The facility will replace the existing site located on Blandford Heights Industrial Estate which is difficult for some residents to use and unable to meet the demands of the expanding service operated by Dorset Council.
The existing site
The current site is an adapted grain store and in a poor condition.
The small recycling centre accommodates just 14 vehicles at any one time. It has poor accessibility due to steps to some containers and the site closes when full containers are collected adding to congestion on the access road.
The Waste Transfer Barn - where waste collected at the kerbside is gathered up before being taken away to recycling and treatment facilities - shares the same access road as the HRC for lorries dropping waste off and taking it away, causing traffic issues for residents. Queuing traffic also causes disruption to neighbouring businesses by blocking access during the busiest periods each day.
The Waste Transfer Barn has no extra space, so there is no possibility for taking different kinds of waste in the future..
Site selection
A number of sites were put forward by landowners for the development of a waste management centre on their land.
After reviewing the submissions, Dorset Council officers determined that only two sites could potentially be suitable: land adjacent to Sunrise Business Park, and Langton Lodge Farm on Back Lane in Blandford.
Langton Lodge Farm was eventually ruled out due to the presence of a high-pressure water main which crosses the area. There were also concerns around whether there was enough room for the planned development and the potential for increased traffic on approach roads to the site.
The area to the south of Sunrise Business Park was confirmed as the preferred site due to location, accessibility and buildability.
Site layout options
Several layouts have been produced during the design process to evaluate options for the new site and to find the optimum solution, taking into account factors such as
- visual impact
- operational requirements and efficiency
- sustainability
- cut/fill balance
- biodiversity
- ecology
- drainage
- impacts on amenity and local traffic
Preferred layout
The site would include a new access road from the Blandford Bypass near the Sunrise Business Park roundabout.
After entering the site, there will be a separate area at the HRC for the public to park and unload unwanted items. There would be no need to temporarily close the facility (which happens at the existing site) as our contractors will be able to use their vehicles to access the waste containers from the lower yard area.
The proposals also include separate access to the transfer barn for collection and waste transport vehicles. Dorset Council’s waste team (previously known as the Dorset Waste Partnership) have designed and built four replacement sites across the county and used their experience when devising these plans to maximise development potential while limiting the impact on the surrounding natural environment.
The proposals reflect the successful Bridport Waste Management Centre which opened in 2015.
See a fly-through of the Proposed Blandford Waste Management Centre.
Site access
- access to the proposed site will be restricted to left turn in and left turn out
- the Higher Shaftesbury Road Roundabout will be used by motorists wishing to access the site when approaching from the east
- the Salisbury Road Roundabout will be used by motorists wishing to travel west when leaving the site
- this access arrangement removes conflict with vehicles turning right into the site delaying access on the Blandford Bypass and similarly for traffic leaving the site