RESIDENTS have been promised a specialist council officer to impose rigorous monitoring of a controversial abattoir in the heart of their community.

Angry Boosbeck residents have regularly campaigned to Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council to close the Banaras Halal Meats (BMH) abattoir after complaining the smell and noise has blighted their lives since it reopened in the east Cleveland village.

Today (Thursday, July 30), a packed public gallery for a meeting of the full council, residents were assured everything would be done to solve the problem they have been campaigning against for more than four years.

Earlier this month, the council made a recommendation to provide a grant of up to £100,000 to implement measures to reduce noise, smell and traffic disruption put forward by the cabinet from a previous meeting.

However, recognising the strength of support for a petition and public feeling against the use of public money to implement these measures, the recommendation was removed.

Instead, additional resources, including a dedicated Environmental Health Officer, will be allocated to monitor issues arising from the site and the council will pursue enforcement action where appropriate.

During a lively debate that was interspersed with angry and frustrated outbursts from the public gallery, councillors put on a unified front in an attempt to appease residents’ concerns.

Cllr Dale Quigley, portfolio holder for economic growth, a petition to the council from villagers indicated “a lack of public appetite” for the investment and was keen to implement a four point plan to solve the problem.

Liberal Democrat group leader Cllr Josh Mason proposed a further amendment - to impose daily monitoring on the abattoir.

He said that would “give the council teeth” to “make things as difficult as possible” for the abattoir to be “profitable”.

Independent councillor Barry Hunt raised concerns about how long the authority would monitor the situation as residents had suffered for long enough.

After years of controversy and bitter rows in the council chamber, members voted unanimously to approve the amended recommendations and bring the problem to an end.

Speaking after the meeting, Cllr Quigley said: “We know that this has been an emotive issue for local residents and we have fully listened to their concerns.

“It would be impossible for us to set aside £4m to buy and relocate the abattoir. This is a huge sum of money and is equivalent to an 8 per cent council tax increase for everyone in the borough, or the loss of around 150 local jobs.

“We will step up our efforts to ensure that any complaints made to us are thoroughly investigated and that we take enforcement action where appropriate.”