Briggs Metals Ltd has asked Nottinghamshire County Council to expand its site at The Yard, in Great North Road, Newark, for the scrapping of electric cars, but the Environment Agency objects

A scrap metal recycling yard is asking a council to expand so it can recycle electric cars but plans could be refused over flooding concerns.

Briggs Metals Ltd has asked Nottinghamshire County Council to expand its site at The Yard, in Great North Road, Newark.

The site has been used as a scrap yard for more than 50 years and primarily deals with metals.

But the organisation asked to expand its site by about one acre so it can begin recycling electric vehicles and their batteries.

Documents say this is a “new area of business” which could secure 20 and create a further eight new jobs at the yard.

And the applicant promises to make major improvements to the access and exit arrangements of the yard to allow a better flow of HGVs.

This, it says, would also allow about 10,000 tonnes more metal to be processed per year, an increase on its current 60,000 tonnes per year.

However, council planning officers have recommended the plans are refused over concerns the site could be at significant risk of flooding.

Objections were raised by the Environment Agency (EA) during a consultation, saying the land “falls within a flood risk vulnerability”.

At its meeting on July 18, the council’s planning and rights of way committee will be told to refuse the expansion.

In a report, officers said “substantial weight” was given to the creation and retention of jobs.

They added the increase in recycling capacity was a “further, albeit modest, benefit and material consideration weighing in favour”.

However, a report said: “Officers assess the proposed development to be contrary to local and national planning policy in respect of the location of development and flood risk.

“Notwithstanding the presence of the existing facility and the usual advantages to favour extensions (and adaptations) to such facilities, this is an instance where this solution is not considered appropriate nor sustainable.

“[This is] owing to the location within the functional floodplain and the general incompatibility of this type of waste management facility in this high-risk flood area.”

The applicant previously submitted and then withdrew similar plans for the site, with flooding concerns previously raised by the agency.

However, when submitting its more recent plans, it said: “Since the withdrawal of the previous application, the reason for the extension has changed slightly.

“Electric vehicle recycling has become a necessary service for the yard to provide.

“The proposed extension will enable the recycling of electric vehicles, which is a new area of business, [and] help to secure 20 jobs, enable at least six and [create] up to eight new full-time jobs.

“[It will] give space for a new electrical supply to enable the electrification of the yard, moving away from dirty diesel equipment and delivering on the yard’s green agenda.”

If approved, the applicant said it would create a dedicated hybrid and electrical battery de-pollution area to store and dispose of car batteries.

It added solar panels would be integrated into the roofs of on-site buildings and a change in “operation efficiencies” would lead to a new exit point being created to improve traffic flow.

“There will be significant improvement to the traffic issues on the A616 including much safer access and egress,” it said.

“HGVs will no longer back out onto or park up on Great North Road, which is a main access to/egress from Newark.”