Villagers angry over lorry traffic using Saltby Airfield site

Landowner, Great Oakley Farms, has been collecting straw from local farms and storing and distributing it from there since August 2018.

It is exported to a straw-burning power station at Sleaford but some is also used for agricultural purposes, such as animal bedding but the operators have been served with two Planning Contravention Notices by Melton Borough Council.

Dozens of villagers living near the airfield have registered objections to the retrospective planning application, with many voicing concerns over the volume of lorry traffic accessing the site ruining their quality of life.

They cite the noise, dust and the road safety dangers as reasons for the operation to be an inappropriate use of the site in a rural location.

Sproxton Parish Council also object, commenting: “We still object fundamentally, because of the number of loaded HGV vehicles this brings down Main Street, then Saltby Road into Croxton Kerrial.

"All of which results in excessive the noise, vibrations and dust from these extremely large vehicles which is a nuisance that stops the residents on Saltby Road, Mill Lane and Main Street enjoying the amenity space in their homes and gardens for a large part of the year, especially the summer.”

Leicestershire County Council highways does not oppose the operation because it says there would not be a major detrimental impact on road safety and the local road network. The applicants say there would be 40 daily HGV movements on average.