FAMILIES in Astwood Bank have only until next week to air their fears over round-the-clock burning of dead animals next to a school.

An application for a licence to operate a carcass incinerator in Popes Lane, near Astwood Bank First School, has been submitted to Redditch Council.

Planning permission for the burner, which would include a 12-metre chimney, was granted by a Government inspector on appeal after being refused by Redditch councillors a decade ago.

Environmental health officers now have until November 1 to make a decision on the licence.

The operators intend to have the incinerator on site within the next few weeks.

Chairman of Governors at Astwood Bank First School Dr John Cassidy said: "The notice applying for the licence has been made during the school holidays and because of that, we've not been able to get together a co-ordinated campaign.

"We're concerned about the environmental impact and although it will comply with health and safety rules, we want to know how it's going to be monitored.

"We also want to know what will happen to the emissions from the incinerator, which will be just 180 metres from the playing field."

Dr Cassidy, who has one child at the school, said people needed to write to the environmental health department to raise their objections.

He added parents also wanted the council to a call a public meeting so the application could be explained.

Popes Lane Byproducts director Martin Wharmby said the development would be well within Environmental Protection Act guidelines.

Mainly cattle, sheep and horses which had died on farms would be burned but he could not rule out that some might be diseased or infected.