Villagers to fight compost unit bid

Villagers are launching an action group to fight plans for a massive composting unit near their north Shropshire homes.

People in Childs Ercall, near Market Drayton, said the action group was "in the pipeline" after developers unveiled plans for the unit in a hangar in the village.

It would house a demonstration unit where bosses from Wrexham-based In-Vessel Composting would show prospective clients how the hi-tech kit works.

Almost 100 people attended a meeting in Childs Ercall last week to hear more on the plans. They raised fears over possible noise, smells and traffic problems.

If the plans are approved, the site would operate up to six days a week and be capable of handling up to 25,000 tonnes of waste a year.

Angela Evans, a parish councillor, said today that the village was united in opposition to the move

She said: "At the meeting we did sympathise with the applicants but everyone in Childs Ercall is against the plan. We don't want it on our doorsteps and I'm most worried about the road because there will be extra traffic trundling past some of the houses."

A Shropshire Council spokesman said a decision would be made by its development control committee once the firm had provided "sufficient information".

Parish councillors last Wednesday agreed to write in protest to Shropshire Council and North Shropshire MP Owen Paterson.