Power plant turned down by Penkridge planners

Plans for a controversial electricity processing plant in South Staffordshire have been thrown out for a second time. Councillors turned down Farmgen's plans for Dunston Heath Farm, near Penkridge.

At a meeting last night, Penkridge North East Councillor Leonard Bates raised concerns over the increase in traffic if the scheme went ahead.

He told the regulatory committee: "All my previous concerns still remain."

Councillor Bates added the scheme would lead to increased traffic on nearby roads, posing "great danger to the users of Dunston".

The development was half the size of the one included in a previous failed application in 2010.

South Staffordshire Council officers had recommended refusal of the scheme, which would have generated enough power for 1,000 homes.

Crops grown at the farm would have been used to produce biogas to power the processing plant.

Farmgen would have grown biofuel crops to be transported in 20-tonne trailers and would also pipe slurry from cow sheds for the process.

But it led to objections from Dunston with Coppenhall Parish Council and Network Rail and residents in the village.