A TEXTILE company boss has been accused of 'cussedness' over the problem of an open loading door at the Low Mill wool processing plant.

The accusation was made by Low Mill resident and Addingham Parish Councillor Stephen Crossley-Smith at a meeting last week.

Residents of the tiny hamlet have been complaining that the open loading bay door leads to steam and smells escaping into the village.

Coun Crossley-Smith said: "It is not environmentally-friendly to have a wool loading door open only five yards from residential housing."

He said he had it on good authority that Sven Straume, the boss of Straume (UK) Limited, had left instructions for the doors to be left open because residents had blocked a plan by the company to fill in a channel used to bring water to the former mill on the site.

"That door will remain open just for sheer cussedness. If that's the reason, it is about time the chairman of Straume UK grew up," said Coun Crossley-Smith.

He added: "If he wants to have the

sympathy of the residents he should talk to them or the managing director of the mill should talk to them."

When the company applied to fill in the dried-out channel Low Mill Residents

successfully applied for a Tree Preservation Order to be placed on trees growing there.

Parish Council chairman Alan Jerome said: "We will write to Mr Straume to see if there is a way forward to show we feel we are working in harmony rather than have this one outstanding problem."

He added: "They are providing employment within the village. We want to live comfortably and amicably with them."

Earlier the parish councillors had heard that the company had donated money towards the Addingham Christmas lights display and offered to help with the village's bid for the Britain in Bloom competition.

They were also told that environmental health officers had visited the plant and the village many times and could find no reasons for any complaint.

Parish councillors will now try and set up a meeting with Stephen Porter, the managing director of the processing plant, to see if the problem of the door could be solved.

Following the meeting, a spokesman for Low Mill said that the company had no comment to make about the loading bay doors or the remarks made by Coun Crossley-Smith.

She said that the running of the plant was not managed by Mr Straume but by Mr Porter.

"He looks forward to receiving a letter from the parish council and he welcomes the opportunity to meet them," said the spokesman.

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