Widnes restricted
Page 26
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• North Western Deputy Licensing Authority John Levin has restricted the operations of Widnes Plant Hire after more than 20 environmental representations, when the company applied for a new licence at a Runcorn public inquiry on 23 February.
The company had applied for a national licence for six vehicles based at Crowwood Lane, Widnes. At the outset Levin said that he proposed to disregard letters of objection from the local authority and the environmental health department, because they were not present.
John Backhouse, the defender, said the company was engaged in plant hire, demolition and associated haulage, and had been at its current premis
es for four years.
The representors were concerned about noise, fumes and road safety. They complained about spray from a dieselpowered washer, and about vehicles being parked in the street.
Managing director Bancroft Warburton said that there was a garage on the site for two vehicles. He maintained that the site could accommodate six vehicles, but admitted that that would involve moving plant.
He said the company did some emergency demolition work which could involve being called out at any time, night or day. Apart from that, vehicles did not normally leave before 07:00hrs or return after 18:30hrs. Vehicles were moved at weekends for maintenance and washing.
Warburton agreed the corn
pany had been offered an alternative site by the council, but it lacked facilities. It would be prepared to move, if it was offered a suitable alternative on the right terms.
Levin had visited the site the day before and said he was not happy that it could take six vehicles without involving a substantial movement of plant.
Consequently, he was only prepared to grant a licence for four vehicles, with conditions prohibiting the movement of authorised vehicles, except in an emergency, between 18:30hrs and 07:00hrs, and stipulating that only movements relating to maintenance could be made on Sundays.