Villagers wanting a decision on whether a controversial abattoir can be forced to stop operating face another wait.
A call was made last month for Redcar and Cleveland Council to end operations at Banaras Halal Meats’ slaughterhouse in Boosbeck amid claims residents are living in a “nightmare”.
The authority’s regulatory committee was asked to impose a Section 102 “discontinuance notice”.
But councillors on the committee voted to pass the issue on to the council’s Cabinet to make a decision after it was claimed that granting the order “could cost millions” in compensation.
The decision to refer angered some villagers, with campaigner Neville Brown claiming it was a delaying tactic.
And now next week’s Cabinet meeting will be urged NOT to make a decision yet because of the complexities and possible cost implications of issuing such an order.
Members will instead be urged to defer any decision relating to the abattoir site “until a report setting out all relevant options and considerations is prepared for consideration at a later meeting.”
A report, to be considered at Tuesday’s Cabinet meeting, admits: “It is very clear that some form of resolution regarding the ongoing issues with the abbatoir site needs to be achieved as soon as possible.”
But director of corporate resources Richard Frankland argues the issues are so complex - and potentially costly - that a new, full report addressing all the issues needs to be drawn up before a decision is made on whether to go for a Section 102 order.
A Section 102 order can require that buildings or works can be altered or removed, conditions on land use can be imposed or even that the use of the land should cease.
The three main issues, the report says, are:
• Doubts as to whether a 102 order can be “legally justified”.
• Fears that serving a Section 102 order may entitle the site owner to “a substantial amount of compensation”
• There may be other ways of tackling the problem “which would be less onerous, both financially and practically, for both the council and other parties.”
Recommending the compilation of a “full and comprehensive report”, Cabinet members will be told: “Whilst it is appreciated this will inevitably involve some delay, it would be preferable for delay to be incurred in ensuring that the council acts on a sure legal footing, rather than make a decision without knowledge of the full facts and then to suffer delay through litigation.”
In the meantime, the report adds, “it is proposed to engage with the residents of Boosbeck in order to ensure that all issues regarding the site are properly evidenced, recorded and assessed, and that the collation of new information can be achieved in a coordinated and accessible way.”
The Cabinet meets on Tuesday at the Redcar and Cleveland Leisure and Community Heart in Ridley Street, Redcar.
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HERE
We say:
Yet again this slaughterhouse is in the news, and yet again we read that the council is ignoring residents concerns and wont take action over this HALAL abbatoir (and all because of costs).
Well we wonder how much it would cost the council for them to police an EDL regional demo there?
If they keep ignoring the residents of that area then they will soon find out.
