Worries grow as Old Colwyn waste site seeks expansion

Residents in Old Colwyn have expressed concerns about a waste transfer business operating at Plas Gwilym Quarry.

The public meeting, called by Clwyd West MS Darren Millar, gathered locals to voice worries about dust, noise, and traffic issues.

Despite ongoing efforts to address the impact, residents feel their quality of life is still affected.

Clwyd West MS Darren Millar convened the meeting following the submission of a planning application to extend the area of operations within the site.

He has since submitted a response to the application outlining residents’ concerns and was pleased that so many turned out to the meeting last Friday at Festival Church, Old Colwyn, to make their views known to regulator Natural Resources Wales (NRW) and site operator Jennings, both of which were in attendance at the meeting.

Residents in Craig Road, Llysfaen Road, Miners Lane, Peulwys Lane and surrounding areas have been raising complaints for months about the impact of dust, noise and traffic to and from the site, and have expressed concerns that things could get worse if operations are extended. 

Commenting after the meeting, Mr. Millar said: “This meeting was called at short notice, so I was pleased to see so many people in attendance. It shows the strength of feeling about current operations and future plans for the site. 

“I was grateful to have had the opportunity to recently meet with the site operator and regulatory agencies a few weeks ago to discuss local concerns, and was very pleased that they were also able to attend last Friday’s meeting to hear first-hand from residents and answer their questions. 

“While it is acknowledged that the operators are taking steps to mitigate the direct impact, it is clear these efforts have not been sufficient to prevent a detrimental effect on residents’ quality of life. 

"I have now written to the local authority to set out residents views as part of the planning process."

“I want to thank everyone who attended the meeting and reassure them once again that I am doing all I can to make sure that their concerns are listened to.”

Local Councillor Cheryl Carlisle said: “It was good to see so many residents in attendance at the meeting and making their views known. I would like to thank them all for coming at short notice and also NRW and Jennings for listening to their concerns.

"I want to encourage all residents with an interest in this matter to also make their own submissions to the Planning Department."

These can be made to the Planning Department by emailing cynllunioplanning@conwy.gov.uk by August 1, 2025.