NEARLY 1,000 Brierley Hill residents have lodged objections against controversial new plans for a massive indoor recycling centre in Brierley Hill.

Clean Power Properties resubmitted its plan to turn an old railway site and steel terminal off Moor Street into a state-of-the-art energy conversion centre at the end of August after Dudley Council planners refused an initial application in summer 2013.

Members of the 'Say No tO the Waste site' campaign have handed in 894 letters of opposition to Dudley Council; and more than 70 residents have also written to the council or lodged objections on the authority's online planning portal.

SNOW* spokesman Tim Lee said: "The original planning application made by Clean Power Properties Limited and Network Rail Infrastructure Limited, which was subsequently abandoned following Clean Power's abortive appeal, attracted letters of opposition from over 300 residents.

"The new application has attracted, to date, letters from nearly 1,000 residents - over three times the number - who are implacably opposed to the plans."

Members of SNOW* say the facility is too close to nearby homes and schools and they fear at worst it could blow up and at least it would lead to noise and odour pollution problems and a major increase in lorries on the roads.

Staff at nearby Brockmoor Primary School, Hawbush Primary School and The Wordsley School say the extra heavy traffic could jeopardise the safety of pupils walking to school and they are worried the site could encourage families to move from the area and discourage aspirational, middle-class parents from moving in.

The campaigners have also outlined fears that up to 400,000 tonnes of waste could eventually be recycled at the proposed plant after discovering land disposal documents relating to a 250-year lease deal between Network Rail and Clean Power, which stipulate a new railhead/freight terminal must be built by the time of the facility's opening.

They fear this could lead to waste being brought in from other areas by rail.

Clean Power chiefs have declined to comment on the deal with Network Rail but Environment Agency bosses say the creation of a new railhead/freight terminal would not be covered by the permit currently applied for by the firm nor any significant change to the amount of waste due to processed.

The energy company has, however, stated its revised application for planning permission should address concerns about odours escaping from the plant as it would include an advanced internal airlock system to fully seal the facility as vehicles enter.

Clean Power bosses say their proposal represents a "very significant waste and recycling investment in Brierley Hill" which would prevent further land-filling and waste burning.

They've also stressed more than 30 skilled and technical jobs would be created and the construction programme would generate work for more than 150 people.

SNOW* members, however, say in their objection letter to the council: "There is no evidence that there would be significant job creation for residents local to the site."

A spokesman for Dudley Council said: “Planning officers will make a recommendation for refusal or approval of the application in the coming weeks before the matter goes before a future development control meeting later in the year.”