all take part. The Environment Agency will also be invited. Any member of the public can come to watch but objectors will be asked to choose a limited number of spokespersons.
County council officers will prepare a “briefing pack” containing background information about the application. Those going to speak at the forum will also be asked to prepare a written submission. The briefing pack and written submissions will be published in advance of the forum so that everyone knows what the issues will be in good time.
Objectors will be asked to focus on the main controversial issues and will be invited to meet with officers to agree what these are. The county council will see if professional support can be found to help objectors define and make their case.
At the forum, speakers will explain their point of view and then answer questions.
Councillors will be there only to explore the facts and will not give their opinions on the application or debate what decision to make.
Officers will be there to help everyone taking part and not to recommend or argue for any particular decision.
After the forum, the committee will have a meeting to make a decision. It has not yet been decided whether this will be on the same day or at a later date.
Three members of the committee have decided that they cannot take part in deciding the application because of the risk that they will be seen as having predetermined it. Predetermination is when a councillor makes up his or her mind before the time comes to make a decision.
However, these councillors will be able to attend the forum and – if chosen as spokespersons – address the committee.
It is expected that Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council will participate in the forum and that part of its submission will be a presentation of their alternative plans for Judkins.