Plans for housing at ‘horror movie’ mill site dropped

Eyesore plant used to process infected cattle

Controversial proposals to build a housing estate at an abandoned animal rendering plant outside Canterbury have been dropped following years of planning.

Thruxted Mill, which has been likened to a “horror movie setting”, was previously used to process cattle infected with BSE, known as mad cow disease.

The site, near Chartham, has stood empty for about 15 years, with there being widespread concern that the ground remains contaminated.

But developers eyed up the seven-acre plot for housing, and Trevor Heathcote - the man behind numerous companies, including Countrystyle Recycling - devised a scheme to build a 20-home estate.

The proposals were granted outline planning permission in 2018 by Ashford Borough Council, but a legal challenge from resident Camilla Swire halted the project’s progress.

And now, three years after gaining the go-ahead, Mr Heathcote has withdrawn the application.

The bid proved divisive during the planning process, but former Secretary of State for Housing, Robert Jenrick, determined an environmental impact assessment (EIA) into potential land contamination was not necessary.

However, a legal challenge was launched and a High Court judge found the minister lacked “expert evidence” in reaching his decision. The ruling was therefore overturned and an EIA was required.

Now, 18 months down the line, the application has been pulled - without any sign of an impact statement being submitted.

A decision notice from this month signed by Ashford council’s head of planning, Simon Cole, states how no further action will be taken due to the bid being “withdrawn at the applicant’s request”.

It is not known if the developer is considering a revised application or if the project is now dead in the water. The planning agents for the scheme did not respond to a request for comment.

Thruxted Mill was one of just four locations in the UK authorised to dispose of carcasses infected with BSE as mad cow disease crippled cattle numbers in the late 1990s.

Nearby residents had long complained about the smell and lorries bringing dead livestock to the site, with reports of piles of carcasses regularly being dumped in the yard area.

Back in 2018, it was estimated that the cost for developers to properly disinfect the Penny Pot Lane site would total £1.75 million.

Councillors recognised how the old mill “has the most dreadful legacy” and looked favourably upon the idea of giving it a rebirth as a housing development.

But with the plans now withdrawn, it seems the neglected site will remain an eyesore with an uncertain future.

Trevor Heathcote was behind the plans for Thruxted Mill

How the proposed housing estate would have looked

The Thruxted Mill site has sat empty for 15 years