Airfield could become 'wasteland', locals warn

Villagers are taking legal action to prevent a historic airfield from being "turned into a wasteland".

Towens of Weston has a permit to use Westonzoyland Airfield, near Bridgwater, Somerset, as the base for its "recycled aggregates" business and for storing soil, rubble and other "inert waste" for processing.

Westonzoyland Parish Council has launched a legal challenge to stop the Environment Agency (EA) from expanding this permit, citing the impact on local health and wildlife.

Towens has not responded to a request for comment. The EA said it was unable to comment due to the legal proceedings.

Parish councillor Liz Parfitt said: "Westonzoyland Airfield is being turned into a wasteland, with ugly, dusty, smelly piles of waste soil, compost, demolition rubble, stone chippings and other materials being stockpiled dangerously close to sensitive conservation areas.

"Our health, wildlife and village are under threat."

Towens, which is based in Weston-super-Mare, secured planning permission from Somerset Council in June 2024 to store up to 85,000 tonnes of soil and other materials for up to three years.

The soil would have been primarily sourced from greenfield developments in the wider Bridgwater area, with much of the material being used to enhance the Southlake Moor, Curry Moor and Westmoor flood prevention reservoirs.

The parish council lodged a judicial review against the plans shortly after this decision was made, which was successfully upheld by the High Court in October 2024, quashing the county council's decision.

This latest legal challenge concerns the EA's plans to allow the amount of inert waste being processed on the site to "increase four-fold", to a maximum of 200,000 tonnes per year.

Parfitt said: "The airfield has been described by others as resembling a battlefield, with convoys of HGVs thundering through the village, dust polluting the air and waste polluting the rhynes."

The parish council is seeking to raise an initial target of £1,000 to pay for legal advice and "expert reports", allowing it to make a formal response to the ongoing EA consultation.

If this target is reached, the council will aim to raise a further £10,000 towards the costs of a full judicial review.

Follow BBC Somerset on Facebook and X. Send your story ideas to us on email or via WhatsApp on 0800 313 4630.