PLANS to build two composting plants in the north Essex countryside have both been binned.

The company behind plans to build one of Britain’s biggest green waste facilities on Birch Airfield has announced it is withdrawing its proposals.

The news came as the same company was refused permission for a more modest food waste processing centre at Fairfields Farm, in Fordham Road, Wormingford, for a second time.

Birch Airfield Composting Services had applied to Essex County Council for permission to use farmland in Wormingford for a plant capable of composting 8,000 tonnes of green waste a year.

It turned the company down on the grounds the plant would have been too big and amounted to inappropriate development for such a rural site.

Dr Russell Cowan, chairman of community organisation Residents Against Skip Hire, which led villagers’ protests, welcomed the decision.

He said: “We are not against the principle, but because of the impact on the countryside, lorry movements and the amount of activity which could develop in the future, we opposed the location.

“We are very pleased with the result, but not that surprised, because the application was not very different to the one refused in October.

“The main difference was a change from 10,000 tonnes a year to 8,000 tonnes.

“What was particularly concerning was the company intending to take most of its waste for composting – 5,000 tonnes – from Tendring.”

The Birch Airfield proposal has been withdrawn by the company after drawing strong objections from Colchester Council.

Jim and Katie Strathern, owners of Birch Airfield Composting Services, wanted to replace their existing open-air green waste composting facility with a modern anaerobic digestion plant.

The new facility would have had the capacity to compost 25,000 tonnes of waste into farm fertiliser and generate enough electrical power to run 800 homes.

Campaigners collected 700 signatures on a petition against plans.

They raised concerns about the size of the plant, the potential for extra noise, smell and vermin, and extra traffic bringing waste to the site.

Andrew Ellis, Colchester councillor for Birch, said: “Local people are delighted. “They had serious concerns over the potential impact and the volume of traffic.

“I am convinced it would have been refused by Essex County Council.

“The concern remains they may re-submit and if they do, the community will re-examine it.”

No one from Birch Airfield Composting Services was available to comment.