RESIDENTS are up in arms about plans for an equine incinerator in Waterlane.

The facility would be at Fourways Farm in Waterlane and will used to cheaply and efficiently disposing of dead animals, mainly horses.

It is a part of a series of changes to the farm over the last few years that have included the demolition of two out of three dilapidated buildings that housed pigs, with the rearing unit replaced by a workshop and store with new vehicular access and track.

Permission has also been granted by Stroud District Council to replace the one remaining pig shed with a modern livestock building.

Fourways Farm was purchased by Dr Tim Watson and Susan Williams in August 2011.

It has previously been a pig farm and comprised of a bungalow in need of repair and upgrading, an assortment of farm buildings in varying stages of dilapidation and around 15 acres of overgrown and unmaintained pasture land.

The bungalow has since been renovated and the pasture returned to grazing cattle, sheep and horses.

Dr Watson is an equine veterinary surgeon by profession and established the practice Waterlane Equine Vets in 2013.

Horses are visited at the owner’s premises rather than at the practice.

He serves clients in Gloucestershire and north Wiltshire.

The practice was initially run from the bungalow at Fourways Farm but with growth to include a practice manager and second veterinary surgeon has relocated into the workshop unit built in the farmyard.

In a supporting statement Dr Watson gave some further detail on the plans.

He said: “Further diversification is planned with the installation of a low capacity horse carcass incinerator and the creation of a service for the collection and disposal of horses that die or are euthanised.

“This will fulfil an urgent need for such a facility in the local area.

“Current equine disposal services are either based at hunt kennels (Cotswold, VWH) or collect horses that are taken to the Pet Crematorium at Tewkesbury (and then on to their facility in Cambridge) or are stored locally and collected weekly for processing at rendering plants.

“There is an equine cremation facility at Fosse Cross but this only takes horses for individual cremation at a cost of £700-800 compared with £240-360 charged by other services.

“Our plan is to offer a local and more cost effective collection and cremation service, thereby providing owners with complete peace of mind and avoiding the uncertainty that can surrounds their horse’s fate once it has died or been euthanased.

“It is proposed that the incinerator will be housed in one of the existing buildings at Fourways Farm and will be fully compliant with Defra regulations.”

In a series of questions in his statement, Dr Watson said that it would run at night but it is odourless.

There is a lot of concern regarding the plans, with some saying that they are worried about the smell it may produce, the noise it could make and the pollution it may cause.

David Emms said: “As a local resident I do not feel that this venture is necessary or appropriate for the location proposed.

“Our community is already well served by several other facilities within a 12-mile radius.

“I feel that this venture is better suited for an industrial location.

“This animal incinerator poses the risk of waste spillage, noise pollution, a continuous odour risk and a potential negative impact on local property values.”

Jane Curzon said: “A horse incinerator with a 20 hours cycle is an industrial piece of equipment. Waterlane is not an industrial area.

“There is an incinerator in Gloucestershire in an industrial estate and that is where they should be sited.

“The idea that this is an attractive idea because it will be significantly cheaper and horse owners from outside the area would welcome it is laughable.

“Horse owning is expensive and the idea that horse owners are keen on a bargain when a horse dies is not a reason to cause local residents this type on inconvenience and distress.”

Although it is a concern for some people, there is support for the incinerator.

Pixie Thomas from Chalford said: “As a former International Event Rider with a large string of horses based in the neighbouring village of Chalford, I whole heartily agree with the proposals to site an equine incinerator at Waterlane to serve the local community where there is no other local facility of this kind.

“Losing a horse / friend / team mate, is stressful and agonising enough besides then having limited options for their disposal.

“I was deeply shocked and upset to hear that horses who had been collected for cremation were being left for days in a pile to rot before being collected again to be disposed of.

“Others we have sent directly to Tewkesbury, a good 25 miles away.

“Ultimately we live in the countryside, full of farming infrastructure, large machinery and farm buildings and the proposed incinerator is far less intrusive than many other existing farming facilities.

“As a professional rider / trainer and also a resident of the local area (Chalford / Chalford Hill) for the past 28 years, I feel the addition of this incinerator facility is much needed and gains my complete support.”

Click here to see the planning application on the Gloucestershire County Council website.