Kettering Energy Park: More consultation needed, say town councils

Campaigners say the energy park will destroy the countryside

A proposed master plan for an energy park has come under fire as residents claim it will harm the environment.

More than 2,300 people have signed a petition against the plans for Kettering Energy Park development at Burton Latimer in Northamptonshire.

Campaigners say the plan includes too much warehousing and the traffic movements will increase emissions.

The developer says the park will provide thousands of jobs and make the energy network more resilient.

The developer, First Renewable, wants to build the energy park next to the existing windfarm at Burton Wold.

The site would be used for hydroponics facilities, solar farms and employment zones with warehouses up to 30 metres tall.

The developers claim the finished project will bring an estimated 5,500 jobs and £167m in wages per annum into the local economy, but it will also bring more than 16,000 vehicle movements per day.

'Destroy land forever'

The issue was discussed at North Northamptonshire Council's Executive Advisory Panel (EAP) meeting this week.

Adrian Watts, deputy mayor at Burton Latimer Town Council, told the meeting: "The master plan, which has been drawn up without proper consultation with local communities, would destroy forever 150 hectares of good agricultural land."

Paul Rothe, a member of neighbouring Finedon Town Council, said additional traffic bringing increased noise and pollution was a "major concern".

Mark Dearing, one of the EAP members, said: "I appreciate that there will be warehousing involved in this, but 70% of warehousing is simply unacceptable."

The proposed site, just east of Burton Latimer and south of the A14, would include warehouses that were 30m (98ft) high

Tony Watkins, chief executive of First Renewable, told the meeting: "It's really about supporting the provision of additional infrastructure which is lacking in this country at the moment.

"There has been investment into this site previously for energy and we think there can be an awful lot more to get greater resilience into the energy network."

David Brackenbury, in the chair for the EAP on communities, said: "I think the developers perhaps haven't been engaging with the local community recently as much as would have been ideal, and I think that has been taken on board."

A decision on the master plan will be taken at a later date.