A waste firm has been accused of riding roughshod over planning rules by building a huge recycling plant without permission.

The steel-clad facility has been erected over more than an acre of the vast Shelford landfill site off Shalloak Road in Canterbury, sparking fears of extra noise, traffic and unpleasant smells.

Operator Valencia says the plant - known as a material recovery facility (MRF) - will process 150,000 tonnes of waste a year, sifting out recyclables that would otherwise end up in the ground.

But residents are concerned the operation will increase pollution and the number of lorries heading to and from the site.

They also claim there has been a lack of public consultation over the MRF, saying “hardly anyone knows about it”.

News of its erection emerged in a retrospective application for the facility, which stands 11.5 metres high and covers an area of more than 4,000 square metres.

Work on the building started in late 2023 and is now complete. The subsequent planning application, submitted in December last year, is still awaiting the approval of Kent County Council and a permit from the Environment Agency (EA).

It will process commercial and industrial waste heading for landfill, with special technology used to extract recyclable material such as wood, metal, plastic and glass to be shipped away in 20-tonne bulkers and sold.

Any waste liable to decay will bypass the MRF and be buried as normal.

Dr Magz Hall, who lives on the nearby Hales Place estate, has started a petition to block what she says is an “entirely inappropriate” proposal.

“Obviously, we are not against recycling, but are against any additional commercial use and further expansion of Shelford,” she said.

“The plan does not fully consider the health implications of pollution from additional lorries, dust, noise and air, as well as water table pollution and potential fire hazards at the site.”

Highlighting previous complaints about unpleasant odours blighting the lives of locals, she added: “The existing issues of longstanding emissions should be the priority, rather than introducing additional potential hazards.”

Dr Hall, who is a senior lecturer at Canterbury Christ Church University’s School of Creative Arts and Industries, also hit out at Valencia for starting the work without planning permission and not properly consulting with residents.

“It’s quite alarming that Valencia has actually finished building it without planning permission or an EA permit, effectively riding roughshod over something so serious and only now submitting a retrospective application,” she said.

When Valencia bought the site from Viridor in 2022, it says it was advised there was already planning permission for an MRF - granted 25 years before - and that to build it only required a minor application to amend the design.

Grant Scott, planning agent for Valencia, explained that because an MRF was included in a planning approval in 1997 for the extension of landfill operations, which was implemented, permission for the recycling building remained “in perpetuity” as part of that consent.

However, when it was found the MRF building needed to be relocated elsewhere on the site and was bigger, a fresh application for the building was deemed necessary.

But before it secured fresh approval, Valencia admits it “regrettably” started the work late last year to make use of a pre-ordered steel frame building that had been destined for another site where planning permission had yet to be granted.

It says if the order had not been delivered the firm “would have incurred significant financial impediments from the manufacturer”.

As a result, Valencia decide to “expedite” the Shelford scheme and start building the MRF before applying for the design changes, only to run into a stumbling block when they realised there was a high-voltage cable above the location approved in 1997.

It says this “necessitated an amendment to the original location”, adding: “As a result of this it was then considered prudent to update the design to accommodate modern recycling infrastructure.”

Canterbury City Council’s cabinet member for climate change and biodiversity, Cllr Mel Dawkins, says it is “disappointing” work started before permission was secured.

“I fully appreciate why residents, especially those near the site, are concerned,” said the Labour member, whose St Stephen's ward borders Shelford.

“I will be keeping a close watch on this application and will want to know that, if approved, it comes with stringent conditions on vehicle movements and minimising any pollution.”

Valencia is still awaiting a permit for the MRF from the EA but expects the facility to be up and running “in the coming months”, with strict processes in place to cut any pollution.

It says there will be no issue with dust as “the recycling will take place within the confines of a building and therefore dust will be contained”.

“The proposed development looks to divert waste heading for landfill to be recycled, thereby creating a more environmentally friendly and sustainable solution…..”

It has also dismissed fears the MRF will cause unpleasant smells, saying none of the waste will be liable to decay and will be turned around within 72 hours to “minimise the risks of odour and vermin”.

Additionally, Valencia says it does not expect any significant change to the amount of waste arriving at the site, but concedes there will be additional lorry trips to remove the recyclable material.

However, planning papers only show the number of vehicles expected to collect metal, wood, plastic and glass - at 160 a month, or almost one an hour.

Valencia’s director of finance and business development, Paul Ringham, says the MRF project is a multi-million-pound investment in the site and will create up to 12 new jobs.

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“It’s good news because we will be able to remove materials that currently arrive at the site but should not be going into landfill,” he said.

“It will increase recycling rates, but we do not anticipate upping the current volume of waste we are already receiving.

“The impact on traffic movements will be immaterial and it is better for the environment as we are recycling more.

“Not only is Valencia removing waste from going into landfill, but also creating additional jobs and investing in the local supply chain during the construction phase.”