Concern at animal carcasses being cut up near to cemetery

Wychavon district councillor John Grantham said he was concerned meat processing at a business called James The Fish could take place when mourners were visiting.

The problem was raised during a discussion about whether to take enforcement action against two small extensions added without permission to a building at Orchard Farm, Three Springs Road, Pershore.

The company uses the existing building to store and pack frozen meat, fish, poultry and vegetarian products but a recent visit by council officers revealed two extensions, one of which could be used for ancillary meat processing purposes.

The company’s owner was invited to put in a retrospective planning application for the extensions but has not done so.

However, officers said they felt the extensions and the ancillary meat processing use were acceptable and recommended no enforcement action be taken against the business.

However, Coun Grantham said: “It’s very close to the boundary wall (with the cemetery).

“It’s administered by the War Graves Commission.

“There is a large number of Canadian airmen buried in that cemetery.

“There is a war memorial used twice a year to celebrate the lives of those people killed during the war.

“I can envisage a situation where just over the boundary where that war memorial is, and where you have people buried, you are going to get lorries coming with meat caracasses being refrigerated and cut up with electrical saws.”

Coun Anna Mackison said: “I get very twitchy about buildings being put up without planning permission and the message it sends out when they get away with it.”

Coun Charles Tucker said he believed the extensions represented an “intensification” of the business, although officers said that was not the case.

Councillors voted to defer the decision for two council cycles to allow the owner of James The Fish time to submit a planning application before pursuing enforcement action.

No one from James The Fish was available to comment.