A factory is set to make changes after residents complained about the smell coming from its premises. A 20m extension to a chimney stack at an asphalt business on the site is being proposed. According to the planning application for it, the extension is intended to aid dispersal and lower the concentration of pollutants released from the plant.
Planning officers, who are recommending approval, say this would help address issues of odour raised by residents. East Sussex County Council’s planning committee is due to consider the proposals for the asphalt plant, which is operated by FM Conway in North Quay Road, Newhaven, on Wednesday. In a report to the committee, a county council planning spokesman said: “By increasing the stack height, emitted pollutants will have sufficient dilution and dispersion in the atmosphere to ensure that they ground at concentrations that are deemed harmless.
“Based on the results presented in the Socotec report [a specialist air quality consultant] for a stack height of 40 metres, exceedances of the odour benchmark at any sensitive receptor in the model domain, including those within South Heighton, are not expected. “The proposed development would result in an improvement to air quality, specifically odour. “Whilst it would result in a much taller structure closer to Newhaven town centre, taking into account the industrial surroundings it is not considered to be out of character for the area.
” This argument is supported by Newhaven Tow.