News: Celsa receives approval for Rotherham processing plant
Celsa has received the approval of the planning board at Rotherham Council for a new operation in the borough to support its steelmaking facilities in South Wales.
A number of local firms are unhappy with the proposals.
The Spanish group operates Celsa Steel UK in Cardiff, one of the largest manufacturers of long steel products in the UK. It currently has a steel mill and two rolling mills dedicated to the manufacturing of corrugated steel, light profiles and commercial bars.
Plans were submitted earlier this year to create a shear processing plant on a scrap yard off Sheffield Road, Ickles.
Plans are for the proposed construction and operation of Rotherham Metal Recovery Centre, which would process, store and distribute up to 75,000 tonnes per year of ferrous scrap metal. It would create six new jobs.
The plans were approved after planners concluded that: "The site is allocated for industrial and business purposes in the adopted local plan and whilst it acknowledged that the proposed development does not fall within the permitted use classes, the industrial nature of the process would not conflict with existing operations on adjacent sites. Accordingly, the proposals are considered to be acceptable in principle."
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The plans went before the planning board last week due to the number of representations received.
Emma Ottewell, development manager, explained: "We received six letters of objection and those mainly relate to the impact of the operation on similar businesses in the area but they do also mention contamination and drainage."
Jason Booth, director of Rotherham-based CF Booth Ltd, said that local metal recyclers were worried for their businesses. In a letter to the Council, he said: "We employ over 250 employees who's [sic] jobs would all be in jeopardy if this plant was to go ahead. We have been established in Rotherham for over 80 years and managed to battle competition throughout, however, this would completely crush us and many other metal recyclers, large and small, in South Yorkshire.
"Rotherham does not need another Sheer Processing Plant. Rotherham town centre has already died to larger retail companies opening nearby and the same thing will happen to metal recycling companies large and small if this goes ahead. What will be left of Rotherham's oldest metal recycler?"
But the objection holds little weight in planning terms. Council planners said: "In addressing this matter, the loss of trade to a competitor or competition is not a material planning consideration and therefore cannot be taken into consideration in this instance."
Gareth Price, scrap purchasing manager at Celsa UK, said: "Our Rotherham operation is an important feeder yard for our mill and one that we are seeking to develop further.
"The case officer rightly points out that commercial matters are not material to this decision on whether planning permission should be granted and therefore this is not something that should inform the decision."
Members of the planning board voted unanimously to approved the plans.
Celsa UK website
Images: Celsa UK / Facebook
A number of local firms are unhappy with the proposals.
The Spanish group operates Celsa Steel UK in Cardiff, one of the largest manufacturers of long steel products in the UK. It currently has a steel mill and two rolling mills dedicated to the manufacturing of corrugated steel, light profiles and commercial bars.
Plans were submitted earlier this year to create a shear processing plant on a scrap yard off Sheffield Road, Ickles.
Plans are for the proposed construction and operation of Rotherham Metal Recovery Centre, which would process, store and distribute up to 75,000 tonnes per year of ferrous scrap metal. It would create six new jobs.
The plans were approved after planners concluded that: "The site is allocated for industrial and business purposes in the adopted local plan and whilst it acknowledged that the proposed development does not fall within the permitted use classes, the industrial nature of the process would not conflict with existing operations on adjacent sites. Accordingly, the proposals are considered to be acceptable in principle."
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The plans went before the planning board last week due to the number of representations received.
Emma Ottewell, development manager, explained: "We received six letters of objection and those mainly relate to the impact of the operation on similar businesses in the area but they do also mention contamination and drainage."
Jason Booth, director of Rotherham-based CF Booth Ltd, said that local metal recyclers were worried for their businesses. In a letter to the Council, he said: "We employ over 250 employees who's [sic] jobs would all be in jeopardy if this plant was to go ahead. We have been established in Rotherham for over 80 years and managed to battle competition throughout, however, this would completely crush us and many other metal recyclers, large and small, in South Yorkshire.
"Rotherham does not need another Sheer Processing Plant. Rotherham town centre has already died to larger retail companies opening nearby and the same thing will happen to metal recycling companies large and small if this goes ahead. What will be left of Rotherham's oldest metal recycler?"
But the objection holds little weight in planning terms. Council planners said: "In addressing this matter, the loss of trade to a competitor or competition is not a material planning consideration and therefore cannot be taken into consideration in this instance."
Gareth Price, scrap purchasing manager at Celsa UK, said: "Our Rotherham operation is an important feeder yard for our mill and one that we are seeking to develop further.
"The case officer rightly points out that commercial matters are not material to this decision on whether planning permission should be granted and therefore this is not something that should inform the decision."
Members of the planning board voted unanimously to approved the plans.
Celsa UK website
Images: Celsa UK / Facebook
1 comments:
Hmm, Booth's crying wolf after all of the negative experiences people have had in business dealings with them. Get the violins out.
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