A "David and Goliath battle" is under way between a campaigner backed by "a determined local community" and Cornwall Council after the approval of a large-scale industrial green and wood waste processing facility in the countryside.
Those against the facility above the Roseworthy Valley, near Connor Downs, between Camborne and Hayle, argue that it will drive a "colossal industrial wedge into the rural heart of West Cornwall's gateway landscape" between homes, beside "productive farmland and upstream of vulnerable watercourses" leading towards the Red River catchment and St Ives Bay.
The Stop Roseworthy Green Waste campaign, started by resident Kim Hillier, says the development permits an initial 38,000 tonnes of waste a year, comprising green waste, end-of-life wood and agricultural plastics. It includes a 17,400m² concrete processing platform and a 2,304m² industrial building, together with "tens of thousands" of associated HGV journeys per year.
"Additionally, more than three million litres of 'dirty' water is to be stored in open ponds for spraying over the site in an attempt to control dust and combustion," say the campaigners. "This presents a considerable risk of air, soil and water contamination far beyond the site boundary, together with a heightened risk of flooding in extreme weather conditions."
Despite 138 objections from local people, businesses, charities and Gwinear-Gwithian Parish Council, permission was granted by Cornwall Council in December 2025.
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Since then a High Court judge has granted permission for a judicial review of the decision to proceed on six legal grounds at a two-day hearing in December. It will include the consideration of environmental impacts, statutory environmental consultation and whether important environmental safeguards were properly applied.
A Crowdjustice campaign has so far raised more than £11,000 towards the Stop Roseworthy Green Waste campaign's legal costs.
Mrs Hillier, who fought for the judicial review, said: "This has always been David and Goliath. One person taking on the resources of a public authority is a daunting and expensive undertaking, but we have already come a very long way. This campaign has never been about stopping composting or green waste recycling. The waste has to go somewhere – but that does not mean it should go anywhere. This isn't about compost. It's about location. Planning permission does not make this development inevitable. This is our last chance to challenge the lawfulness of the council's decision and, if we succeed, have that planning permission quashed. It is also a real opportunity to win. What happens at Roseworthy will not affect just one agricultural field, or simply those of us who live closest to it. The risks do not stop at the site boundary. This is about the roads we travel, the air around our homes, the land that grows our food, the water flowing through our communities and the wildlife, countryside and coastline we all value. None of us is a bystander."
The Green Waste Company, a local family-run business, applied to build the processing and recycling facility complete with attenuation pond, weighbridge, access and parking on land at Roseworthy Hill, Connor Downs in February 2025.
The company operates two recycling sites at Higher Brynn, near Victoria, and Splattenridden Farm, near St Erth. As part of the original planning application, a supporting statement said: "Currently, Splattenridden receives green waste from five council-run Household Waste Recycling Centres (HWRC) sites at St Erth, Pool, United Downs, Falmouth and Helston and four local town councils (Hayle, Penzance, Camborne and Helston). For reasons of logistics and capacity, it is proposed that, apart from the St Erth HRWC and Penzance Town Council sources, all other waste would be sent to the proposal site at Roseworthy. This would greatly improve the current services provided by the Green Waste Company and, importantly, will greatly reduce miles travelled every year transporting the waste. Whereas expansion of Splattenridden and other sites was considered, these options were discounted for logistical reasons. The proposed site is conveniently located on low-grade agricultural
David and Goliath Battle Over Cornish Waste Site