Residents seek to overturn energy plant ruling

More than 800 people have opposed the plans for an energy plant near Sedgefield

Campaigners have claimed businesses will fail if planning approval is not revoked for a biodegradable energy plant.

Plans for the facility near Sedgefield were approved in December last year, but the decision has been brought before the Planning Inspectorate at Durham County Hall to be reconsidered after more than 800 people registered objections.

Teesside company BioConstruct NewEnergy said the facility would process food waste and farmyard manure to produce methane gas which will be purified for the National Grid.

Dennis Craggs, owner of nearby Knotty Hill Golf Course, said the plant has the "potential to close me totally". A decision from the inspectorate is expected in the coming weeks.

Mr Craggs, whose golf course is 200m from the site of the facility, said: "I would ask the council would you build a golf course next to this plant?"

Olivia Craggs said the plant might stop people from coming to the course, while Craig Ross, a chartered town planner acting on behalf of Knotty Hill, described the proposed plant as an "industrial building in a countryside setting, with 14m high tanks, a flare stack and silage plant".

However, the developer presented a landscape statement which found limited impact from three different view points, an assessment Durham County Council agreed with.

Representatives for BioConstruct NewEnergy told the hearing a number of odour controls would be in place and assessments had shown the impact "would be classed as negligible".

John Hayes, from the council's environmental health team, said he was satisfied with reports relating to the plant which were externally tested by the authority.

Arguing against the facility, Harvey Neve, chair of Bishop Middleham parish council, said he "understands the importance of renewables" and that "it's not the wrong thing, it's in the wrong place".

He said his fears were around the scale and placement of it, describing it as "industrial" and calling the structure "vandalism at best".