COUNTY councillors have passed a planning application that could allow fuel made from dead animals to be burnt at a Clitheroe factory.

Blood, bones, hooves, horns and feathers are all used to make the Animal Waste Derived Fuel (AWDF) which is due to be used at Castle Cement.

The company was granted planning permission to carry out the work necessary to burn the fuel at a meeting of the County Council's development control committee yesterday.

But management at the factory, in West Bradford Road, are still waiting to hear if the Government's Environment Agency will allow them to use the fuel for a trial period.

Castle's Clitheroe plant will be the first site in the country to use the animal waste fuel if permission is granted.

The meeting at County Hall heard how the fuel will be used as a substitute for coal in one of the kilns at the cement plant.

A council report said that in recent years the factory has been granted permission to burn other alternative fuels. These include cemfuel, made from solvents, paint, ink and waste oils and shredded tyres.

The report also said an 12 extra HGV wagons every day would be needed to deliver the amount of fuel necessary.

Ribble Valley Council leader Chris Holtom, said residents were worried that the plant was turning into a waste disposal centre. He added: "It is a question that is asked of me on a daily basis.

"In recent years we have had two applications, one of which included burning shredded car tyres. The question that is asked of me is, are we starting to use this kiln for another purpose and are we moving into the realms of waste disposal.

"I would like to be assured that the Environment Agency is going to be watching this very closely."

In response, planning officer Stuart Perido said: "Should a future application be received to burn an alternative fuel we would always assess the situation."

Residents from Clitheroe were due to speak at the meeting yesterday but failed to turn up. Despite concerns from councillors, the application was given unanimous support.

Ribble Valley North councillor Albert Atkinson, was given assurances by planning officers that there was no risk of the waste polluting the nearby River Ribble.

Now, if the Environment Agency grants permission for the fuel to be used, a tanker-loading area and a storage silo and extraction system will be installed at the plant.

Gareth Price, general manager at the Ribblesdale works, said: "We are very pleased that the council has given permission for the work to be carried out.

"However, we keenly await the decision on the use of AWDF from the Environment Agency."