NFDC plans £5m move for Claymeadow depot in Totton

AN APPLICATION to create a new £5m council depot at Hardley industrial estate has been submitted.

New Forest District Council wants to move its existing waste and services centre from Claymeadow, Totton, to the estate seven miles away.

The plans are to build one two-storey and two single-storey buildings, comprising office, workshop and storage space.

The submission, which will be decided by NFDC’s own planning department, said the Clay Meadow depot is no longer “fit for purpose” and there is no room for expansion.

It said the new site will enable vehicles to operate “more efficiently, on a larger, more accessible site that meets modern needs”.

The new depot will house 65 vehicles, up from 50 at Claymeadow, which carry out refuse and recycling collections, ground maintenance and street cleaning.

It will be open 5am-5pm Monday to Friday, and 5am-3.30pm at weekends.

The application said the plans for the new depot have been “designed sensitively” to consider the nearby national park.

It also stated measures will be taken to minimise noise and light disturbance to the nearest residential areas which are 125 metres away.

The site relocation is part of a £10m capital spending programme allocated for the coming financial year by NFDC.

If the plan is given the go-ahead, it is hoped it will be completed by the end of next year.

The proposal was backed earlier this year by NFDC’s ruling cabinet as the current Claymeadow depot is situated along a road used by Hounsdown School pupils.

Councillors also feel that the development would remove the noise nuisance for neighbours.