Fylde energy farm put on hold by council

A NEW ‘energy farming’ company says it will not be deterred by a council rejection of plans for its first anaerobic digestion electricity generation plant on the Fylde, with more sites in the pipeline.

Farmgen, set-up in February with investment from four local private investors, had planning permission for a £2.5m anaerobic digestion energy plant at Carr Farm, near Warton, rejected by Fylde Borough Council last week.
                 
The plan was to feed maize crops and animal slurries from Carr Farm and other local farms through the AD plant to create biogas. This would then be used to generate electricity and exported to the National Grid.

The bio-fertiliser residue would be used on the land to help grow the following season’s maize crop.
  
But claims the development would cause a significant increase in traffic in the area meant the plans were rejected in what the company called a council U-turn. The company plans to appeal the decision.

The first plant will be operated on land owned by dairy farmer Jonathan Rigby. He said: “We are naturally disappointed by the decision of planners. We will now reflect upon their views and look at what measures we can take to move this project forward in a positive way.

“We remain committed to the project and we would urge people to take a look at what we are trying to do here – converting crops into energy in an environmentally-friendly and unobtrusive way.”
                                                                  
Michael Abbott, a director of the company and also managing director of energy consultancy Inenco, which acted as consultant for the scheme, said: “We believed we had met all the concerns of councillors and local people and had a plan that would benefit the site and the local rural economy. The scheme is not intrusive in any way, it will not lead to a major increase in road use and it has real benefits to the environment.

“Carr Farm is typical of many farms in rural Lancashire and across the UK. Our hope is that it will become a model for the rural regeneration of some of the more marginal land in Britain.”

Although this first project has stalled, the directors say they have already identified three more farms in the North West suitable for hosting AD plants. And as word spreads, they are getting more enquiries from interested farmers looking for ways to diversify and get better returns on marginal land.

Ed Cattigan, director and chief operating officer, said: “The investors have put forward a significant amount of cash for the project which would cover the set-up and operating costs for the first 18 months.”