Great Bowden Biogas Plant Decision Deferred

The decision about whether to allow the construction of a controversial green energy facility near Great Bowden has been deferred by Leicestershire County Councillors.

Yesterday’s meeting of the Council’s Development Control and Regulatory Board considered Great Bowden Green Energy’s application for an anaerobic digestion plant at a former mushroom farm site on Welham Lane which would see maize, straw and chicken manure brought in on lorries to produce bio-methane. This would then be fed into the National Gas Grid via a nearby connection point.

However, over 300 people objected to the plan, with more than 1,000 signing a petition against the new facility being built at Marigold Farm.

Despite having been recommended for approval by planning officers, councillors resolved that “consideration of the application be deferred to a future meeting of the Board to enable further information to be obtained regarding the impacts of the proposal on Hursley Park Country Park, and the potential highways impacts of tractors entering and exiting the site.”

Great Bowden residents opposed to the plan

Residents’ spokesperson Louise Smith told HFM: “Due to its potentially disastrous effect on the local area, Great Bowden residents are obviously pleased this poorly sited biogas plant was not approved at yesterday’s meeting. In deferring the decision, we’re pleased the committee understood the concerns raised by residents, especially relating to the applicant’s odour reports, the ecological impact on the rewilding lands, Hursley Park and the James Adler reserve, as well as the impact on traffic with the excessive volume of HGVs and the potential for numerous tractor visits.”

The statement adds: “We’re also pleased that the committee recognise the need for the planning team to do much greater due diligence in these areas, and we trust that these will further evidence the unsuitability of the site. We were also especially pleased to see the consensus of objections from the Green Party, the Wildlife Trust, Harborough District Council, our MP Neil O’Brien and Liberal Democrat and Conservative councillors.”

Neil O’Brien addressed the meeting and the Harborough MP says he’s pleased Councillors paid heed to people’s concerns about the proposed facility…

Neil O’Brien MP by the proposed site

The Chair of Harborough District Council, Cllr Phil Knowles, also addressed Thursday’s meeting to highlight the widespread opposition from Councillors of all persuasions, the local MP, Leicestershire Wildlife Trust and the general public.

He believes the final straw which led to the planning committee’s deferral was a lack of discussion and consultation about the ecological impact on the adjacent rewilding land…

The plant is proposed on the site of a former mushroom farm near Great Bowden