Anger at secrecy in Bishop's Castle biomass decision
A Shropshire councillor fighting plans for a £5 million biomass burner in his ward today said he was disgusted residents would not be told why the scheme was being re-examined.
A Shropshire councillor fighting plans for a £5 million biomass burner in his ward today said he was disgusted residents would not be told why the scheme was being re-examined.
Councillor Peter Phillips, who represents Bishop's Castle, has appealed to the information commissioner over the secrecy surrounding the issue ahead of a crunch meeting next week.
Shropshire Council said in August it had provisionally accepted a bid from Bishop's Castle Biomass Power Ltd to buy land on Bishop's Castle Business Park where it has permission to build the plant.
This decision was called in to the council's development services scrutiny committee by Councillor Nigel Hartin but the reason why has not been revealed.
Councillor Phillips today said: "My concern is that everything important is being held in confidential session, including the reasons for the calling in of the decision."
He added that he was concerned that members of the public would not know how best to put their points across as they would not know why the decision had been re-called.
Claire Porter, who is Shropshire Council's assistant chief executive, legal and democratic services, said today: "The reasons for the call-in include extracts from the original confidential report detailing who has made bids for the land so it has to remain confidential."
