Two Councillors Reveal They Are Consultants to Omega as they Consider Planning Application

Members of Penrith Town Council planning committee meeting on Monday evening have voted to object to plans for the construction of a 25 meter chimney stack at the Omega Proteins factory.

As the meeting got underway two members of the town council planning committee declared an interest in the planning application stating that they were both acting as consultants to the Leo group outside of their roles as town councillors but both councillors took part in the debate on the application at the town council planning committee meeting.

Cllr Shepherd – Libdem Councillor for Penrith East and former Town Mayor and Cllr D Jayson – Libdem Councillor for Penrith North said they were both consultants on a pro bono basis for the Leo Group who owns the Omega factory providing advice and technical support based on their professional experience and knowledge.


The application for the Installation of a new 25 meter tall chimney stack at the Omega Proteins site was originally submitted to Westmorland and Furness Council in March 2024. The application sets out the company plans for the installation of the 25 meter tall metal chimney stack to serve a new gas thermal oxidiser at the Penrith factory.


The new chimney to be located at the rear of a large trailer shed constructed in 2019 to the north of the site located between Greystoke road and Mile Lane.

A company representative submitting the application to Westmorland and Furness council said “Omega Proteins is pursuing a programme of substantial investment in the Penrith plant to ensure the continued resilience of the business, provide support for safe working practices and to deliver continued environmental compliance and renewal of buildings, process lines and odour abatement systems.”

“The chimney stack detailed in this application is needed to serve a new gas-powered thermal oxidiser - oxidiser B - which is proposed to be installed on the site to complete the replacement of ageing oxidisers with modern, more fuel-efficient plant.”

The town council has previously supported the application but reconsidered the application after new planning guidance was introduced by Defra to improve air quality by reducing levels of Fine Particulate Matter (PM2.5) across the country, therefore improving public health.

The planning committee discussed the application and decided the application did not address issues around odour dispersal in the application and that they objected to the application.

The application has been delayed in consideration by Westmoreland and Furness Council who will now following the town council objection have to consider the application at a Westmoreland and Furness Council planning committee meeting.


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