A scrapyard in Colchester has won a licence to clean up unwanted cars, meaning it can continue to collect wrecks under new European legislation.

The EU End of Life Vehicles Directive, intended to increase recycling of car parts, means every scrapped vehicle must be drained of oil and petrol and even have its airbags emptied to "depollute" it.

SB Wheeler, at the Hythe, applied for permission to carry out the work and has now become an authorised treatment facility.

The firm recently built a £250,000 extension to its Boreham headquarters to handle the extra work, and has applied for planning permission to put up a similar plant at Ardleigh.

But following an outcry from residents, end-of-life vehicle manager Dave Pharoah said bosses had taken the decision to apply for a temporary licence to clean vehicles at the Hythe.

Published Tuesday, February 8, 2005

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