An air quality expert has told a public inquiry into a controversial biomass burner in Bishop’s Castle that he would have “no hesitation” in sending his children to the nearby school if it was built.

Giving evidence as to whether the wood-chip burning plant should be built, Steve Fraser said the plant was “highly unlikely” to affect the air quality.

Michael Dawes, vice chairman of the Bishop’s Castle Group, which was formed three years to ago to study the plans and is now fighting against them, quizzed Mr Fraser on technical aspects, including the amount of emissions per cubic metre, the stack, cooling tower and operational constraints.

He said: “I am grateful for the technical input we are having today, which we should have heard in 2007 and that would have saved a lot of time and public money and perhaps we wouldn’t have to be here today.”

Mr Fraser said planning conditions could be applied to the plant so if emissions exceeded the allowed amount, it would automatically shut down and could not be restarted until the problem was rectified.

Asked if he would send his children to the nearby sch- ool, Mr Fraser said: “I would have no hesitation in sending my children to school here.”

Niall Blackie, solicitor for Bishop’s Castle Power Ltd, the company behind the scheme, asked if planning conditions would protect the people of the town. Mr Fras- er said yes, if the planning authority enforced them.

Steven Ellis, an acoustics expert, said the noise levels would be less at the plant between 11pm and 7am.

He added: “Planning conditions will ensure the noise levels reaching the nearest home with a window open would be seven decibels lower than national noise guidance levels at all times.”

The inquiry continues.

By Catherine Roche