Hilperton biomass boiler becomes permanent fixture

Heat from the boiler is used to dry woodchips which are then sold on to help people to warm their homes

A biomass boiler on a farm in Wiltshire will remain in place after overcoming opposition to win approval.

Locals had complained that smoke from the site near Hilperton affected their air quality.

Wiltshire Council officers disagreed and it was granted permission by the council to remain on 12 April.

But, it must "strictly adhere" to specific operating hours to protect the surrounding area from "potentially harmful levels" of smoke.

Originally built in 2016, the heat from the boiler is used to dry woodchips which are then sold on for biomass boilers to use for people to heat their homes.

The site's owners Bed It Ltd applied for retrospective planning permission in February 2020 to renew the boiler, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS).

The council later granted the site two-year temporary permission for the boiler, which at the time it had a 13ft (4m) high chimney.

Shortly before the application expired, they applied for permanent consent but this was refused because the council said the chimney should be 19ft (6m) to improve smoke dispersal.

It was enlarged last November and now the site has given permanent consent with certain conditions including operational hours.

This is despite significant opposition from some locals.

One commenter said: "My previous comments stand in objection to a biomass boiler within the vicinity of St.Michael's preschool.

"The fumes that this will emit in such close proximity will be detrimental to the health and well-being of our children, currently impacting approximately 50 children of ages 2-5.

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"As part of our curriculum accessing the outdoor area is paramount for well-being which we do on a daily basis, ensuring children's health is promoted and not compromised."

The council also said Environmental Health officers will continue to monitor the site on an ad-hoc basis, and that they had visited the site three times in the past month, with no concerns reported.