Meonbrook Ltd wants to process demolition and excavation rubbish from developments cross the county at land off Boarhunt Road in Fareham close to Junction 11 of the motorway.
But planners at Fareham Borough Council have hit out saying the scheme “would have an unacceptable impact on the landscape character of the area”.
Meonbrook says similar work is already being carried out at the nearby Morgan Sindall compound by Highways England with materials from ongoing M27 works.
But the borough council said there is no evidence of this and it is a “tenuous link between the application site and the permitted highway compound to the east”.
An existing construction waste recycling site is already run by Meonbrook at Down Barn Farm – with permission for it given in 2019. This is 75 metres away from the proposed new site.
Meonbrook’s proposed facility in red, with the blue hatching area showing the Highways England compound already in existence. The existing site is at Down Farm Barn. (Image: Johns Associates) A letter published by the borough council said: “There appears to be a tenuous link between the application site and the permitted highway compound to the east.
“The application site is not carrying out works required for highway maintenance or improvements. As a result, the current use of the site is considered to be unauthorised and this has been the case for a number of years.
“The suggestion that the site requires a temporary permission until 31 December 2026 to coincide with the contract period for the M27 surfacing works requires further evidence to substantiate this claim.
“The highway compound is not dependant on the waste recycling centre and furthermore it is unclear why any limited processing of waste from the M27 highway works could not be handled at the Down Barn Farm site in any event.”
The council added: “The Council considers that planning permission for the temporary use should not be granted on this basis and action should be taken by the County to reinstate the site to its previous arable condition.”
Meonbrook says the proposed site would be better than the existing one with better access, and will be further away from homes.
The firm added: “These factors enable Meonbrook to enhance recycling operations for construction, demolition, and excavation wastes, producing a wider range of high-quality recycled aggregate products for reuse within the county, while supporting National Highways contracts.”
Hampshire County Council will determine the application in due course.