ONE of the country s largest recycling companies has been ordered to stop its operations in Shefford early in the New Year. Cleanaway Ltd currently operates a facility for bulk storage of glass and paper collected from kerbsides in Hertfordshire on the Sh

ONE of the country's largest recycling companies has been ordered to stop its operations in Shefford early in the New Year.

Cleanaway Ltd currently operates a facility for bulk storage of glass and paper collected from kerbsides in Hertfordshire on the Shefford Business Park.

But members of Bedfordshire County Council's development control committee recently heard the company had been operating at the site without planning permission.

The council has now slapped an enforcement notice on Cleanaway Ltd which halts the recycling operation from January 2.

Before the committee's meeting at the end of November, Cleanaway Ltd had been warned that if planning permission was refused enforcement proceeds might be undertaken by the council to halt the operation.

Planning officers had also recommended that county councillors reject an application for the renewal of temporary planning permission for the facility.

Councillors heard in a report that the county planning authority and Mid Beds District Council had received a number of complaints from nearby residents regarding noise.

They were also informed that Cleanaway Ltd had been operating at the site without planning permission since August and despite being told it was only a temporary facility the company had failed to show they had found or had been looking for any alternative site.

Cllr John Scott, county councillor responsible for economic growth, said: "Cleanaway Ltd was granted temporary planning permission a year ago for storage of recycled glass. This allowed time to assess the noise impact from the site on local residents.

"However, over the past year there have been noise problems. Not surprisingly councillors at the development control commit unanimously decided to refuse an extension of planning permission and asked for enforcement proceedings to begin immediately to have the site closed."

The county council have now confirmed that Cleanaway Ltd was issued with an enforcement notice on November 30 and all vehicles must stop carrying materials to the Shefford site from January 2 onwards.

A spokesman for the company said: "We are currently taking advice on the planning application.