500 oppose power plant

More than 500 people in Ollerton have signed a petition opposing the building of a wood-fuelled heat and power plant at Elkesley.

Campaigners say emissions would drift within a ten kilometre radius of the plant, including Ollerton.

The Elkesley Against Incineration campaign group has collected 522 signatures for its petition at Tesco in Ollerton.

The group claims the emissions could contain toxic elements with unknown health effects.

However, the company behind the plans, wood-recycling firm R. Plevin and Sons, says the plant will not process any hazardous material and is not an incinerator.

The facility would be at its Crookford Hill site, Elkesley.

Campaign member Mr Norman Biggs said a similar site at Worksop close to where he lives sent fumes and smells over his house.

“We get this woody smell from the stuff that is being burned coming over the house, so we could be breathing in these emissions 24/7,” he said.

“Ollerton is within a ten kilometre radius for this new plant so it will be in the catchment area for the emissions.”

The chairman of the campaign, Mr David Porter, said: “We had a good response to our campaign in Ollerton and it is on our agenda to go there again.”

He said the main concerns were about particles getting into the air and being breathed in, or settling on farmland where they could get into crops or be ingested by farm animals.

The managing director of R. Plevin and Sons, Mr Jamie Plevin, said: “The proposed plant would not be an incinerator. An incinerator disposes of waste by burning it.

“Our Combined Heat and Power biomass plant would create green heat and electricity from waste wood.

“It would provide sufficient heat and power for the manufacturing plant, and potentially to send excess electricity to the National Grid network.”

He said it would create 16 permanent jobs and offset around 25,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide a year.

“If the plant is not deemed completely safe we will not be issued with a permit by the Environment Agency,” he said.

“We are aware that there has been concern in some sections of the community. We would encourage any residents with concerns to contact us directly.”

Nottinghamshire County Council will decide the application.