Villagers vow to fight mushroom factory expansion

Villagers living in Wath near Ripon have stepped up their protest against the development – a mile away from their homes.

Greyfriars, the company behind the scheme, has lodged an appeal against Harrogate Borough Council's latest rejection of a planning application.

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 150,000lbs every week.

A spokesman for the local action group, Wath Against Mushrooms (WAM), said: "This is a David against Goliath struggle and our arguments remain the same – the design and location of the building will have a huge detrimental effect on the character and visual aspect of the local landscape."

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, which would be nearly 80ft long and 26ft high.

Greyfriars chairman, John Smith dismissed villagers' claims that the development would create Europe's largest mushroom factory and lead to traffic congestion.

He maintained that the scheme would save two million food miles a year and create 60 jobs.

"We certainly do not want to fall out with the neighbouring residents, and we have attempted to involve them in the whole process.

"But we need to make sure that the business remains viable, and this development is key to ensuring this."