Outcry at plan to build biofuel plant

PLANS to build a plant which would transform waste food into fertiliser and enough power for 1,500 houses every year have been met with strong opposition.

Biogen UK Limited, of Milton Keynes, wants to build a plant on farmland to the south of Rushden, Northamptonshire, UK. It would take organic materials such as meat, fats and oils from factories, restaurants and households and turn them into biogas fuel and fertiliser.

The company, which runs a similar operation near Milton Ernest, believes the new plant could prevent 43,000 tonnes of organic waste going into landfill where it would release a greenhouse gas called methane.

But East Northamptonshire Council’s planning committee objected strongly to the development on Wednesday. Cllr Dudley Hughes said: “It will smell, it’ll be dusty and it will provide only minimal employment opportunities.

“It will have a tower even bigger than the dreadful buildings in Warth Park in Raunds and it’ll be in a rural environment.

“I can’t see any reason to agree to this – it’s not even going to use local materials.”