PLANS for a wood and green waste recycling facility near a Cornish village have resulted in a huge wave of opposition in the area, with more than 120 people airing their concerns on Cornwall Council’s online planning portal.

The loss of countryside, smell, contamination of nearby waterways, noise, road safety and even arsenic poisoning are among the reasons cited by worried locals as to why they feel it should be refused. Residents from as far as Camborne and Hayle are expected to pack a meeting of Gwinear-Gwithian Parish Council on Monday (April 14) when councillors discuss the application by the Green Waste Company.

The local, family-run business wants to build a wood, composting and green waste processing and recycling facility comprising level development platform, commercial scale agricultural building, attenuation pond, weighbridge, access and parking on land at Roseworthy Hill, Connor Downs in west Cornwall.

The Green Waste Company currently has two recycling sites at Higher Brynn, near Victoria, and Splattenridden Farm, near St Erth. A supporting planning statement says: “Currently, Splattenridden receives green waste from five council-run Household Waste Recycling Centres (HWRC) sites at St Erth, Pool, United Downs, Falmouth and Helston and four local town councils (Hayle, Penzance, Camborne and Helston).

“For reasons of logistics and capacity, it is proposed that, apart from the St Erth HRWC and Penzance Town Council sources, all other waste would be sent to the proposal site at Roseworthy. This would greatly improve the current services provided by the Green Waste Company and, importantly, will greatly reduce miles travelled every year transporting the waste.

“Whereas expansion of Splattenridden and other sites was considered, these options were discounted for logistical reasons. The proposed site is conveniently located on low-grade agricultural land owned by the applicant. It has immediate and safe highway access.”

However, there has been an avalanche of opposition locally to the proposals, with many fearing the site in mining country is contaminated with arsenic. Cornwall councillor for the area Lionel Pascoe, who is also against the plan, said he hasn’t met anyone locally who supports the application.

There has been some criticism of Cllr Pascoe in the area for not demanding the matter goes before a Cornwall Council planning committee because of the level of protest. He explained that he is unable to do that until the parish council makes its decision next week and he meets with the local authority’s planning department. “It’s causing quite a stir in the area,” he said.

Comments against the plans include:

“This is a residential and farming area. Placing a waste recycling plant here is totally irresponsible and ill conceived. It’s will cause total destruction of a beautiful area. It’s long term destruction of the land. It will not only destroy the land it sits on but also land within a wide area around the proposed recycling plant. Chemicals which develop through the waste recycling will leach through the soil spreading toxic chemicals. Once this occurs the land will be destroyed for decades.”

“We totally oppose the plans for a green waste site on Roseworthy Hill. It will destroy an area of outstanding natural beauty where the farmland is of a very high quality and will cause damage to wildlife habitats. We are concerned that in times of heavy rain there is a significant risk of run-off polluting the waterways. There will be an increase in carbon emissions and a pungent smell which cannot be fair on existing residents of the area. The HGV vehicles will bring increased traffic to our village, especially at busy times of the day. This will only be exacerbated by seasonal traffic.”

“There are presently over 120 public objections mostly concerned with traffic and smells. Despite all the protests the council has not yet agreed to a public hearing. The proximity of watercourses such as the Reens River, a tributary of the Red River, give extra danger of soggy ground and consequentially not only leaching but developing even higher levels of arsenic.”

“I strongly object due to arsenic contamination. This will leach into the compost and so be transferred to vegetables, plants birds and small animals and possibly pets. It befuddles me that you would even consider building anything on the contaminated site and even worse mixing compost and arsenic together is totally insane.”

“The site will have a huge detrimental impact on the currently beautiful views from Camborne and Carn Brea, looking towards St Ives. Views much appreciated by many residents and visitors to Cornwall.”

For more details see planning application, PA24/08685 planning.cornwall.gov.uk/online-applications/simpleSearchResults.do?action=firstPage