Decision expected for Northacre power station

WILTSHIRE Council will decide this month whether to allow the construction of a renewable power station near the West Wilts Trading Estate.

The plant, which Northacre Renewable Energy propose to build on Stephenson Road, is scheduled to be discussed at a council meeting on Wednesday 23rd September.

The local authority’s target date to decide on planning permission was  13th April, but was delayed when an officer requested a more detailed assessment of the surrounding area.

It was then suggested that the council would decide in July, but the date was moved for a second time. The plans are now expected to be discussed later this month – eight months after the application was registered.

Northacre Renewable Energy, part of The Hills Group, is looking to build the multi-million pound  power station between the Northacre Resource Recovery Centre and Arla Foods Westbury Dairies.

The plant would operate for 24 hours a day and be capable of producing up to 22 megawatts of electricity per year – enough to power roughly 10,000 homes.

It would generate electricity by heating fuels made from processed household waste at  the Northacre Resource Recovery Centre next door. These solid recovered fuels are currently shipped to Germany and Holland because there is not a local energy centre in Wiltshire.

Westbury Town Council objected to the plans in January, citing concerns about potential chimney emissions and associated traffic.

For more information search planning application 14/12003/WCM at www.wiltshire.gov.uk