Plans for a new vehicle exit at the North Luffenham tip are being opposed by nearby residents.

However, Rutland County Council planning staff recommend planning committee approves the scheme on Tuesday.

The household waste recycling centre on North Luffenham Road, Morcott, re-opened in May following the lockdown with a reduced service and numerous safety measures put in place, including a one-way road system to reach and leave the site.

A report prepared for the meeting said: "Its sister site in Cottesmore remains closed due to staffing constraints, and North Luffenham is the bigger of the two sites."

"The proposal is for the creation of a new vehicular exit to the site. Currently a single access is used for both ingress and egress. This would involve the removal of approximately 5 metres of the boundary hedge.

"Vehicles would enter via the existing south-east entrance, follow a one-way system, and exit via the new access in the north-east corner of the site. Surfacing would be tarmacadam with kerbing, and gates to match the existing palisade fencing that is present around the site."

However, Morcott Parish Council has recommended the planning authority refuse the scheme.

It said the temporary closure of the Cottesmore Civic Amenity Site, leaving North Luffenham as the sole provider of such facilities, is imposing "an unacceptable burden on Morcott village and surrounding villages."

The council continued: "The unreasonable imposition of a singular Civic Amenity site for Rutland at North Luffenham and the expenditure proposed in creating a new access is unnecessary if the pre-Covid 19, operation

is resumed. e.g. 4 days per week.

"The excuse seems to be staff shortage during this pandemic and yet if the North Luffenham Site returned to 4 days a week, staffing could be seconded to the Cottesmore site two days a week using an appointment system for trailers only. This would not only save money but have less impact on the residents of Morcott.

Their response continued: "Morcott and South Luffenham particularly have shouldered the burden of extra traffic to the CA site during the temporary Covid-19 arrangements. To replace these provisions with a permanent 6-7 days per week operation, is too much."

However, recommending the scheme be approved, Rutland planning staff concluded: "The proposal has been assessed against the local and national planning policies and would not have a detrimental impact upon the highway network or highway safety, local amenity, or the surrounding area."

Plans for the scheme were announced in August, as previously reported by Nub News.

Last month, Rutland Council also sought to reassure county residents about the future of the Cottesmore Civic Amenity site, also as previously reported by Nub News.