A CONTROVERSIAL asphalt plant has been granted planning permission, despite months of protest from villagers.

However, Hampshire county councillors have said the MIcheldever plant must not be environmentally damaging or it will be shut down.

Hampshire County Council, which was both the determining authority and applicant, gave the plant a five-year temporary lease and attached multiple operating conditions.

These include light pollution prevention, noise, dust and odour prevention and a nature conservation condition - to protect dormice.

This comes after locals protested their fears that the rejuvenation of the plant would damage their health and lead to issues including lorries cutting through the village and other impacts to the local environment.

Micheldever parish councillor John Botham, who was at the forefront of the protests, said he was disappointed by the decision, but happy with the conditions.

“There were a great deal of people, including me, that were disappointed that the application was permitted,” admitted Cllr Botham.

“However, they have given the plant a five-year monitored lease, which means they have to follow the rules.  “The point is we want to be really, really objective and we will be there to scrutinise if they put a foot out of line.”

The site currently houses a county council-owned asphalt plant which has laid dormant since 2005.

Last autumn residents saw off plans for an anaerobic digester, with the support of the county council. But, just a few months later, the council applied to modernise an asphalt plant just 200 metres down the road from the previously-denied digester.

Dever Society chairman Douglas Paterson is still concerned that the plant will be intrusive to neighbours.

He said yesterday: “We won't really know until the thing is built whether it will be intrusive or not.

“But the council has imposed some very sensible conditions to protect us. We have some comfort that this plant will be closely monitored and it will not take the area for granted.”

The decision to permit the plant was made at a county council Regulatory Committee meeting on Wednesday, March 16.

Hampshire County Council was contacted for a statement, but one was not received in time for publication.