Great Bowden: Fears green biogas plant will 'stink out' area

The former mushroom farm could be redeveloped

Villagers are opposing plans for a complex in Leicestershire that would create biogas out of chicken manure.

Great Bowden Green Energy Ltd wants to build an anaerobic digestion plant at a former mushroom farm at Marigold Farm, off Welham Way, near Great Bowden.

Nearby residents said they feared the plant would "stink out" the area.

The firm told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) it took residents' concerns seriously and wanted to meet to discuss them.

Anaerobic digestion is a green energy process that ferments raw materials, or feedstock, in a large, airtight tank to create biomethane and CO2.

In this instance, the applicant is proposing to use a mix of poultry manure, straw and maize.

Chris Attenborough, a spokesman for a group set up to oppose the scheme, said residents were not against green energy production but the proposal was a "clear-cut case of the wrong place".

He said: "People across Great Bowden and Market Harborough are hugely concerned about this impact this could have."

He said campaigners had seen "countless" reports of "similar plants" which "absolutely stink out the areas they are based in".

'No odour released'

Mr Attenborough said there were also safety concerns about the number of heavy goods vehicles taking chicken waste, as well as maize and straw, to the site.

In documents lodged with a planning application to Leicestershire County Council, the firm said the plant would provide renewable gas directly into the National Grid.

It said: "The anaerobic digestion process is, as the name indicates, carried out in the absence of oxygen and, therefore, there is no odour released during the production of the biogas."

The tank and storage would also stay closed as much as possible to reduce exposure to oxygen.

The company said there would be a maximum of 52 two-way heavy goods vehicle (HGV) movements per day - 26 in each direction - during the busiest 30 days of the year.

For the rest of the year, there would be about 22 two-way HGV movements per day.

Great Bowden Green Energy Ltd is owned by GMT Bigas, which said it would like to meet the objectors to discuss concerns "face to face".

GMT Bigas technical director Phillip Greenaway said: "GMT does take all of the concerns raised by the local community very seriously."