'Check road safety first'

ANGRY Backwell residents who oppose the creation of a new recycling centre in their village have accused district councillors of 'gambling with public money'.The scheme, at Coles Quarry, has been granted planning permission, subject to conditions, one of which states that it cannot open until measures are put in place to improve road safety.Residents called for the decision to award the contract to create the new civic amenity site to be deferred until members of the central area planning committee had examined the road safety proposals.But members of North Somerset Council's executive have already asked Ringway Highway Services to construct the new civic amenity site at a cost of £758,961.Villagers are accusing them of gambling with public money.Karen Barclay, of Backwell Residents' Association, said: "At a recent meeting of the planning and regulatory committee, Cllr Deborah Yamanaka said the scheme would not go ahead until traffic problems were resolved."Why has the executive spent £758,961 of public money awarding a tender for a planning application that may not be implemented?"It seems to Backwell residents that they're gambling with public money."Cllr Alan Hockeridge, leader of North Somerset Council, who chaired the executive meeting at which the contract was awarded, said: "The road safety issues do need to be resolved, but any proposals will have to comply with Government guidelines."By awarding the contract to create the new recycling centre, members of the executive were not gambling with public money."The scheme has planning permission and has to be moved on."On June 15, members of the central area planning committee will examine the road safety proposals. If they consider any changes need to be made to them, they will make recommendations to Cllr John Crockford-Hawley, North Somerset Council's executive member for strategic planning and transport.