Fears over increased lorries
PLANS to increase operations at the Cantley British Sugar plant will lead to more lorries on the road - sparking fears in the local community. And it is understood the processing of sugar cane from the Third World could even see barges and boats transporting the raw goods upriver to Cantley from Great Yarmouth's new outer harbour.
PLANS to increase operations at the Cantley British Sugar plant will lead to more lorries on the road - sparking fears in the local community.
And it is understood the processing of sugar cane from the Third World could even see barges and boats transporting the raw goods upriver to Cantley from Great Yarmouth's new outer harbour.
British Sugar has submitted a preliminary plan to process sugar at the site to most of the year. The plant currently processes 1.3m tonnes of sugar beet over a 155-day period and receives 370 lorry loads a day.
A feasibility study will examine ways the site can take advantage of a new European directive to allow cheap sugar cane imports from the Third World and poorer countries from 2010.
It is thought the scheme would create more traffic around the factory as lorries travel to and from the outer harbour.
Cantley parish councillors are to discuss the proposals amid fears new access routes could opened up through the village to the plant.
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Chairman Robert Beadle said: “We are obviously concerned about increased traffic movements throughout the year. We do not know the extent of the volume of traffic any new operations will create but we do have several scenarios in mind.”
Mr Beadle said he had already met a senior representative from British Sugar to discuss the plan and he praised the company for its openness in discussing the scheme. He added there were strong rumours barges or boats could be used by the site once more to carry the sugar cane.
And British Sugar may take more direct control of the myriad of delivery lorries arriving at the plant.
The neighbouring village of Beighton may also be affected by any new plant operations.
Parish clerk Pauline James said: “As a motorist you certainly do not want to get stuck behind a lorry carrying sugar beet. All it takes is one lorry going slowly or taking its time turning off a road to cause traffic disruption.”
A spokesman for British Sugar said: “We have been extremely open about our plans with the surrounding community. They are at a very preliminary stage and we are still carrying out feasibility studies.”
The outline planning application for increased operations hours has been submitted to the Broads Authority and if the scheme goes ahead it will not involve any new building work.
At the peak of its current production cycle the 98-year-old Cantley plant processes up to 10,000 tonnes of sugar beet a day.
