A petition calling for the application to be denied has garnered over 1,200 signatures
The site on Places Farm
Locals have said they are ‘deeply alarmed’ by plans to develop an inert waste plant in one of Essex’s most desirable villages. A retrospective planning application has been submitted to Essex County Council for the waste plant at Places Farm in Doddinghurst, just outside of Brentwood.
The site, run by MAG Aggregates, has been used as a waste transfer facility since 2023. Since then, it has evolved from a single-owner driver business into a licensed waste transfer facility and recycling centre that employs six people.
Locals are concerned that the changes to the site could bring more lorries and dust to the area, which they worry could have an adverse effect on local health, particularly the children at the nearby Doddinghurst Primary School.
The plan for the site is to expand the facility’s operations to import construction waste from highways, commercial, and domestic sources. A spokesman at the site told EssexLive that, despite local concerns, the site would not get bigger, nor would there be more lorries or dust as a result of the change of use.
A local resident said his main concern was dust pollution, particularly at local schools, saying he was “concerned for the health of the children”. Local councillor Sam Gascoyne has also raised concerns, claiming that homes close to the site already have a layer of ‘dust’ on them, and has shared worries about increased truck traffic on the country lanes in the area. He highlighted that Doddinghurst and the surrounding areas are rural and desirable, and a new waste plant could change this.
He said: “One of the wonderful features about Kelvedon Hatch, Doddinghurst and Blackmore is the fact that they are relatively quiet, rural areas that are highly desirable to live in. And having an inert waste plant with trucks, noise and dust isn’t really what any of the residents have signed up for.”
He added that he has some ‘very strong concerns’ regarding the development and doesn’t think it is in the ‘best interest’ of residents. Cllr Gascoyne also made a petition calling for the plans to be stopped in their tracks, which has garnered over 1,200 signatures to date.
The petition reads: “Doddinghurst and Kelvedon Hatch are beautiful places. The air is clean, and the countryside is unspoiled, providing an ideal environment for raising our children. Our homes are more than mere structures; they are sanctuaries where we find peace and safety. It is deeply alarming to learn about plans to develop an inert waste plant right here in Doddinghurst and the neighbouring Kelvedon Hatch.”
Cllr Lesley Wagland, who also opposes the plans, has called in this application for determination by the County Development & Regulation Committee. She has highlighted that it should not be assessed by district-level officers but by the full county committee.
MAG Aggregates and its representatives were contacted for comment.