ANSA will begin to meet with residents affected by its environmental hub from September, Cheshire East Council has confirmed.

The CEC-owned waste management firm had been required to set up a liaison committee to meet with concerned Middlewich residents as part of the conditions that were set when it was given planning permission for the site.

But the group has so far failed to meet since Ansa began moving into the site last autumn, and Middlewich town councillor Mike Hunter says he has received complaints from residents about activity at the hub.

At last Thursday’s full council meeting, the Labour member urged CEC to set the liaison committee up so that residents could share their concerns with Ansa.

He said: “When CEC forced Middlewich to live with a recycling hub, condition 48 of the planning application gave reference to the liaison committee.

“That liaison committee has not met since the construction stage finished. It is now in the operational stage, we are getting complaints and we have no liaison committee to go to.

“We as a Labour group have met with an official from Ansa, but that’s not the way to carry on. The way to carry on is to set that committee back up.

“When will you as a council fulfil your conditions of your planning authority – condition 48 – to reinstate that liaison panel?”

Cllr Hunter added that he had personally written to CEC members about setting the liaison committee up but was yet to receive a response.

Following the meeting, Ralph Kemp, commissioning manager at CEC, has now confirmed the liaison committee will begin to meet in September.

He said: “We can confirm that Ansa – an arm’s length council company which now occupies the site, is managing the operational phase of the environmental hub liaison committee meetings. These will start in September.

“If you are interested in attending these community liaison meetings please contact Ansa through the email members.enquiries@ansa.co.uk with the subject heading ‘Middlewich Liaison’ and they will help you to get involved.”