Barton biomass plant heads for inquiry

PEEL Energy has lodged an appeal against Trafford Council’s decision to refuse planning permission for its £70m renewable energy plant at Barton.

The company had its application for the plant refused by the council’s planning committee, even though council officers stated there were “no objections to the proposal that are thought to be relevant”.

There was a popular campaign against the facility, however, with more than 1,592 letters objecting to the scheme and 4,644 signatories to a petition opposing it.

Peel Energy said that following its assessment of the reasons given for refusal, it would appeal through the Planning Inspectorate at a public inquiry into the scheme.

Project manager Jon England said: “It is accepted that the UK needs to develop a balanced mix of low carbon energy generation infrastructure to tackle the challenge of providing secure and affordable renewable energy, and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

“In view of this, the BREP (Barton Renewable Energy Plant) proposals deserve the highest level of consideration through a public inquiry.

He added that an inquiry “will provide an opportunity for us to present the evidence we believe will demonstrate that the site is a suitable location for a biomass-fuelled renewable energy plant”.

Peel has said the 20MW plant could generate enough electricity to meet the average needs of up to 37,000 homes close to areas of high energy demand and within an area that is one of the UK’s largest generators of waste wood – much of which is currently landfilled.

However, the Breathe Clean Air Group which opposes the scheme said Peel’s decision to appeal the planning committee’s unanimous rejection of the scheme showed “a flagrant lack of consideration to build and operate a waste incinerator in a densely populated area”.

Pete Kilvert, chairman of the Breathe Clean Air Group, said: “This incinerator has got to be stopped…because if we don’t, we will be stuck with its pollution for the next 25 years.

“There is so much scientific and medical research to prove that emissions from these plants could cause asthma, heart attacks, strokes, cancer, childhood abnormalities, still-births and premature death,” he added.

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