Round-the-clock recycling plans approved

CONTROVERSIAL plans for a recycling plant at Ettington to operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week, were approved this week by Warwickshire County Council.

The proposal even includes bank holidays, except for Christmas Day and Boxing Day – although the council’s regulatory committee at its meeting on Tuesday added Easter Sunday to the small list of exceptions.

One of the most vocal opponents of this huge increase in working hours by Pure Recycling of Warwick Road, Ettington has been Ettington Parish Council.

Immediately after the regulatory committee’s decision the parish council chairman, Cllr David Hughes, told the Herald: “The parish council is absolutely appalled.

“They already have plans to double the size of the plant. Doubling the output would mean the output would be quadrupled if the expansion plans go ahead.”

Cllr Hughes said there were already traffic, noise and litter issues. “The operators are duty-bound to keep the verges litter free, but litter has spread even as far as Wellesbourne. It escapes from the lorries even though they’re supposed to be netted.”

He added: “We feel for the local residents, even though they are few in number. They could not have anticipated the invasion of their privacy by a light and noise pollutant industry.

“And I hear from the agricultural community that their pasture land is suffering from small particles of plastic, which the livestock are ingesting – which can’t be good for them.”

Pure Recycling’s Materials Recycling/Recovery Facility at Ettington dates back to October 2007 when planning permission was given to allow the redevelopment of a former animal slaughtering site. Over the years it has gradually increased its working operations at the location.