A TWO-DAY inquiry into the future of a controversial waste recycling plant in Caerphilly county borough closed yesterday after both sides submitted their legal arguments.

A contentious environmental permit for the Nine Mile Point Industrial Estate facility had initially been rejected by Natural Resources Wales (NRW) in January of this year.

The decision had been informed by a public consultation which NRW felt showed that emissions from the plant could negatively affect the health of residents.

But an appeal by the plant’s operators, Hazrem Environmental, had reportedly shown “extra information” that was missing from the application and NRW overturned their initial ruling.

The inquiry, held at Blackwood Rugby Club, was called for by Lower Sirhowy Valley Residents’ Group (LSVRG) who have campaigned against the plant since 2015.

The group believe that NRW was wrong to reverse its position and failed to “adequately consider the long-term impacts of emissions in the context of the poor health of the local community.”

The inquiry heard that the public health problem in the Lower Sirhowy Valley was reinforced by the area appearing in the lowest six per cent of the Welsh Index of Multiple Deprivation.

Speaking yesterday, Cllr John Ridgewell said further emissions would add to the existing air pollution along the B4251.

“We have young people waiting for the bus in this smog, going to school, then going out to wait in the smog again,” the Wattsville councillor said.

“Our children are sitting in that, stewing in it. This plant will be within 100 metres of that school.”

In their closing statement, LSVRG made reference to their expert witness’ evidence for the “detrimental health effects of expose to nitrogen dioxide and that poor air quality is the “largest environmental risk to public health in the UK”.

The same concerns had been voiced in a statement by Welsh actor Michael Sheen, in which the inquiry heard that the community already suffers from “higher than average levels of respiratory problems”.

Countering, Hazrem’s representatives said LSVRG’s expert witness had “exaggerated” the current impacts along the road, and had “overestimated the likely effect of heavy goods vehicle (HGV) traffic.”

They added: “It is not correct to say that the levels of nitrogen dioxide are high in Wattsville. Five out of the six monitoring points are ... all well below.”

A decision on the permit is expected from the inspector in the coming weeks.