Residents in Bacup rally against a waste site expansion, gathering over 1,000 signatures in just 48 hours to voice their concerns
Bacup: There’s a lot of buzz around town about a waste transfer site expansion. A petition has taken off, gathering over 1,000 signatures in just two days. People are really upset about this plan.
Mark Dexter, a local resident, kicked off the petition and even started a Facebook group called ‘Bacup residents against the waste transfer plan.’ It’s amazing how quickly folks are coming together. They’re planning a peaceful protest outside the council offices soon.
Mark shared that the response has been incredible. He feels the community’s anger and frustration. Many people are sending objections to the council, but it seems like the council isn’t saying much back.
The proposed changes include tearing down some buildings to make way for a bigger waste facility. The council claims this upgrade is necessary since they’re shutting down another site. But residents are worried about the impact on their neighborhood.
Mark’s main concern is pollution. He thinks the current small site will balloon in size, which could lead to more issues. People living nearby are already dealing with bad smells and pests, and they fear it’ll only get worse.
While the council says the expansion will cut down on emissions, locals aren’t convinced. They’ve already filed over 80 objections, and many are worried about the traffic and noise from more heavy trucks coming through.
Mark pointed out that Bacup is pretty high up, so any bad smells will travel far. Plus, the area has had flooding issues, and the proposed site is near a floodplain. Residents have been raising concerns about waste management for a while now.
With the new Aldi store being built nearby, folks are also worried about how the waste site will affect local businesses. The protest is set for January 3, and it looks like the community is ready to make their voices heard.
If you want to check out the petition, it’s on change.org under ‘Bacup residents objection to the development of the RBC waste transfer site in town.’ The council hasn’t commented yet, but it’ll be interesting to see how this unfolds.
