THE odds against a proposed super-dairy being built near Lincoln appear to be stacking up after comments made by the Environment Agency.

Planners have received 13,500 comments on the 3,770-cow dairy plan and a decision is expected in March.

The agency's objection is that the facility would pose an unacceptable risk of pollution to groundwater.

The chosen site is on Lincolnshire limestone – a main "highly fractured" and unprotected aquifer supporting Waneham Bridge public water supply and providing water at the source of Dunston Beck.

The issue is the risk of pollutants travelling quickly to groundwater below.

Nocton Dairies Ltd withdrew its original application in April last year over the same issue, which agency spokesman Rita Penman said remains unresolved.

She said: "Our role is to assess the environmental impact and we consider the risk to groundwater to be unacceptable, based on the plans for managing large amounts of slurry. Groundwater is important for public water supplies.

"We asked the developer to address this issue in their revised application, but our original concerns remain.

"This location is inappropriate for this proposed development because of the environmental sensitivity."

Richard Hoddinott, 37, who lives in Dunston with his wife Angela and their two young children, said it was clearly not an appropriate site for the dairy.

He said: "I think it's time for the developer to take the hint and realise it's more than a few locals objecting.

"Given what the Environment Agency is saying, I don't see how they can proceed.

"Children do play in the beck here, but as a father of two young children I'm also concerned about the risk of polluted drinking water."

The World Society For The Protection Of Animals describes the agency's assessment as a major blow to the development.

"It is difficult to see how local councillors can, with good conscience, ignore its gravity," said the society's head of external affairs Simon Pope.

Nocton resident Deborah Wilson said people in the village were grateful for the agency's response.

She said: "Campaigners have been saying all along that the most crucial aspect of this application is the damage it could cause to the environment, particularly water sources."

Vegan Lincs group co-ordinator Linda Wardale said she was ecstatic.

She said: "I think if Nocton Dairies withdrew for good, they would at least be able to hold their heads up by doing the decent thing and walk away from it.

"It seems unlikely this project could get the green light."

Nocton Dairies spokesman Amy Jackson said the company was in the process of clarifying the points raised.

She said: "This is a completely normal part of the planning process, of which we are still in the fairly early stages."