Final plea on Bishop's Castle biomass plan

Campaigners in a Shropshire town were today set to make their final plea to councillors in a last-ditch bid to stop a controversial £5 million biomass plant from being built.

A delegation from Bishop's Castle attended a full meeting of Shropshire Council at Shirehall to try to stop the plans to build the plant at Bishop's Castle Business Park.

They want councillors to take into account the level of public opposition and fears of health hazards, and also want the tendering process for the land reopened.

Campaigners Michael Dawes and Dr St. John Penney were due to address councillors urging them to reconsider a decision upheld by the authority's cabinet to sell the land to Bishop's Castle Biomass Power at a meeting attended by more than 130 residents from Bishop's Castle in October.

The issue has been called on to the agenda at today's meeting after almost 1,500 residents in the town signed a petition opposing the biomass plant and Shropshire Council's decision.

Under council rules a debate can be triggered at a full council meeting if a petition with more than 1,000 signatures is handed in and verified.