The Voice of Spalding and South Holland
Consultation letters were sent out on Monday about an application for a plastic processing plant in Holbeach Hurn.
Midwest Polychem is hoping to be granted permission to run the recycling plant for hard plastics at Laurel Lodge Farm and has applied to Lincolnshire County Council.
The company held an official opening in June, when it was granted permission for new cladding on the buildings. An application for a B2 Certificate of Lawful Use was granted in January, but as the operation involves processing waste, the county council has to approve the plans.
Consultees to the current plans, including South Holland District Council, Anglian Water, Holbeach Parish Council, Fleet Parish Council, Coun Tracey Carter and Coun Peter Coupland should receive letters this week.
But there was no indication as to when neighbouring properties would be formally involved in the process.
“We have not been consulted at all, and we can all see the site from our homes,” said a neighbour, who declined to be named.
She said work had been carried out on the site for many months.
“They built fencing, destroying an area where hares lived. The company says the factory is ‘outside of any defined settlement boundaries’ and in open countryside, but me and all my neighbours can clearly see it.”
The change of use to B2 General Industrial was granted by the district council under delegated powers in January despite objections.
“On the balance of probability, the unauthorised B2 use has continued for in excess of ten years since the breach of planning control, making it immune from planning enforcement,” said the report. The buildings had been used for vegetable washing and processing previously.
The company behind the scheme hopes to create 60 jobs if approval is given. It has also bought land in Sutton Bridge for a similar development with claims of up to 600 jobs.
Speaking at a recent open day, resources manager Abber Nayaz said the company spent £13m on the Holbeach plant and a further £3.2m on the Sutton Bridge site.
The recycling process takes plastics, such as window and door frames, and breaks them down into chips for re-use.
