A cement firm has come up with a new option for a quarry extension after its last designs were thrown out by planners.

The crucial decision to settle the company’s long-term future at Ketton is due to be made by an extraordinary meeting of Rutland County Council on Tuesday.

And since their last application was rejected by the council’s planning committee five weeks ago, Castle Cement has met with planning officers to discuss the issues it fell down on.

But it remains to be seen whether the new option – which is being put forward in addition to the original application – will be enough to calm fears of undue damage to the environment voiced when the issue was last debated. Council officers have recommended that councillors reject the option next week.

The new option is a compromise plan which would preserve about 2.5 acres of the 6.8 acres of the Ketton Gorse woodland which is home to a large colony of bats.

And planning conditions would enable councillors to control ‘phasing’ so that quarrying of a new area could not begin until the previous area had been restored.

Castle employs 360 people. This week a company  spokesman said: “The decision facing the council is a critical one for the future of the works and all those who depend upon it.”

He added: “We believe we have struck the right balance and hope the council will reconise the fact.”

The plan would give Castle 25 years of quarry reserves. It would extend quarrying by 210 acres in addition to the 195 unworked acres which already have planning permission. The area covered by the planning application is 608 acres, including landscaped areas, farmland and a 400-metre buffer zone between the quarry and Ketton village.

At the last meeting nearly 150 people crammed into Rutland Council, many of them Castle workers. Only four sub-committee members were there and they all voted against Castle’s planning application.

Dust from a controversial cement works has sparked fears for worried gardeners. Householders living in the shadow of
Ketton’s Castle Cement have expressed concerns about the safety of eating home-grown fruit and vegetables.

Villager Noreen Weedon told the Mercury she is worried about the dust emissions from the plant which fall on produce in her Redmiles Lane garden.

Mrs Weedon said: “The dust is sticky, like hairspray, and we find it impossible to remove from our car and windows — so what’s it doing to the herbs and salad vegetables I grow?

“Ordinary detergent and water, even a service station car wash, doesn’t fully remove the grime deposited by their chimneys and the car cleaners Castle Cement send out use an additional chemical.

“It makes me wonder if rinsing locally-grown fruit and vegetables under the tap is really adequate. I’m particularly worried for couples with young children.”

Stephen Banks, Stamford and District branch co-ordinator for Friends of the Earth, said: “I would share the concerns — there is good reason for being thorough in food preparation, particularly peeling if it is at all possible.

“You cannot use a detergent to clean your home-grown fruit and veg in the same way you can a car.”

Mr Banks said he was particularly concerned about the potential for the dust to ‘seep’ into some produce, like strawberries and other soft fruits, over a prolonged period.

But Alfred Wright, a prominent village horticulturalist, said his family had been eating home-grown vegetables for more than 50 years, without any adverse effects. (See CANK Note below)

He added: “I have to say that on one occasion when there was fallout from the works the dust burnt holes in my rose petals and leaves.”

Chairman of Ketton Parish Council Monty Andrew described the dust as ‘more of a nuisance than a hazard’. “I farm 250 acres of land and have sent off material from my combine to Rutland County Council for testing and they found no adverse material on it,” he added.

David Bagshaw, Castle Cement general manager, said:  “Cars are washed using the equivalent of synthetic lemon juice — a mild acid which is needed mainly to  avoid smearing rather than to remove dust.

“Over time the dust would be removed naturally by rainfall which is itself slightly acidic.

“The dust poses no risk whatsover to fruit and vegetables,” he added.

An application to extend the Castle Cement quarry will be considered by Rutland County Council later this year.

The company has controvened rules on the points from which dust can be released into the air, techniques used to minimise dust emissions and measures to prevent the release of cement kiln dust.

The notice requires the company to remove all spilled dust and debris from a road on the site by June 1, replace  weather-boards on conveyor systems by September 1, and install socks, or covers, on the cement kiln dust discharge system by May 20.

The company has completed the installation of covers to the agency’s satisfaction. The enforcement notice will remain in place until the agency is satisfied all the work has been completed.

Failure to complete the actions is an offence and would render the company liable to prosecution.

Gordan Holland, Environment Agency process industry regulation case officer, said it had provided Castle Cement with ‘an extensive list’ of additional work to address the issues arising from an inspection following the Bank Holiday weekend incident.

“These are presently being turned into a programme of work, progress against this will then become a corner stone of inspections over the coming months,” he added.

David Bagshaw, Castle Cement general manager, said:
“We acknowledge the deficiencies and will ensure the required remedial action is completed within the deadlines.

“We recognise dust emissions have been, and continue to be, a cause for concern for the community and we have made a number of improvements over recent years.

“Our commitment in this direction remains a strong one and we will keep the community informed of the measures we are taking.”

The identified breaches are all related to the cement manufacturing processes and not the quarrying operation.

Rutland County Council is awaiting a revised planning application from Castle Cement to extend its quarrying operation.

Cars, windows, washing and locally grown fruit and vegetables, can be covered with the powder when there are problems at the plant. To some people it is more of an inconvenience which they accept as a part of everyday life but others believe it damages property.

Jack Johnson woke up to find his car was covered in dust on Wednesday morning.

He said the latest fall-out was one of the worst he had ever seen, adding: “I have always been of the opinion that Castle Cement was here before I was and should accept it.But I have worked in the industry and know they can do something about the emissions.

 “Every time we have to wash the car and the windows. I have stopped asking them to come out and do it as it happens so often.”

Leslie Smith said: “We have to cover the car up now as it became terrible. If you spend seven, eight , nine thousand pounds on a car you don’t want this. Every time we wanted to go out we had to wash the car windscreen so we could see through it. It ’s even worse when it rains because it runs.”

Barry and Sue Hippey said: “The only time it really annoys us is when the washing is out. Thankfully it happens more in the night but when it does it is more of an inconvenience than anything.”

Chairman of Ketton Conservation Trust Les Blackburn said he was not surprised the Environment Agency is taking enforcement action. He said: “During the week before last, for five consecutive days there was a problem.

“The man who came to clean my car said he had done  more than 30 cars. One person I know was so concerned they moved out of the village. Our aim is not to stop them working, we just want them to stop emitting the dust. We want Castle to be a neighbour we can live with, not a neighbour from hell.”

Threat of legal action came before Mercury story about fallout

Castle Cement has been ordered to clean up its act or face legal action.

And the notice was served by the Environment Agency in the same week a Mercury story highlighted Ketton villagers’ fears about dust from the plant.

This week there was another major accidental release of cement dust from the plant, which is on Stamford’s doorstep, coating cars, roads and windows.

The company apologised to Ketton villagers after a processing problem at the works caused fallout on Wednesday.

The Environment Agency’s enforcement notice — issued on May 16 — demands the company carries out remedial works following breaches of three conditions of its operating procedures.

The decision to investigate Castle Cement’s site was made after unauthorised dust was released from the works over the Bank Holiday weekend earlier this month.

And the serving of the notice follows a series of warning letters from the agency about dust emissions from the site due to poor housekeeping.

The Environment Agency advised Castle Cement it was likely to be issued with the enforcement notice on May 11 and it was served five days later for contravening Integrated Pollution Control Authorisation regulations.