Coach offer ahead of Bishop's Castle biomass meeting

A campaigner has dug deep into her own pockets to put on a free coach so protesters in a south Shropshire town can get to a crunch meeting on plans for a £5 million incinerator.

The 53-seater coach has been paid for by Gill Lawler, a member of the Bishop's Castle Group, so campaigners can make the 25-mile trip to Shirehall for Shropshire Council's cabinet meeting on Wednesday.

Members will be reconsidering plans to hand over land at Bishop's Castle business park for the controversial biomass plant following mass opposition from residents.

About 300 people turned out at a Shropshire Council development services scrutiny committee meeting at Bishop's Castle Community College last week to vent their anger at plans to build the incinerator.

Cabinet members had initially accepted an offer from Bishop's Castle Biomass Power to build the plant on the land at the expense of proposals such as a community care farm.

But members of the scrutiny committee have called for the decision to be re-examined and the tendering process to be re-opened.

Paula Middleton, secretary of the Bishop's Castle Group, said: "I was staggered at the offer from Gill and it's saved us from a lot of head-scratching.

"Tickets will be on a first-come-first-served basis and if there is demand we will put on more coaches."

Booking is essential via Mrs Middleton on (01588) 630234 or (01588) 638273 or by e-mailing cabinetmeeting@bishopscastlegroup.org.uk

Wednesday's meeting starts at noon and part of the report will be heard confidentially under exempt matters.