Composting site plan is approved

The current tip at Cilgwyn is due to close in 2008

A new composting facility in Gwynedd to process kitchen and garden waste has been approved by the council.

Protestors fear developing the site for composting is the first step to the site being used for general waste.

The site at Clynnog Fawr, between Pwllheli and Caernarfon was used as a waste tip in the past.

Gwynedd Council need to find an alternate location for waste because the present tip at Cilgwyn near Caernarfon will close in 2008.

Earlier on Monday, a protest at the Clynnog site coincided with a site visit by local councillors in advance of a planning committee meeting in Pwllheli.

The fear is that building a compost unit will open the door to future land filling in the area Owain Williams, Gwynedd councillor

The Dwyfor area planning committee approved plans for a composting facility at Llwyn Isaf, Clynnog Fawr.

The development will house composting equipment to deal with 5,000 tonnes of kitchen and green waste annually.

"The fear is that building a compost unit will open the door to future land filling in the area," said local councillor Owain Williams.

He added that some local people were also worried about the composting unit itself as they felt they did not know enough about it.

Protester Mary Jones said: "That one will be turning from six in the morning till six in the night. You'll have a noise all through the night, so they say at the planning in Dwyfor anyway.

"If you give in for one, you'll open the door for everything."

The council said following the meeting any future proposal to open a landfill site at Clynnog would need a separate planning application.