February 17, 2020 3.22 pm This story is over 49 months old

New ‘Smelly Skelly’ rendering plant plans to be submitted

Developers will resubmit plans after refusal
Jerusalem Farm in Skellingthorpe. Picture: DS Developing.

Developers behind an animal rendering plant upgrade plan in Skellingthorpe will resubmit a proposal for a “multi-million pound transformation” of the site.

DS Developing will lodge amended plans to Lincolnshire County Council for Jerusalem Farm, which is given the unfortunate nickname of “Smelly Skelly” by residents.

It follows a decision last year by councillors to reject plans to demolish the existing plant for a new facility with upgraded odour filters.

Now, DS Developing, an arm of The Leo Group which owns the site, will submit new “simplified” proposals to the local authority this week.

It will include a modern thermal oxidizer and bio filter bed to minimise odours, and the latest effluent treatment plant facilities to cleanse and enable the reuse of water within the new plant.

Previous plans outlined for the facility in Skellingthorpe which were rejected by Lincolnshire County Council.

Developers said the upgraded site will also benefit from extensive new planting adding to the already mature green boundaries to ensure that the new plant is well screened from neighbouring properties.

A spokesman for DS Developing said: “The revised plan for Jerusalem Farm is significantly different from the one we initially put forward in the summer of 2018.

“A small number of houses originally proposed have been deleted to create an application that focusses purely on modernising this facility.

“Whilst we were disappointed our original plans didn’t find favour with planners, we have taken stock of all the comments – both positive and negative – and have come back with a simplified application that will pave the way for much needed investment.”

Proposals to demolish the site were first tabled back in 2018, but were met with objection from residents and North Kesteven District Council.

The plan would have seen the plant demolished for a new facility, as well as three new affordable homes built.

But county councillors said the proposal was “disappointing” and rejected it in July 2019.

SUBSCRIBE TO LOCAL DEMOCRACY WEEKLY, our exclusive email newsletter with highlights from our coverage every week and insights and analysis from our local democracy reporters.