Stop the Composting Site call at hearing

On Tuesday an Appeal Hearing was heard into plans to put a large composting site near Fenny Drayton and Higham on the Hill.

The appeal, heard at Leicestershire County Council in Glenfield, is the fourth attempt to try and get a composting site in this area.

Cllr Michael Mullaney (Lib Dem: Hinckley Trinity) attended the hearing and spoke against the composting site plans.

Cllr Mullaney said "I objected to the proposed composting site near Fenny Drayton because I and Cllr Bill Crooks, Hinckley and Bosworth Council's Rural Affairs spokesman, had been approached by many residents of Fenny Drayton who were concerned about the composting site plans.

"I'm surprised these plans are even still being discussed. In 2009 the plans for a composting site at this location near Fenny Drayton were turned down by Leicestershire County Council's Planning Committee. In 2010 they were turned down by a government inspector. In 2011 it was turned down again by Leicestershire County Council's Planning Committee.

"It has also been opposed by Hinckley and Bosworth Council's Planning Committee, by local residents who wrote in to object to it and hundreds of people in villages like Fenny Drayton, Witherley and Higham on the Hill who signed petitions against it.

"There are real concerns about the extra traffic that a composting site might put on local roads. There are concerns about the noxious smells and gases that might be released by the processes. Not only are the, fairly sizeabIe villages of Higham on the Hill and Fenny Drayton near to the proposed site, there are a number of cottages/farms that are even closer to it. It's also extremely close to the MIRA site which has brought so many jobs to our area.

"This is the wrong place for a composting site. I hope that the appeal decision will stick to the decisions of the County Council Planning Committee and the previous appeal hearing and finally end this saga and bury once and for all the idea of a composting site at this location.