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Villagers unite against animal rendering plant

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protesters
Some of the protesters from Waterside Orchard show their opposition to the plan

The protest against plans for an animal rendering plant at Hopwood has crystallised into a campaigning group called HARM – Hopwood Against Rendering Movement. The group has shown its determination by forming a not-for-profit company to handle its finances and by hiring a Birmingham firm of lawyers which specialises in such campaigns.

“After detailed discussions, HARM have instructed Public Interest Lawyers to act for them in fighting the planning proposal,” said a spokesman. ”At last, local residents have technical legal help in guiding them through the planning and environmental maze. Make no mistake, we are committed to fighting this all the way to the High Court.”

HARM has launched a public appeal to raise funds to back their fight and have organised two public meetings, one at Hopwood’s Waterside Orchard Park Homes site – where the mostly retired residents fear they could suffer most – and one in Barnt Green. The group includes residents from Hopwood, Alvechurch, Barnt Green and Cofton Hackett.

At a previous public meeting at Hopwood, as reported in The Village in May, residents were told the plant could emit pollutants over the area.

The plan involves a 25 metre chimney and two processors – one continuous and one working in batches – with a  capacity to render more than 100,000kg of animal offal a day. As well as the fear of pollution and odours, residents said they were concerned by the noise from both the plant and the lorries which would be rolling through the area.

A planning application for the chimney has been passed to Worcestershire County Council by Bromsgrove District Council and a decision is expected to be made this month. A pollution control application has been submitted to Bromsgrove.

HARM has set up a website at www.harm.org.uk and the public meetings are at Waterside Orchard at 7.30pm on September 8 and St Andrew’s Church Hall, Barnt Green, at 7.30pm on September 15.

Mayfield Rendering, which has applied to build the plant, declined to comment when contacted by The Village.