A FOWLMERE firm may have to move out of the village after it was refused permission to operate 24 hours a day, says a councillor. Welding Alloys, which manufactures tubular welding wire, submitted a planning application to South Cambridgeshire District C

A FOWLMERE firm may have to move out of the village after it was refused permission to operate 24 hours a day, says a councillor.

Welding Alloys, which manufactures tubular welding wire, submitted a planning application to South Cambridgeshire District Council to extend its working hours on a 12-month trial basis.

This was rejected by councillors, despite the fact that planning officers recommended that it should be approved.

Cllr Deborah Roberts, district councillor for Fowlmere, said: "I voted against this application, so in my view the right decision has been made.

"The factory is in a residential area, and the noise it produces has been a huge concern to local people for a number of years. It would be wrong to allow extended access.

"While it is good to see local businesses achieving success, I think in this case the company have outgrown their current location and may have to consider moving to an alternative site," she said.

Currently Welding Alloys are allowed to operate from 5.30am - 9pm on weekdays, and 5pm - 12pm on Saturdays. In its application, the company said that advances in technology have seen the introduction of new heating and cooling processes. These require constant supervision "in the interests of both safety and quality."

A spokesman for the company declined to comment.