Plans to create £28m animal waste rendering plant in Norton Disney resubmitted despite concerns over Lancaster Bomber sculpture

Plans to create a £28m animal waste rendering plant have been resubmitted, despite concerns it would spoil the site of a Lancaster Bomber sculpture.

Lincoln Proteins Ltd have resubmitted their planning application for a rendering plant at Villa Farm on Folly Lane, Norton Disney, after redesigns to accommodate previous planning issues.

Lincolnshire County Council’s planning committee refused the original plans over location, heritage and wildlife concerns.

Changes in the new application include reducing the height of the chimney from 35metres to 25metres, which which would reduce its landscape impact while keeping within air quality and odour standards.

It would also mean a 75metre long, 10metre wide and 14metre high shed.

Richard Parker, secretary of Norton Disney History and Archaeology Group, said they had fought a three-year battle to defeat the previous application, which was rejected in February last year.

He said: “It would operate 24/7 with a large number of floodlights and it would be within yards of the Bomber County Gateway Trust sculpture of the Lancaster Bomber.

“It would dominate the landscape entering and leaving Nottinghamshire along the A46.

“From the Norton Disney History and Archaeology’s Group’s point of view, we are obviously disappointed Lincoln Proteins have ignored the very strong planning reasons why the county council rejected it last time.

“One of the principal planning reasons it was rejected last time was down to the large amount of very sensitive archaeology present, including the Roman villa, which is a scheduled ancient monument and of national importance.

“Since then, Historic England, who are the official guardians of the villa, have reviewed the boundaries of the scheduled ancient monument.

“They expanded the protected area so it is just 10 metres from Villa Farm — the site of the proposed rendering plant.”

Mr Parker said Historic England, North Kesteven District Council, Newark and Sherwood District Council and Lincolnshire County Council all stated a large industrial structure so close to a scheduled ancient monument — classed as a designated heritage asset — would go against national and local planning guidance as it would destroy the historic setting.

“The only thing that’s changed since last planning decision is the scheduled ancient monument boundaries of the villa are bigger and nearer to Villa Farm, so its difficult to see how building a large industrial structure just 10metres from a site of national importance can be justified, as it clearly goes against planning regulations,” said Mr Parker.

Alan Asker, operations manager, said: “Lincoln Proteins remain committed to a project which offers sustainable jobs within the food manufacturing industry, a vital addition to the Lincolnshire economy in times such as these.”

The resubmitted application follows approved plans by Leo Group, owned by Lincoln Protein Ltd, to demolish an existing animal by-products processing plant and build a new processing plant at the farm on Jerusalem Road in Skellingthorpe.