Plans to legitimise an “illegal” waste transfer site in a north Watford residential area have been slammed by the town’s planning committee.

Green Resource Recycling Ltd has applied for retrospective permission to operate the waste transfer site at 275 Sheepcot Lane.

The site was historically used to store fairground equipment but, for the last few years, has been used to collect, recover and recycle electronic equipment, scrap metal and non-electrical goods.

The company is now seeking permission from Hertfordshire County Council to continue its work after enforcement officers became aware of its existence. The application also seeks to erect a two-storey building for works and storage.

As the waste authority for Hertfordshire, the final decision on this application will be made by the County Council, but Watford Borough Council’s Development Control Committee was invited to make a recommendation.

David Marsh, director of PD Consulting, the applicant’s agent, told the committee last Thursday: “The application seeks to allow the continuation of existing recycling use but with a number of significant environmental improvements.

“The activities we are proposing will continue unchanged.

“More significantly, there are 24 properties in close proximity, and of those 24 properties, 20 of them have signed [a petition] in support of the application.”

However, Councillor Andrew Mortimer described the application as “a brazen manipulation of the planning process”.

He said: “It’s quite incredible that one of the arguments for passing the application is to legitimise a practice which has been illegitimate for many years.”

Councillor Ellie Burtenshaw criticised Hertfordshire County Council for failing to take action against the applicants when they discovered the site operating illegally, and then for allowing them to pursue consent to continue.

She said: “They have been allowing waste to come out to an unlicensed site without making any checks.

“It’s absolutely incredible. There have been no checks on how much has been coming out when faced with trying to legitimise this illegal operation.

“Recycling is a very laudable activity to do but only in sites next to waste transfer sites and the depots where everything is taken, not in the middle of residential areas.

“It’s the totally wrong activity for this area. It’s possibly the right idea but the wrong place.”

Councillor Iain Sharpe added: “This is something that certainly, if considered from scratch, is not something we would want to have in a location like this.

“This is not an appropriate activity for a residential area and as a council we would want to say so. Then it becomes up to the County Council to reach a final decision on that.”

The committee gave a unanimous vote to recommend the application be rejected, but agreed that, if County were to approve it, they should only pass temporary approval.

Chairman Alan Burtenshaw said: “If they do give permission, I want it to be on a temporary basis so residents do have some comeback. If there are problems, the council can put in objections and when it comes back they will be taken into account.”

A final decision will be made by the Development Control Committee at County Hall, Hertford, at 10am on Tuesday, July 8.