Ironbridge Power Station wins permission to trial biofuel

Ironbridge Power Station has been given permission to trial the use of biofuel, despite angry objections from hundreds of people.

Bosses say the move will safeguard more than 100 jobs at the plant.

Planning permission was granted for a new fuel store at the site at a planning meeting yesterday despite objections from environmentalists, who said virgin forests in North America would be destroyed and raised concerns about air quality.

Threats were made to cancel yesterday's planning meeting following interruptions from angry green campaigners, but nine council members eventually voted in favour of energy giant E.ON's plans, saving the plant from closing in 10 months' time.

The fuel store will house dry wood pellets until 2015 – when the plant is due to be decommissioned – and help fundamentally change the company's energy generation from coal to wood biomass.

Environmentalists held a placard-waving protest outside Shirehall before the meeting. But members were told to focus on the planning consideration for the wood pellet store, rather than getting involved in wider issues not governed by the local authority.

Shropshire councillor John Everall said: "I can't see there are very many residents that can have their amenity damaged by this building. The fact is they've got permission to burn what they want so I can see no particular planning reason to object to this."

Dave Eynon, plant manager of Ironbridge Power Station, said the decision would bring greater understanding about the use of biofuel and bring income to local businesses as well as securing more than 100 jobs on site.

But the Reverend Paul Cawthorne, speaking at the meeting, said: "Converting it to biomass will produce up to 50 per cent more carbon emissions and quite simply this is not a sustainable development."