An area which was once home to cattle infected with mad cow disease, is set to become a residential development of up to 20 homes.

Outline planning permission for the scheme to convert former animal rendering facility Thruxted Mill in Godmersham was granted by Ashford Borough Council councillors last night, despite concerns the site is “heavily contaminated”.

Local resident Dr Geoff Meaden said: “Even during the bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) crisis, local people reported piles of animal carcusses were reguarly seen to be lying around the yard having been dumped there by unsupervised lorry drivers.

“My concern over BSE (also known as mad cow disease) and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD, human form of BSE) still exists as the prime agents are almost indestructible, can be be spread in a number of ways, and can lay dormant for many years.

“If planning permission was allowed, the borough council needs to demonstrate with complete authority that the site can be made 100% safe for residential usage.”

Committee members – bar one – backed the proposal on the basis the site is properly disinfected, and fully certified as not being a danger to the public by an “accredited agency” before work commences.

The clean-up will cost applicant Trevor Heathcote LLP £1,749,000, and therefore impact project viability. Cllr Gerry Clarkson (Con) suggested s106 costs could be waived or deferred if full planning permission is granted.

Cllr Stephen Dehnel (Con) added: “It’s one step short of a setting of a horror movie. It has the most dreadful legacy which ideally should have been erased many years ago.

“It certainly isn’t worthy of continuance in this borough. We now have the opportunity to remove it and place a scheme which I believe would be unique and beneficial.”

Concerns were also raised about the traffic impact on Penny Pot Lane, while some objections were submitted as the development is in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB).

But Lois Jarrett – head of development management and strategic sites – rubbished the argument, adding: “This site is not an attractive one in the middle of the AONB. It’s pretty much devoid of any vegetation.”

Thruxted Mill has been vacant for more than 10 years.