The region’s emergency services have objected against a plan to build a food waste recycling centre next to their countryside headquarters.

West Mercia Police, Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue Service and Police and Crime Commissioner John Campion have joined together in submitting objections over a proposed food waste recycling site – a stone’s throw from their Hindlip Park headquarters.

The ‘anaerobic digestion facility’ would process around 48,500 tonnes of food waste every year and convert it into gas that can then be used to heat homes and businesses under plans by Stenergy.

In its objection, West Mercia Police said it feared that impurities from biogas created at the recycling centre could contaminate evidence and jeopardise court cases involving some of the county’s worst crimes.

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The force also feared the facility would prevent officers from training to use firearms because of the air quality.

Training for police dogs, which requires spaces with no overwhelming odours, could also be put at risk by the recycling plant, West Mercia Police said.

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The emergency services said Hindlip Park should be viewed as “critical national infrastructure” comparing its importance to any other army or RAF base.

Hindlip Park, which is home to police forensics, operations and communications, and training centres including firearms and police dogs, forms the joint base for the county’s police and fire services and is home to 1,500 staff serving not only Worcestershire but Herefordshire, Shropshire and Telford and Wrekin.

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Police and crime commissioner John Campion said: “It is disappointing to see that a planning application has been submitted for such a substantial site, with no regard for how the work carried out there will impact an operational police and fire headquarters.

“Within our objection we have made clear that we do not support these proposals unless clear evidence can be provided that would negate our concerns.”

The plan by Stenergy includes building several storage, digestion and water tanks as well as two new buildings for unpacking and pasteurising.

A new access round would also be built from Hindlip Lane.

The former Pershore Agricultural College has been empty for more than two decades.

An application to build a business park on the land was approved by Wychavon District Council in 2014 and again in 2018, but despite most of the older buildings being demolished, the work was never finished.