A dispute between villagers and the founder of Corkers Crisps has intensified over “waste”.

Cambridgeshire County Council has accused owner Ross Taylor of depositing waste near the site of the firm’s former crisp factory.

The factory, in Little Downham, was destroyed in a devastating fire in May 2020, but the businessman has said he aims to redevelop it.

The local authority issued a planning enforcement notice in November last year following concerns raised by residents in the community.

The notice said Mr Taylor appeared to have breached planning control by depositing waste and “raising” land with waste.

It added: “There has been no planning permission or consent issued by Cambridgeshire County Council.

“The waste importation, storage, processing and waste uses at this site are contrary to the locational criteria for waste management”.

Ely Standard: The Corkers Crisps factory, in Little Downham, was destroyed in a devastating fire in May 2020.The Corkers Crisps factory, in Little Downham, was destroyed in a devastating fire in May 2020. (Image: Cambridgeshire Fire & Rescue)

Mr Taylor has since described the notice as “bureaucracy gone crazy”, adding that the firm had been stuck “in limbo” for three years.

He told the Ely Standard: “We want to build a factory because there’s 110 people that want their jobs back, but we can’t afford to do anything until planning permission comes through.

“There’s no evidence at all of rubbish being dumped...we are not about to become a rubbish dump.”

But residents in Main Street have challenged Mr Taylor’s defence, claiming multiple lorries continue to deliver aggregate materials to and from the site.

One resident said: “Our narrow Main Street is now the subject of multiple large HGV vehicles, and many people are at their wits end of being woken up in the early hours.

“I would have expected that Mr Taylor would be more respectful to the agricultural land he is ruining. Filling in a lagoon with rubbish and destroying wildlife is abhorrent.”

Another resident said: “I live close to the road and there’s lorries going past all the time. We’re so flabbergasted by his response.

“It’s just non-believable when Taylor claims that all they’re doing is reassembling the old factory when we see lorries drive past every day.”

A spokesperson for Cambridgeshire County Council said: “Following legal advice, we served a Notice to address the unauthorised waste importation, deposit, and processing at the site as well as the use of waste to raise the land.

“The landowner has lodged an appeal with the Planning Inspectorate against the enforcement notice and we look forward to making our case to the Inspector in the coming weeks.

“The council continues to receive complaints from residents about activities at the site and the impact it is having on the local community. Comments on the appeal can be submitted to the Planning Inspectorate.”