Plan to turn wood into power is rejected (From The Bolton News)

Plan to turn wood into power is rejected

8:12am Friday 27th November 2009

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PLANS for a wood-burning energy plant in Horwich have been unanimously rejected.

Energy 64 had asked for permission to build a huge machine — known as a 20 megawatt Biomass Combined Heat and Power (CHP) plant — at the site of Armstrong Environmental in Chorley New Road.

But, while councillors agreed that this type of power generation could be looked at in the future, the site at Horwich was unsuitable because it is close to houses and has inadequate access.

Agent Paul Sedgwick, on behalf of Energy 64, told the committee: “This is a £70 million investment that will create 35 extra jobs.

“The Environment Agency has no objections and it would not issue a permit to carry out this process unless it was satisfied.”

If the plans had been given the green light, Energy 64 planned to burn waste wood currently taken to Armstrong’s and had a contract with National Grid to feed energy into national supplies.

Cllr Barbara Ronson proposed that the plans should be refused because of its location and the probability of increased traffic flow.

Cllr John Walsh added: “This road is almost at capacity at peak times as it is so, while I accept this in principle, it is in the wrong location.”

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