Who'll stand up for Scarisbrick as villagers enter one of the biggest fights of their life to prevent what one local's called 'the rape of the parish'?

The government? The local MP? The borough council? Councillors on the planning committee? Local parish councillors?

Locals will find out on Thursday when the might of a Korean corporation meets local planning laws with the application for a new mushroom factory (the locals' description, not mine) decided in the council chamber.

This was the scene yesterday on the busy B5242 when around 70 folk gathered to show just how they felt to chair. of the planning committee, former mayor Gaynar Owen and four other committee members who spent a good twenty minutes on site.

In her report to the committee, Heidi McDougall (the borough's Corporate Director of Place and Community) argues that allowing the expansion will keep jobs in the area and boost the local economy. If approved, Smithy Mushrooms Limited (SML) will be able to expand its business by buying adjacent land to build on.

The new building will extend to approximately 17,561m2 and would be accompanied by a car park with 58 spaces.

SML started as a small family business over 25 years ago and has grown to become a leading UK supplier of exotic mushrooms, including oyster, shiitake and coral. It supplies Marks and Spencer, Booths, and Tesco as well as major food service wholesalers and food processors and ready meal companies. It employs 38 full time staff and has an annual turnover of £5.6m but has exceeded capacity at its existing site and fears being squeezed out of the market if it cannot expand.

Hyundai has taken a stake in the business sensing that there will be a huge rise in demand for mushrooms - and that they can be grown in Scarisbrick.

John Herbert is a good friend of QLocal and speaking as a parish councillor - and not on behalf of the PC - asked reporter Roger Blaxall: "Has the world gone completely mad?

"Do we never learn when it comes to environmental destruction?

"This is unadulterated environmental vandalism in the pursuit of profit!

"There’s got to be a better way, how is covering this in concrete good for future generations?"

Whether his anger will cut much ice on Thursday night remains to be seen...

It’s a great business that needs to expand, that makes a nice change from those that are closing, the locals don’t like the smell of animal faeces and urine so dark you can almost see it, jobs will mostly all be foreign workers likely through agencies that are employed there, I know, I remember fawshaws mushroom site when it was operational.
I always felt sorry for the houses Very close to it, I couldn’t imagine ever opening the window or putting the washing out with that all day and night putrid smell.
I think an expanding business like this is to be applauded and supported and I wish it the best but you can’t go building a place like this anywhere near anybodies property or a village or anywhere like that, no wonder the locals are doing their nut.
The protesters signs are a bit off as I would have thoughts that mushroom farming was as environmentally friendly as it can get and the smell is the only real Pollution/reason not to want it in your backyard and that’s reason enough.
8 HGVs an hour that’s a bit of a wild claim as is making out the safety of children the community and wildlife will be at risk.
If they can find a site away from everyone they can stink as much as they want to their hearts content and do good business but if it’s affecting residents close by then allowing this would be letting the locals down, they would have to sit in the stink and no one would want to buy their house.
Shitake ha ha pisstake more like.

Like or dislike in all probability
it will happen. Its good to see
expansion, you it's coming. You
know someone will build 30+ houses
in the village in the next 5 or 10
years. No guaranteed all workers
will be foreign but we'll do our best
Don't see a major problem.

Originally Posted by ausard2

Like or dislike in all probability
it will happen. Its good to see
expansion, you it's coming. You
know someone will build 30+ houses
in the village in the next 5 or 10
years. No guaranteed all workers
will be foreign but we'll do our best
Don't see a major problem.

Are you normally drunk or on drugs when you compose your posts?

Donkey now we know why you're donkey and it's nothing
to do with your ingrowing appendage. It's lack of education.

Originally Posted by ausard2

Donkey now we know why you're donkey and it's nothing
to do with your ingrowing appendage. It's lack of education.

Ha ha, maybe you should take a quick refresher course on the correct use of English language and grammar before commenting on others educational shortcomings.

‘No guaranteed all workers
will be foreign but we'll do our best
Don't see a major problem.’
????????
Idiot.

Cliché writing is on
the wall.

Growing things on greenbelt meets the brief, vehicles collecting the produce is a normal operation.

The size is immaterial, the nationality of shareholders irrelevant, what one wonders are the valid planning objections ?

Surely someone round there who objects could rustle up a valid objection.

Growing spuds disrupts wildlife.

You'd think the locals would be glad for having a reasonable sized employer on their doorstep growing a product that is in demand and wanting to expand. Can't see any reason to object!

It sounds a classic case of countryside nimbyism, I just want two sheep and old Ted the farmer near me.

There was a mushroom farm there anyway until a few years ago so why is there so much animosity about an agricultural building in an agricultural area. I am sure the modern processes will be a lot more aromatic than the last one was.

I suppose most of the objection comes from town dwellers who have moved into the area and this doesn't fit their agenda.