The Licensing and Safety Sub-Committee convened to address an application by Mosaic Laboratories Ltd to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) for a license to manufacture and/or store explosives at Ditton Priors Trading Estate, and ultimately voted to approve the recommendations. Councillor Nigel Lumby was also elected as Chair of the Licensing and Safety Sub Committee.

Explosives Regulations 2014 - Application for Local Authority Assent

The Sub-Committee voted to grant assent to the Health and Safety Executive in relation to the licence to manufacture and/or store explosives at Ditton Priors Trading Estate, Station Road, Ditton Priors, Bridgnorth, WV16 6SS, in its current format.

The report before the committee concerned an application for local authority assent, required under Regulation 14 of the Explosives Regulations 2014, relating to an application made by Mosaic Laboratories Ltd to the HSE for a licence to manufacture and/or store explosives at Ditton Priors Trading Estate.

According to the agenda, Jessica Moores, Public Protection Officer (Professional) prepared a report on the matter.

The report stated that the application for assent was received by the Licensing Authority on 27 January 2025, and that during the statutory consultation period, relevant representations were received. As a result, in accordance with the Explosives Regulations 2014, Regulation 14, the local authority was required to hold a public hearing before deciding whether to assent to the application.

The purpose of the local authority assent procedure is:

for the local authority to satisfy itself that any local factors bearing on the safety of the operation of the site or the health and safety of members of the public have been considered and taken into account by HSE in setting the draft licence conditions.

The public reports pack included the following appendices:

• Appendix A – Application site location map
• Appendix B – Application to manufacture/store explosives and HSE draft licence conditions
• Apendix B - Mosaic Laboratories ltd - Draft licence conditions
• Appendix D – Mosaic Laboratories Ltd - Applicants local notice

During the 28 day consultation period, the council received 18 representations from residents and business owners in the vicinity of the application site. The primary concerns raised in the representations related to:

• the proximity of the site to residential and business premises and schools
• the safety of transporting materials used and produced in the operation of the site to and from it
• the nature and use of the products proposed to be manufactured on the site and whether this poses a security safety risk
• the potential toxicity of the materials used on the site and the impact this could have on local residents

One representation included a Facebook link in reference to Radnor Range and trials undertaken there.