Air quality will be affected by a controversial waste treatment plant, if approved, a review has found.

Surrey Comet:

Concern: Campaigners address an earlier rally

Concern about strong odours and air quality have been repeatedly raised throughout the second application for Weylands Treatment Works.

The report, published on May 29 by Parsons Brinckerhoff, found "the development of this facility may significantly alter the character of the locality and potentially be detrimental to the amenity of the neighbourhood".

It concluded: "The application is deemed to be inadequate in terms of its assessment of odour and fails to follow best practice as set out in IAQM Odour Guidance."

At an Elmbridge Council meeting on April 13, Christine Ellera, senior planning officer, said: "If the council promotes this application and there are matter such as odours, us as a council will have to deal with any statutory complaints."

The environmental health team said they were concerned about the "lack of weight" given to the potential odour problems in the plans for the site in Molesey Road.

A spokesman said: "The lorries won't be airtight so some of the waste that they will be bringing will have a considerable odour to it. So if that gets stuck on the road on a summer's day then some of the people living nearby maybe subjected to odour."

A recommendation for refusal was sent to Surrey County Council due to concerns about the impact on air quality, highway safety and inadequate infrastructure, impact on local residents, businesses and greenbelt and land contamination.

The review of the application submitted to Surrey County Council was commissioned by Elmbridge Council environmental services to look at odour management, assessment and the proposed plans to get rid of bad smells.

It said: "These risks of loss of amenity and subsequent odour complaints are sufficiently high that the proposed sire is considered inappropriate for the development."