EARDINGTON and Oldbury residents are drawing up battle plans against a move to more than double production from a waste recycling unit near their homes.
Local industrialists B A Shorthouse Ltd want to increase the amount of concrete recycled from 2,000 to 5,000 tonnes at their base at Knowle Sands Industrial Estate.
Although the company say the development would not be hazardous, worried residents fear it will bring increased noise and dust, as well as vermin and water pollution.
They also fear that an increase in lorry journeys on the B4555 Highley road through Knowle Sands will put other road users and residents in danger and they are concerned that nearby properties will be devalued.
About 40 villagers raised their fears at a special public meeting at Eardington Village Hall on Monday, organised so that they could be kept informed about the amended application which is expected to be decided by Shropshire councillors next month.
Alan George, from the Daniels Mill tourist attraction, feared that unless strict controls are put in place there would be a repeat of the damage caused to the mill during the 2007 floods.
Parish council chairman David Hollyhead introduced Malcolm Bell, Shropshire Council’s strategic minerals and waste manager, who explained that several amendments had been made to the noise report which was previously presented to a public meeting last November.
Mr Hollyhead said he was concerned that some of the tests had been carried out at a similar site at Wem, instead of at Knowle Sands. The parish council will be making its comments to Shropshire Council’s planning committee and members of the public are invited to write individually expressing their views.
B A Shorthouse say the application to crush and recycle used concrete and deal with household and garden waste at the site, will create about three jobs.
A spokeswoman said: “We have already reduced the scale of the application from when it was first submitted because of the residents’ concerns.”