MP has told Boris Johnson that an under-fire scheme to open a huge new waste-processing plant in a Harborough conservation village is “deeply troubling”

South Leicestershire MP Alberto Costa raised the concerns of angry people in Shawell, near Lutterworth, with the Premier at Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday
South Leicestershire MP Alberto Costa raised the concerns of angry people in Shawell, near Lutterworth, with the Premier at Prime Ministers Questions on Wednesday.South Leicestershire MP Alberto Costa raised the concerns of angry people in Shawell, near Lutterworth, with the Premier at Prime Ministers Questions on Wednesday.
South Leicestershire MP Alberto Costa raised the concerns of angry people in Shawell, near Lutterworth, with the Premier at Prime Ministers Questions on Wednesday.

An MP has told Boris Johnson that an under-fire scheme to open a huge new waste-processing plant in a Harborough conservation village is “deeply troubling”.

South Leicestershire MP Alberto Costa raised the concerns of angry people in Shawell, near Lutterworth, with the Premier at Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday.

A firestorm has erupted as Dublin-based Beauparc Group plans to turn Cotesbach Mechanical Biological Treatment Unit, shut in 2016, into a processing and recycling centre.

The waste management operation wants to process over 150,000 tonnes of waste at the site a year.

Mr Costa said: “I was very pleased to raise the very understandable concerns of my constituents with the Prime Minister.

“These plans for a new waste-processing facility in Shawell are deeply troubling.”

The Conservative MP added: “This is an historic, rural village in a wonderful part of the county that could soon be overburdened by a huge number of HGVs and the pollution they bring with them.

“While I support all efforts to recycle as much as possible, we do have to think about the very best locations for these sites.

“A small village like Shawell, however, certainly isn’t one of them.”

Mr Costa has vowed to take “this matter further with the appropriate Minister in Government”.

“It is imperative that my constituents have their voices and their views loudly heard.

“The Government’s policy is for local areas to recycle as much as possible locally.

“And so any environmental benefits of recycling at Shawell will surely be diminished by the emissions involved in importing waste from other parts of the UK and allegedly even Ireland,” said Mr Costa.

“Instead, I would ask the developer to think again about these plans and I will certainly do all I can to continue support my constituents in strongly opposing them.”

Cllr Jonathan Bateman, who represents Shawell on Harborough District Council, said: “I fully support local residents’ objections to this application.

“I am immensely grateful to Alberto for taking this matter on and raising it at the very highest level of Government. “The proposal does not conform to Leicestershire County Council’s own Waste and Minerals Policy and will only bring congestion and air pollution to the area without any significant gains for local people.”

Natasha Raven, 42, who’s helping to lead a wave of protest by incensed villagers, told the Harborough Mail: “We are all outraged.

“The entire community here in Shawell has united to stop it going ahead.

“This proposed waste processing and plastic recovery plant will devastate our beautiful village.

“But the impact and the ramifications will resonate and reverberate far beyond Shawell and Cotesbach if it is approved.”

The shocked mum-of-two insisted: “We’ll see many more heavy lorries on our local roads – which are already congested to the point of being overwhelmed.

“And we fear that pollution, noise and litter will cause havoc for many miles around.”

The controversial waste-processing blueprint will be vetted by Leicestershire County Council’s Development Control and Regulatory Board.

“A meeting date has not yet been identified as the application is in its early stages of consideration,” said the authority.