THE LATEST addition to a supermarket development in Okehampton which is going ahead without planning permission, has further fuelled protesters' fire.

West Devon Borough Council has asked German firm Lidl to remove a septic tank which has been installed to the rear of the store in School Way.

Alan Finch, who is a member of the Okement Rivers Improvement Programme, said the septic tank, which was not in Lidl's original planning application, was of a size normally used for houses in the country where the overflow ran into the fields through filter beds.

'This one is a few feet from the river and in order to empty it they must run their sludge gulper across the new school footpath and the picnic area,' he said.

Mr Finch said the tank was not suitable for the development which would employ 30 to 40 staff working up to 12 hours a day.

'This would be funny if it were not so sick, as the people living downstream will be next summer if this nonsense is allowed to continue,' he added.

Opponents of the development are angry that Lidl has pressed ahead with construction of the store in School Way before a planning approval notice has been issued and are annoyed that West Devon Borough Council has not ordered contractors off the site.

Principal planning officer for the borough council Chris Watson said the septic tank had been installed within an area of ground which the council had intended to adopt as an amenity space.

'We have asked Lidl to arrange for its removal for two reasons — because it was not on the original planning application and we do not want it in an amenity area,' he said.

'Quite apart from the planning side anyone putting in a septic tank must have notice from the Environment Agency to do so.'

The understanding was that the supermarket would be connected to the main sewerage system.

Although the borough council agreed to grant planning permission for the store in September it was on the condition that the firm addressed the concerns of the Environment Agency.

Construction work began several weeks ago but it was agreed by the authority not to issue a stop notice because the EA said discussions were progressing and they were not prepared to give a planning reason for enforcement action.

Mr Watson said he realised how some local people felt about the Lidl situation but it was not as black and white as they may think.

'Lidl has put forward proposals to address the Environment Agency's concerns such as moving some parking spaces further away from the river and adding more landscaping but we have no clear indication from the EA that they accept these things,' he said.

He added that unless the agency came out and said what was being done was totally unacceptable it was 'almost inevitable' the development would be approved.

Lidl declined to comment on the issue.