Written 29/06/09

We've had an update from Louisa Cook, Environmental Manager for Premier Foods, Histon about their Environmental Permit Application for the factory in Histon which is causing them concern.

She says:

I would like to take this opportunity to give you some reassurance.

Premier Foods needed to apply for an Environmental permit for the Histon site, as this site increased in throughput last year (how much jam etc we make), and is now large enough to require a permit. Previously we were too small to need one. This permit is not to enable us to do something additional to what we already do, but is to cover existing operations.

The permit will cover the whole site operation ie production of food (covered by the word 'treatment') as well as all our ancillary operations - steam boilers, effluent treatment, waste disposal etc.

The permit category "TREATMENT OF ANIMAL AND VEGETABLE MATTER & FOOD INDUSTRIES" is basically the category we fall into because we make jam etc out of fruit (which is covered by the term 'vegetable matter').

There will be no negative change to Premier Foods operations as a result of our Environmental Permit Application.

An Environmental Permit will mean that the site will be regulated by the Environment Agency and will be subject to a stricter regulatory regime.

The permit will contain conditions which the site will have to meet, which will raise the level of Environmental Protection from the factory operations.

In response to some specific concerns:

• We have not applied for planning permission, but for a permit to operate from the Environment Agency.
• We will not be processing food waste on site.
• We do not produce any products containing meat on site.
• A notice about this permit application was posted in the Cambridge Evening News by the Environment Agency as they have to do for every permit application. (This was not posted directly by Premier Foods)
• The permit is to cover existing operations and we are not about to start doing something new.

Please share this information with your friends and neighbours as necessary.

If you, or anyone else have any questions in relation to this then please ask me.

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