Villagers demand mushrooms plan inquiry

Villagers living in Wath near Ripon are intensifying their protest against the development a mile away from their homes by calling on Ministers to set up an inquiry into the expansion plans by Greyfriars, the company behind the scheme.

The firm – which imports 1,000 lorry loads of mushrooms from Poland each year – provoked outrage with plans for a 73,300 sq ft building with 12 growing rooms to produce an extra 150,000lb every week.

Greyfriars submitted three different applications last year for a 4.5m expansion of its existing business, as well as a formal bid to cut down an oak protected by a tree preservation order.

All were refused by Harrogate Borough Council.

The firm has now appealed to the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government against one of the rejections to building a mushroom growing facility, and the appeal is expected to be heard in August.

A spokesman for Wath Against Mushrooms (WAM), said: "We are a small village of under 200 residents challenging a pan-European food giant whose plans will create more than 100 additional lorry movements a week on narrow C class country roads.

"We feel strongly that the complexity, size and industrial nature of Greyfriars' development plans mean that a full public inquiry is the right forum, rather than separate appeal hearings.

"It is just not possible for all our speakers to be able to present their case within the two days set aside for the next appeal and so we are calling for a full inquiry."

Greyfriars chairman, John Smith, has defended the development.

He maintains that the scheme would save two million food miles a year and create 60 jobs, and also stresses that the development is vital to ensure the business remains viable.