Sutton Bridge Parish Council has set aside £10,000 to pay for its legal battle to stop a “green” power station being built at Wingland.
The parish council wants to overturn planning consent given by South Holland District Council to EnergyPark Sutton Bridge by going to judicial review and the Local Government Ombudsman.
Councillors and villagers claim South Holland’s planning committee made a flawed decision last week by not taking into account all of the responses it received or properly examine the likely environmental impact of emissions from three power stations in one village.
Sutton Bridge has a gas fired power station with a second in the pipeline.
Parish councillors were warned that taking on the district council in a legal battle could mean it would have to pay its costs as well.
Speaking at an extraordinary parish council meeting on Tuesday, clerk Suzanne England said: “If we lost, we would have to pay the costs of the other party as well – it could involve £40,000, £50,000, £60,000.”
Coun Jenny Rowe said: “We need an agreement tonight that this parish council is going to stand up for its residents and go for it.”
The parish council decided to tell the district council it is seeking judicial review and get legal advice in the first instance from the Lincolnshire Association of Local Councils and the National Association of Local Councils.
Members want that advice within seven working days so they can meet again and perhaps appoint their own specialist planning lawyer.
The parish council is also contacting the Environment Agency because EnergyPark’s power station cannot operate without a permit – they want to know what type of permit the company is applying for and express their concerns about the “cumulative impact of emissions”.