A LOCAL protester has been blamed for a delay of up to a year on £8million investment plans for Castle Cement's Clitheroe plant.

The firm has claimed the "scaremongering tactics" of protesters for the decision by the Welsh Assembly to hold a public inquiry into a planned expansion of a sister plant in Padeswood, North Wales.

The £8million investment at the Ribblesdale works had been dependent on the Padeswood scheme getting the go-ahead.

Angry Castle Cement bosses say the delay at Padeswood could mean the investment programme at Clitheroe being put off for up to a year.

"A small group of protesters at Padeswood, supported by one Ribble Valley protester, have used scaremongering tactics to frighten the local and surrounding communities about our plans," said Castle Cement production director Peter Weller.

"They have made false accusations that emissions will increase and will travel over great distances. It is disgraceful that such claims have continued to be used to frighten people into opposing our plans." Castle say the allegations over emissions were based on evidence by a Dr Van Steenis - someone which the firm say the protest group at Padeswood has now dissociated itself from.

The firm said the investment programme at Ribblesdale would mean improvements in environmental performance and production efficiency.

The company had initially planned to invest £15million at Ribblesdale, which would have seen an increase in production on its dry kiln. But an expected fall in demand for cement clinker saw the plans scaled down. Overall production capacity would fall, with wet kilns five and six being mothballed.

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