Shropshire campaigners told to forget abattoir protest
Campaigners in north Shropshire have been told to "move on" and "forget" about a company which was granted permission to demolish and rebuild its abattoir. Campaigners in north Shropshire have been told to "move on" and "forget" about a company which was granted permission to demolish and rebuild its abattoir. Shropshire Council gave the go-ahead for proposals for the complex at the ABP headquarters at Hordley, near Ellesmere, at a planning meeting on Tuesday despite fears it could lead to a huge expansion of the operation. But Derek Jones, chairman of Hordley and Bagley Parish Council, which also objected to the plans, said although he was disappointed with the decision, it came as no surprise.
Campaigners in north Shropshire have been told to "move on" and "forget" about a company which was granted permission to demolish and rebuild its abattoir.
Shropshire Council gave the go-ahead for proposals for the complex at the ABP headquarters at Hordley, near Ellesmere, at a planning meeting on Tuesday despite fears it could lead to a huge expansion of the operation.
But Derek Jones, chairman of Hordley and Bagley Parish Council, which also objected to the plans, said although he was disappointed with the decision, it came as no surprise.
He said today: "I am disappointed, but I expected it. I am most disappointed with the handling of it.
"It appears our objections were not taken on board and the restrictions on the company are the same that were put on originally.
"There is nothing more we can do now. We need to forget about ABP and move on. I suggest putting it to the back of our minds and think about other issues going on in the village."
More than 100 letters of objection were sent to Shropshire Council prior to Tuesday's meeting of the authority's north planning committee.
Residents told the meeting the current abattoir caused major traffic problems from Queens Head and Rednal to Baschurch.
Councillors granted permission with several conditions including the implem- entation of a comprehensive traffic management plan which could include cameras to monitor the traffic. Councillor Jones added he hoped the firm would adhere to what it promised in its application, but feared traffic problems would not go away.
Andrew Cracknell, a director of APB, said the firm had no plans to grow its operation at Hordley.
He said it needed a larger building to ensure there was more welfare space for the animals arriving at the abattoir. The firm, one of Europe's largest beef processors, employs about 700 people in Ellesmere.
The abattoir occupies 1,875 sq m but the planned changes, first submitted about 12 months ago, would more than double the floorspace to 4,525 sq m.
By James Pugh
