South Gloucestershire | Archive | 2005 | November | 5
From the archive, first published Saturday 5th Nov 2005.
THORNBURY councillors were this week demanding answers about operations at a controversial compost farm on the edge of town.
A meeting was set to go ahead yesterday with owners of Morton Farm who have won permission to convert biodegradable green waste into soil enriching compost - subject to strict conditions.
Anxious residents, who failed to persuade planners to veto the scheme, are, however, committed to ensuring that the operators comply "to the letter" with the strict conditions attached to the planning consent.
They are already furious that the Gloucester Road farm is importing green waste from outside the area rather than using "home grown material".
Clare Fardell, South Gloucestershire councillor for the area, said a liaison committee meeting between the operators, the council and a resident representative should have taken place weeks ago.
"It [the meeting] has been repeatedly cancelled for a variety of unsatisfactory reasons and I really don't know who is to blame, the operators or the council," she said.
"All I know is that there are a lot of questions which need answers, mostly relating to the amount of compost present on the farm.
"There is also possible damage being done to the land which I understand is in a nitrate vulnerable zone. This means there is a limit to the amount of compost which may be spread in order to prevent serious pollution to the watercourses in the area."
Cllr Fardell said residents had reported hot compost being ploughed into the fields causing "a huge amount of steam".
The liaison meeting would be a chance for resident and councillors to raise such concerns, she said.
Fellow Thornbury North West ward councillor Neil Halsall said: "Residents' questions must be answered. We hope that some replies can be given straight away but some matters may require further investigation."
Louise Gill, spokesman for the composting company, said they were not to blame for the delays in setting up a meeting.
"The council has been organising this and we have always been ready to make ourselves available," she said.
"We have been spreading compost - as we are allowed to do - and it would not be unusual for people to see steam during spreading," she said.
"We are aware this is a nitrate vulnerable zone and we are abiding by all the conditions. As for quantities, we are monitored by the council on a weekly basis and we keep a running schedule which is also checked every week."
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