Protesters campaigning against the sludge plant before the decision

by Sam Lennon

Protesters have lost their long battle to stop a waste processing plant being built in their village.

County councillors today voted 14-3 in favour of Countrystyle's planning application for Otterpool Quarry at Sellindge, which had been recommended for approval by officers.

The decision was made after a highly charged three-hour debate.

Planning chairman Cllr Richard King later explained that councillors sympathised with the protestors' cause, but there were no planning grounds to turn the scheme down.

He said under the circumstances, it was the best result because turning it down would have meant Countrystyle could have appealed, the decison would have taken by a planning inspector and the county council would not have been able to impose the conditions that would help the residents, such as preventing lorries driving through the village.

A coachload of 55 protestors had gathered outside County Hall before the debate, chanting: "Don't dump on us."

Ronald Lello, chairman of Sellindge and District Residents' Association, said: "It is a great disappointment.

"This is a decision of formula over humanity. They rejected calls over the human effect of this and simply described that as emotion."

When the vote was cast one resident in the public gallery shouted: "Shame on you, a blight on all your houses."