Power firm to rethink project for biofuel plant in green belt

Company Rocpower Ltd produced plans earlier this year for a vegetable oil-burning power station on land about one-and-a-half miles from the village of Bramham, near Wetherby.

The location, the site of an electricity sub-station on the Headley plantation, off Warren Lane, is near several farm houses and cottages.

Locals argued that the green belt location is not suitable for a power plant with a 25-metre chimney.

Objections have come from local residents and parish councils, including Bramham Parish Council whose members argued that access to the site was along a narrow lane which was unsuitable for heavy lorries which they expected would be needed to deliver tonnes of fuel.

Parish councillors also fear that emissions could be harmful and they said the plant would spoil the rural landscape and views.

Arguments against the plans were also put forward by a volunteer-led campaign group, Biofuelwatch

Members of the group argued that burning imported vegetable oils generated air pollution and would produce more carbon emissions than burning natural gas.

Now, the company behind the plans has withdrawn the application but said it would be coming back with a new design.

A spokesman for Rocpower said Leeds Council planners had requested a re-design,

"The planning officer has requested a re-design of the site layout for visual and amenity reasons.

"Because of time constraints and planning department targets, we have agreed to withdraw the application for now."

He added: "We will re-submit our application, with the requested re-design, in due course."

Campaigners with Biofuelwatch are continuing to oppose plans for such plants.

Spokesman Robert Palgrave said such sites were capable of burning thousands of tonnes of vegetable oil every year.

He said: "Generous subsidies – paid for by all electricity consumers – mean that using biofuels to generate power is a very profitable business opportunity.

"But burning imported vegetable oils cause local air pollution and generates more global-warming carbon emissions than burning natural gas."

He said air pollution from diesel engines burning vegetable oil included nitrogen dioxide, which can trigger asthma and other respiratory conditions.

"Many scientific studies show that when all the consequences of producing biofuels are taken into account the overall effect is to increase greenhouse gas emissions and accelerate climate change.

"But this evidence has so far not been taken into account by policymakers. The EU is expected to decide next month how to account for what is known as Indirect Land Use Change (ILUC) when comparing biofuel performance with fossil fuels. If ILUC penalises biofuels beyond a certain point, they will no longer be eligible for subsidies."

Rocpower says that any emissions from the site will be "well within Government guidelines".

The company's website says that the power plants were set up to burn by-products from industry, including food production and paper production in America and Scandinavia.

It says the fuel "could originate from any geographical location".

Opponents of the plans on Bramham Parish Council have submitted a detailed list of objections to Leeds Council, which has also received letters from residents.

The parish council says the site is in the middle of the Green Belt and close to residential properties.

One resident told the Yorkshire Post that around 30 residents were among objectors.