THE wood chip recycling plant which caused a huge blaze which closed a primary school did not have planning permission and faces an uncertain future.
A fire erupted last Tuesday morning at Harmondsworth Quarry at 3.40am, and took three days for firefighters to declare the scene safe.
The facility is owned by SITA UK, who carry out landfill operations at the quarry.
SITA had lodged a retrospective planning application for the wood chip recycling plant last June (2010) and a decision on the site was deferred last April.
The follow-up decision was set to take place at Hillingdon Council last night (11/12) after the Gazette went to press.
Council planning officers had recommended the woodchip plant for refusal, even before the meeeting, citing it as 'inappropriate development on Green Belt land', adding there were no special circumstances to justify the development.
The quarry is located between Sipson Road and Harmondsworth Lane, and the fire prompted Heathrow Primary School, also based in Harmonsworth Lane, to close for two days on safety advice.
Hillingdon Council also issued health advice to nearby residents urging them to 'limit the amount of time spent outdoors' in the wake of heavy smoke coming from the fire.
25,000 tonnes of wood chippings are estimated to have been lost in the blaze, as well as two JCBs.
The wood recycled at the facility is mostly from furniture, doors, and house buildings.
A SITA UK spokesperson said last week, "We have lost a small amount of wood, and two pieces of machinery in the fire. In terms of how this affects us for the future it is too early to say."
