Norton Disney animal rendering plant planning application withdrawn

Residents are celebrating after plans for an animal rendering plant, which they feared would ruin their historical landscape, were scrapped.

Lincoln Proteins Ltd wanted to build the animal waste processing station near the Roman villa site on Folly Lane, Norton Disney, which would have included lorry handling and water management features.

Its initial plan included a 25-metre high stack, but this was reduced by ten metres after the application was rejected in December 2019.

However, the proposals were condemned by Historic England, which said the development would be harmful to the heritage assets of the villa site.

Richard Parker, secretary of the Norton Disney History and Archaeology Group, said: “There has been a euphoric feeling among residents who are celebrating now the plans have been withdrawn.

“There was no logic to it (the rendering plant plans) whatsoever in what they were doing.”

Residents from Norton Disney and surrounding villages had protested the application since 2018, concerned about traffic and the smell it would cause, alongside fear that the facility would overshadow the Lancaster Bomber gateway sculpture being built off the A46.

The archaeology group was concerned about the effect the rendering plant would have on nearby archaeological sites, which would have been ten metres from the border of the Roman villa site and near others holding Iron Age artefacts.

Alan Asker, Lincoln Proteins Ltd operations manager, said: “We’ve taken the decision to withdraw because we realised there were still some surveys that need to be refreshed.

“We felt it was better to withdraw the plans than waste the council’s time.”

He said once the surveys were done the company would take a decision about resubmitting the plan.

However, Mr Parker and other residents were sceptical. He said: “They could have supplied that (information from the surveys) with this re-application but chose not to do so.

“There are still strong grounds to reject plans.”

A recent archaeological dig of the villa site discovered finds from the Iron Age.

The boundaries of the villa were expanded in September 2020 by Historic England, giving the land the same legal protection as Stonehenge.