Hampshire County Council

Lymington Coastal Area Advisory Panel and Lymington

Coastal Area Management Panel Item 2

21 May, 2003

Notes of the Site Visit by the Manor Farm, Pennington Liaison Panel

Report of the Chief Executive

Contact: Chris Blunt, ext. 5751

Present:

Councillor Mrs P Banks (Chairman) Hampshire County Council

Councillor A W Rice TD Hampshire County Council

Councillor M. Pemberton New Forest District Council

P. Eisworth Lymington and Pennington Town Council

E. Wiseman

Prof. G Smart

C. Worsley New Forest District Council

D. Andrews New Milton Sand and Ballast

N. Hollands Onyx

D. Carswell Onyx

M. Badcock New Milton Sand and Ballast

P. Chadwick Hampshire County Council

B. Gwynn Hampshire County Council

C. Saunders Hampshire County Council

R. Read Hampshire County Council

1 SUMMARY

(i) Members of the Manor Farm, Pennington Liaison Panel undertook a site visit to the Manor Farm and Efford landfill site on Thursday 8 May 2003.

INTRODUCTION

(i) The site visit was arranged to enable the Members to view the current progress at the site.

1 2 TOUR

(i) Before commencing the tour of the site, Members were shown a plan of the site which showed the site split into four phases of work, and the layout of the disposal cells . It was explained that major remedial works had been carried out and bentonite walls had been constructed around Phases 1, 2 and 3. The disposal cells in Phase 3 had been reseeded and within Phase 4, three cells had been capped, and an additional cell had been engineered and awaited infilling. A bentonite wall has also been constructed around Phase 4d.

(ii) In response to Professor Smart's concerns about the unsightly nature of the black pipes protruding above the surface of the capped and restored cells, he was assured that these would be reduced to a height of ½ metre and individually covered by grey galvanised metal boxes approximately ½ to 1 metre in size.

(iii) Members were shown Cell 8 which had previously caused concern about levels. Settlement had caused a drop in the level of 2 ½ metres.

(iv) Assurances were sought about the new gas utilisation plant and its chimneys. Nick Holland, Planning Manager (Onyx) explained that the flares operated when there was an excess of gas. The flares were an essential part of the operation and the size of the chimneys was dictated by the Environment Agency. Although the stacks would be 6-11 metres in height, efforts would be made to minimize the effects by use of bunding and hard and soft landscaping. The use of large capacity gas engines would alleviate the problem of noise.

(v) Within the Phase 4 area Members were able to view the bentonite walls. Also viewed were cells 9, 10 and 11 recently covered and grassed over and cell 12 which had been engineered and was now ready for infilling. The current tipping cells were also seen. With Phase 4d, Members saw the current New Milton Sand and Ballast mineral workings to the north of the haul road. Members also saw the archaeological investigation during soil stripping.

(vi) E. Wiseman queried the salinity levels, he believed recent monitoring results showed that they were at the same level in both water discharged from the site and Keyhaven lagoon. Officers undertook to investigate this matter.

(vii) The workings of the Sequence Bath Reactor were explained. Liquid residue (leachate) from the landfill was pumped to mixing tanks and fed into the SQB . After a process of aeration and use of bacteria the resulting liquid was pumped into another leachate tank and then further treated through reed beds before ultimately being pumped to the Pennington Waste Water Treatment plant for its final treatment prior to discharge to the sea. The operation was controlled by a computerised system which required very little manual intervention. The gas utilisation plant would be located next to the leachate treatment plant.

(viii) At the New Milton Sand and Ballast Recycling Plant Members were able to see the composting operation. This involved mixing and shredding skip waste through the Primary Shredder and Separator. Residue was sold off as compost or used as top cover over the landfill sites. Crushed concrete, bricks and tarmac were sold as hard core after crushing and screening . It was estimated that these two processes saved approximately 50% to 60% of the waste from being landfilled.

(ix) The Chairman advised Members that there would be an opportunity to comment on the visit at the next meeting of the Lymington Coastal Area Advisory Panel on 21 May 2003.

RECOMMENDATION:

That the report be noted.

2 Section 100 D - Local Government Act 1972 - background papers

The following documents disclose facts or matters on which this report, or an important part of it, is based and has been relied upon to a material extent in the preparation of this report.

NB the list excludes:

1 Published works.

2 Documents which disclosure exempt or confidential information as defined in the Act.

4cR390503