Stafford renewable energy plant bid set to be refused
A planned renewable energy plant for Stafford has been branded inappropriate by council development experts.
An application was put forward by Wolseley Park Energy for an anaerobic digestion facility - which creates energy by breaking down biodegradable waste - on land next to Severn Trent Water treatment works on Lichfield Road.
The plant would generate enough power to heat more 2,500 homes in the winter and 40,000 in the summer.
But planning officers on the authority have recommended the scheme is refused. It is set to be decided by the borough council planning committee next Wednesday.
A report prepared for the meeting states: "Despite the general support to renewable/low energy development in national and local guidance the proposal would remain inappropriate development and in this case would be considered harmful in terms of Green Belt character and openness."
A similar proposal has been refused in the past.
But Councillor Alan Perkins is in favour of the development.
He said: "The anaerobic digestion dome has been reduced in height from the previous application and is now at a more acceptable level.
"With the landscaping and screening planned it blends in with the adjacent sewage plant and will not be obtrusive in the open countryside.
"The process is odour free, silent and produces more renewable energy than wind turbines 24/7 with minimal visual and environmental effect."
