DOZENS of people are objecting to plans to allow thousands of trailers of maize, silage, and beet to be delivered to an anaerobic digester near Bromyard.

Assured Energy LLP have asked Herefordshire Council to vary a planning condition associated with the 500kW digester at Two Hoots Farm in Green Lane.

Under the original planning permission, the digester was only meant to be fuelled by grass silage produced on the farm’s land.

However, over the last two years, residents have raised concerns with Herefordshire Council over the huge level of traffic movements going to and from the site.

And ward councillor Alan Seldon believes the nearby Pencombe Lane has become a mess because of the increased traffic.

Andrew Mottram, a local resident who has objected to the scheme, said: “The consequent damage by the digester traffic to the verges, drains, gullies and haunching on the roads to the digester, whether from Bromyard, Pencombe, Stoke Lacy or Winslow, is only too evident.

“The digester disturbs the peace and is not operating in accordance with the original consent.

“This application to vary condition 2 should be refused and the original conditions of planning enforced without any further prevarication or delay.”

The company wants to modify the original permission to allow around 2,200 vehicle movements every year.

This includes 913 trips of 12t trailer loads of feedstock and 766 tanker loads of digestate and 562 trips for staff.

Their proposed transport management plan sets out that feedstock and digestate deliveries would take place between 8am to 6pm, Monday to Sunday.

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Consultants working on the scheme say the plans comply with planning regulations.

“The existing access onto the public road is safe with good visibility to accommodate the additional traffic movements.

“Implementation of the transport management plan will ensure the local road network can absorb the type and frequency of movements without unacceptable impact on road safety.

“Amending the condition will also ensure the level of current investment in the local rural economy will be sustained.”

Highways officers have objected to the scheme as it constitutes a significant increase in vehicle journeys.

They are concerned that local roads are not adequate for such an amount of extra traffic.

“The figures that are to be considered for this application are a base scenario (the 2013 application) of 1,566 two-way trips compared to the proposed 2020 scenario of 5,988 two-way trips.

“This results in an increase of 4,422 trips (12.1 trips per day). This is a significant increase.

“The routes that the tractors and trailers would have to take include narrow lanes, where they are unable to pass oncoming vehicles without one vehicle reversing, and the junctions of Pencombe Lane/Panniers Lane and Green Lane/A44, both of which have substandard visibility.

“The Panniers Lane junction has severely substandard visibility, particularly to the north, is adjacent to a school and Panniers Lane to the north of the junction on approach to the A44 is constrained in width by parked vehicles along one side. Green Lane is also narrow with substandard visibility (and width) at the junction with the A44.”

County planners are expected to consider the proposals by February 24.