Shropshire haulier's waste power plant is approved

The anaerobic digestion plant will be built at Broughall Fields Farm, opposite Whitchurch Business Park, to generate power for storage and distribution giant Grocontinental.

But the proposal led to more than 100 comments of objection and two petitions containing more than 1,000 signatures, citing concerns over noise, smell and traffic.

Whitchurch Town Council was also against the application.

There were seven comments in support of the plans, which were decided during a tense planning meeting held at the Shirehall in Shrewsbury yesterday, in front of a packed public gallery.

Grocontinental said it would use agricultural crops grown locally to generate electricity and said the design of the plant had dealt with objectors' concerns.

As Shropshire Council's north planning committee unanimously voted in favour of building the anaerobic digestion plant at Whitchurch, one resident who lives nearby shouted out, "Well, this is certainly not going to be a merry Christmas".

After the meeting another resident said: "It is going to be terrible living so close to the digestion plant. I do not know what we are going to do."

Speaking at the meeting resident, Peter Lowe, who lives on Ash Road in Whitchurch, close to the site for the anaerobic digester, urged councillors to refuse the application due to numerous concerns including traffic worries.

He said: "The applicant wants to be self sufficient but the digestion plant will not create enough energy to support the business.

"Another worry is increasing the traffic in the area will make an already dangerous junction even worse and there is a potential for the situation to become perilous.

"There is a pre-school and bakeries in close proximity which will suffer due to this application. There is no shortage of electricity in Whitchurch so the plant will have no benefit to villagers. This will harm the tourism of our historic market town."

During consultation Shropshire Council received more than 100 comments of objection and seven in support of the application. There were also two petitions against the construction of the anaerobic digester, featuring 184 signatures and 960 signatures. The application was also opposed by Whitchurch Town Council over concerns about impact on the environment.

Whitchurch Town councillor John Sinnott said at the meeting: "It is the wrong development in the wrong place.

"We have been told by Scottish Power that there is no power shortage in Whitchurch but actually a surplus. This will not provide energy to the town. It is too close to 400 residents and a children's nursery."

Linda Grocott, joint managing director of applicant Grocontinental, said following concerns they had decided to run the plant on agricultural waste and feedstock only.

She told councillors: "We are very proud that our business is the largest employer in the area and we work very hard.

"There are 350 members of staff who depend on us. It is a cut throat and dynamic industry which we need to constantly keep up with. Since 2008 we have created over 80 jobs. In order to operate we need a consistent, stable energy supply and want to be self sufficient. The plant will provide more than 50 per cent of the energy we need."