Worry Ahead Of Green Energy Plant Decision

Residents opposed to a green energy facility being built near Great Bowden have accused council bosses of trying to push through the plan without properly addressing their concerns.

The anaerobic digestion plant would take-in chicken manure, maize and straw to turn into gas and would be constructed on a derelict farm site on Welham Lane.

Residents opposed to the plan gathered last year to protest

The plan is being recommended for approval when it is considered by Leicestershire County Council tomorrow, despite over 300 people lodging objections and more than 1,000 people signing a petition against it.

Campaigners claim the council’s recommendation ‘includes many inaccuracies, refers to numerous communications never disclosed to the public and is dismissive of the legitimate issues raised’.

They also say they were given less than two weeks’ notice of the council’s vote on the application.

Concerns include the impact of heavy goods vehicles importing manure and food stock to the site, fears about odour from the treatment process and the proximity of the plant to homes.

The applicant Great Bowden Green Energy Ltd wants to pipe the gas to a nearby National Grid connection and has said the treatment process would create no smells.

Maria Arnesson lives near-by and spoke to HFM:

The plant is earmarked for the site of a former mushroom farm

Leicestershire County Council said the plan has been through two rounds of public consultation and all comments have been taken into account as part of the assessment of the application.

A spokesperson added: “Both rounds of consultation have given an opportunity to make comments on the application, and over 300 responses were received. All of the comments have been taken into account as part of the application’s assessment.

“The papers for Thursday’s meeting were published one week before the meeting was due to be held and this is normal procedure for all applications considered by the Development Control and Regulatory Board.”