A drinks brewing company planning to build a brewery on the outskirts of Abergavenny have strongly refuted claims local residents were not consulted regarding a recent application for water abstraction.

As reported in the Chronicle in March this year, Drop Bear Beer Brewing Co. submitted plans to build the world’s first carbon neutral alcohol-free brewery at Celliwig Farm.

At the time some residents expressed their unhappiness about the plans with their concerns responded to by the brewing company.

Now residents have once again expressed anger at a recent application from the brewing company to abstract water from the Sugarloaf mountain to use for production in their non-alcoholic beer, with residents complaining of a lack of consultation on the application.

One resident wrote to the Chronicle expressing their concerns.

They said: “The vast quantity of water the company want to abstract and abundantly use will affect the supply to the neighbouring residents who rely solely on this precious water supply as they have no mains water. This is further highlighted by the changing environment with drier summer months and predicted droughts.”

The resident also expressed concern about the increasing traffic on the busy A40 road as well as noise and air pollution that could be caused by distributary vehicles carrying bottles, drinks and other materials for such a large project.

They added: “The Council is fully aware of the number of fatalities along this road and the potential for more if the ‘hazard’ level is increased. What is the Council’ policy on improving road safety along this stretch of road, if they wish to ‘reap the benefits’ of allowing this industry to proceed will they invest in the road safety by ‘straightening’ the A40 making the junctions safer or maybe extend the 20 mph limit out as far as Llanwenarth or do nothing and cross fingers.”

Another resident called the application for water abstraction a “complete exploitation of an area where water is already in tight supply” and calling the company a “serious political threat to a beautiful area”.

The resident said: “Residents remain deeply concerned about water supply, and in light of current water shortages, the amount of water proposed in this extraction application from the natural springs would devastate the ecology of the area as well as leave houses without supply.”

When contacted by the Chronicle with these concerns, the company strongly refutes claims made to the Abergavenny Chronicle.

A spokesperson said, “We refute the claims of lack of consultation with residents. We have followed all legal requirements including a 28 day consultation period, we have fulfilled our legal duties. We have also met with residents in person and engaged online so the claim that residents have not been consulted is factually incorrect.

“In terms of a perceived threat to people’s water supplies, this has already been discussed with local residents and has been detailed in the planning application.

“The water supply is completely separate from that of local residents (confirmed by hydrologists) and the abstraction application is for capturing water from a surface level spring where water bubbles out of the ground. The claim that there is currently mains water supply on site is factually incorrect.

“Traffic, noise, and odour reports have been commissioned and completed by third parties. These contain confidential business information so are not publicly available, however, results demonstrate negligible impact. This has now been accepted by Monmouthshire County Council Environmental Health.

“Please see the following MCCEH comment, in which there is no comment regarding water conditions, as there is clearly, and factually, no risk to residents’ supply.”

‘Further to my comments dated 30th June 2022 I can advise that I have considered this application further.

I have visited the site, appraised the intentions with regard to capturing surface springs, undertaken sample background noise measurements and appraised the updated Noise Impact Assessment by Aval Consulting Group dated August 2022.

I am now in a position to advise that I have no objection to the proposed development subject to the following condition being applied to any grant of permission:

The noise limits and related recommendations of Noise Impact Assessment Report by Aval Consulting Group, dated August 2022, for the internal brewery noise, façade acoustic performance and external plant / equipment, are to be fully complied with or otherwise alternative mitigation measures submitted and approved by the Planning Authority.

Compliance to be certified in writing to the Planning Authority by an appropriately qualified acoustic consultant within three months of the brewery use commencing.’

*Pic shows an artist’s impression of proposed building