Plans for a purpose-built sewerage treatment facility near Bromyard will be considered by Herefordshire Council’s Northern Area Planning Committee today.
The application, which consists of the erection of five tanks, a reception area and access road near the village of Thornbury, is recommended for approval by planning officers.
Objectors to the facility, which would be capable of treating 23 cubic metres of effluent per day, have raised several concerns about the planning application.
They say they are concerned about the impact of wind-borne gases and an increase in traffic in the area, and they have asked why the facility is not earmarked for an industrial site.
The application has, however, received 12 letters of support.
A Planning Officer’s Appraisal says: “Objectors have suggested the proposal should be on an industrial estate or at other premises nearby but, as the applicant and his agent have pointed out, treatment works need viable access to an acceptable discharge point.”
The report says smells from the plant “would not be inevitable” due to the proposal’s small scale, while tankers using the site would not represent a significant increase in local traffic.
It adds: “Mains sewerage provision remains sparse in the county and reliable septic tank services are in demand while populations rise, environmental standards tighten and municipal treatment works operate under increasing pressure.”
“Consultation responses have established that the proposal is small-scale and appropriate for its setting in a carefully chosen location, would enable the applicant to continue to provide a good quality community service, and is capable of meeting environmental requirements.”
