PLANS by Uttoxeter Golf Club to infill nearly 32,000 cubic metres of waste on the course during the next two years have caused widespread fury in the town.
The plans could see huge dumper trucks travel up and down a narrow country lane six times per hour five days a week, dumping the landfill waste at the Wood Lane club.
Uttoxeter’s MP Andrew Griffiths has joined forces with county and borough councils to object to the controversial plans described as ‘ludicrous’ and ‘dangerous’.
Residents and neighbours of the golf club, including Uttoxeter Racecourse, have also blasted what they claim is a lack of consultation by the golf club on the plans, with racecourse executive director David MacDonald telling the Advertiser he had never seen such anger from residents over a single issue.
Much of the fury has been caused by the proposals to transport the waste on lorries using Toothill Road and Wood Lane which residents fear will cause chaos.
Uttoxeter Town county councillor Geoff Morrison told the Advertiser he was objecting to the proposals which he said were ‘really, really dangerous’.
He said: “We are all united in objection to these plans — the two town borough councillors Peter Ball and Malcolm Barrett, Uttoxeter MP Andrew Griffiths and myself are all totally opposed.
“You are looking at two years of huge lorries going up and down that country lane. It is not big enough now — that lane is not suitable for HGV’s and I don’t think they have thought it out to be honest.
“It is a really, really dangerous proposal, in my opinion. I have asked for it to be heard by the planning committee and not decided by delegated powers.” The club proposes to infill course hazards due to the amount of steep-sided ravines and tees which it says have proved a safety issue.
Incidents of players slipping and falling down the ravines and tees are said to have happened and the club says it wants to make the course more accessible to the elderly and disabled.
David Oulsnam, a director of Uttoxeter Golf Club, said it had called a meeting to discuss the plans with neighbours.
He said: “We are having a meeting with residents in Wood Lane to discuss these plans further as I think there has been some misinformation.
“It was the county council’s duty to contact near neighbours. Uttoxeter Golf Club did contact those in close proximity more than 12 months ago because of the long process you have to go through to do infilling.
“The route has been agreed with the county council.
The lorries will come in off Toothill Road — no lorries will go down past the golf club down Wood Lane.
“The figures quoted (on lorry movements) are the very maximum. It is down to the availability of materials — some days there will be none at all.
“We will not be doing any of this in the summer months either or at weekends.” A decision on the plans is due early next year.
