Opposition to a £300million biomass power station at Wingland is growing with The Borough Council of King’s Lynn set to lodge what it calls a “holding objection”.
The council’s planning committee meets on Monday and is expected to object to EnergyPark Sutton Bridge’s planning application subject to assurances on things like air quality monitoring at the site and an expert assessment of the combined effect of the planned biomass power station with other sources of air pollution.
A report to the borough’s planning committee says: “The types of biomass fuels which will be accepted at the site should be strictly controlled by condition to forestry management, virgin timber sawmill residues, agricultural crops and crop residues.”
Village campaigners BATI (Bridge Against The Incinerator) fear the plant is a Trojan horse to burn household and other waste and its chairman, Craig Jackson, has welcomed the borough council’s objection and insistence on strict controls on the types of materials burned.
Mr Jackson claims the company could switch to burning other materials if wood were no longer financially viable and that would only need a variation in the Environment Agency permit rather than a fresh planning consent.
Sutton Bridge Parish Council chairman John Grimwood said: “I think everybody is concerned about air quality – I think that’s the biggest impact on Sutton Bridge.”