But experts have said that the cumulative effect of the chimney and estimated 310 vehicles travelling to and from the site every day would not be significant and will be within safe limits.

And although oxygen levels, crucial to aquatic life, could be affected by organic material going into the river, the impact will be minimal, according to a report to councillors.

Development control board members Cllrs David Markinson and William Daws asked for the decision on the application to be deferred to allow them more time to fully research all the implications and abstained from the main vote, at Tuesday's meeting.

Cllr Daws admitted he would be nervous living downwind of the proposed site and needed cast-iron guarantees in order to reassure constituents emissions were not poisonous.

Environmental consultancy group, Enviros, which the report said was acting on behalf of an undisclosed client (see story top right), bombarded the council with concerns about details of the proposal.

Palm Paper revealed fears the group was acting for Ecco Newsprint – a commercial competitor and challenged assertions the decision was being wrongly "rushed through" in a 15-page document of last-minute wrangles presented to the board at the beginning of the meeting.

The report said the mill development will cover 20 hectares of a mammoth 52 hectare site, with a marshalling area for 43 lorries and parking for 138 cars.

The plant will operate 24 hours a day and produce 550,000 tonnes of newsprint per year using 630,000 tonnes of recycled newspaper and magazines, restricting a current need for old paper across the UK to be shipped abroad for recycling, it added.

Once the development is complete, up to 200 lorries a day are expected to travel in and out of it.

Some councillors raised concerns that a proposed condition to stop them leaving the site in rush hour periods, between 8am and 9am and 5pm and 6pm, would lead to convoys when they were released, but they were told the condition was a requirement of the highways authority.

The report revealed night-time noise levels from the mill will be noticeable in South Lynn, but measures could be put in place to make it only a minor nuisance.

Norfolk Wildlife Trust had raised concerns about a potential need to relocate water voles that might be on the site, but said it was happy with the application to continue with conditions to ensure the voles were properly looked after.

Palm Paper hopes to expand and add a second paper machine in the future, the report said.



l Good for the economy, but good enough to outweigh concerns for the environment? What do you think to the planned development of the former sugar factory site? Let us know. Write to: The editor, Lynn News, Limes House, Purfleet Street, King's Lynn, PE301HL, email malcolm. powell@lynnnews.co.uk or leave a comment at our website www.lynnnews.co.uk