Site visit on change of use to distillery and biofuels plant

Members of Herefordshire Council's northern area planning sub-committee meeting have agreed to hold a site visit over plans by Tyrells crisp company to create a potato vodka distillery at Rosemaund Farm, Preston Wynne.

Tyrells, based at Stretford Bridge, Leominster, are seeking planning permission for the change of use from warehousing to a distillery and biofuels plant at Rosemaund Farm, Rosemaund Drive, Preston Wynne. They also want to create a new vehicular access.

Councillors meeting on Wednesday, November 14 agreed to have a site visit.

Rosemaund Farm is currently used by ADAS as a research and development centre.

The plan is for Tyrells to change the use of a hop kiln within the farmyard into a distillery to produce potato vodka and it would be the first commercial distillery in Herefordshire for many years.

A by-product of the distillation process would create methanol and the scheme also includes a facility for the production of bio-diesel. A 15.5 metre high distillation tower would be erected.

Herefordshire Council's principal tourism officer supported the plans as "an excellent diversification scheme".

Felton Parish Council objected to the scheme, concerned about the number of vehicles accessing the site and about the change of use from agricultural to commercial. Withington Parish Council also expressed concerns about traffic and highway safety.

Twenty one letters of objection were received from local residents concerned about highway safety and emissions from the distillation tower. A petition signed by 29 people has also been received, concerned about increased traffic movements.

In support of the application, councillors were told around 80 people are currently employed on the site by ADAS. The distillery would have a capacity of 3,600 bottles per week.

It would be planned to deliver waste sunflower oil from Tyrells Potato Chips to the site once a week for conversion into bio-diesel which will be used to run a generator for the distillery and to run farm vehicles.