Fears over proposed site of knacker's yard

The announcement came after the proprietor of the knacker’s yard, Edward Saunders, said at a Great Shefford Parish Council meeting last week, that the incinerator at the current yard would be moved to Great Shefford, despite the application form making no reference to one, which sparked questions about the smell the incinerator would produce and how water and waste would be stored on the site.
Mr Saunders told the chairwoman of the parish council, Sue Benn, that the yard averaged two burnings a week but the amount varied depending on the amount of jobs they received as the businesses covered a wide area stretching from Berkshire to London.
Objector Oliver Cole, the son of champion trainer, Paul Cole, based at the Whatcombe estate in Wantage, said that vet Christopher McEwan, of the Valley Equine Hospital in Lambourn, had said that the smell from a rendering plant on the site could seriously affect horses training nearby.
However, Mr Saunders, said that he had no intention of putting a rendering plant on the site and that the animals would be taken elsewhere.
“We have never had any problems at the yard with smell or people going down ill.
“There would be a horrendous smell from a rendering plant but there is no plan for this," he said.
Parish councillors who had visited the yard said that they had not detected any smell.
However, National Animal Welfare Trust Centre Manager (NAWT), Alison Pearce, said that she had concerns about animal welfare as animals have a better sense of smell than humans.
Concerns were also raised about the risk of contamination to the water table from biocides, used for washing down containers, and the impact on the area if the site flooded.
Great Shefford resident, Jeremey Nickson, said he was concerned that water from the yard would run in to the NAWT land at Trindledown Farm and that the River Lambourn, which is a Site of Special Scientific Interest and a Special Area of Conservation, would also become contaminated.
NAWT volunteer, Grahame Murphy, who is also the chairman of neighbouring Chaddleworth Parish Council asked why the flood assessment had been missed completely, in relation to the amount of water on the site and surrounding areas.
Mr Saunders said that he would speak to the planning agent about the issue.
Mrs Pearce said that she had seen nothing regarding the storage of waste water but Mr Saunders said that an underground storage tank would be used for collecting waste.
When Mr Cole voiced concerns about the tank leaking, Mr Saunders accused him of “clutching at straws”.
“They were straws that needed to be clutched”. Mr Cole replied.
Parish councillors felt they were unable to reach a fair decision due to a lack of written information regarding the application.