RESIDENTS in Wellington Drive and Ferozeshah Road, Devizes, claim Kennet councillors have steam rollered through a plan for a recycling centre in Horton Road, just yards from their homes.

Councillors unanimously voted to raise no objections to the plan at a meeting last Thursday and said they found no reason to object to the application by Hills Waste, despite an angry public meeting where more than 150 residents opposed it.

Coun Jenny Combe told Thursday's meeting: "I came away from the public meeting feeling bruised and battered, the feeling against this plan was so strong.

"Residents are worried about the noise, rubbish being dumped out of hours and the increase in traffic along Horton Road," she said.

"Tamura Hinchley put an end to a previous plan to site it at Hopton Industrial Estate by saying they would put a stop to further development. Why are residents less important than Tamura Hinchley?

"Would you like this centre a stone's throw from your gardens?"

Coun Ray Taylor said: "I hope we all agree that the centre is an excellent facility wherever it is located. I cannot see any serious argument against Horton Road.

"It is a brownfield site, an industial site, and modern plant eliminates any degree of environmental nuisance. If residents are concerned about dumping, the answer is to install CCTV."

Wellington Drive resident Gordon Wallace said after the meeting: "We had a feeling right from the word go that the decision had already been made.

"Horton Road is too narrow. This scheme will bring an extra 450 cars along the road and it is only a matter of time before there is a fatal accident.

"Kennet is under pressure from the county council to get this through. The councillors are the people we have elected and they are not listening to us.

"It seems this is being steamrollered through and I don't know what we can do to fight it. We are not against the centre as such, but the road is a death trap."