1,400 sign up to Bishop’s Castle biomass plant fight
Tuesday 23rd November 2010, 2:15PM GMT.
Protesters fighting plans to build a £5 million biomass plant in Bishop’s Castle face an anxious wait to find out whether a last-ditch petition against the proposals could trigger a debate by the full Shropshire Council.
The Bishop’s Castle Group were told they needed more than 1,000 signatures to get the chance to debate the issue in front of full council.
The petition was handed in at Shirehall this morning and it is now hoped the campaigners will be allowed to speak at the next full council meeting on December 9.
Neil Hird, from the Bishop’s Castle Group, said they had more than 1,400 signatures.
The campaign group has been fighting the plans for more than three years and if the signatures on their petition are verified, it will force a debate on the plans by a full meeting of Shropshire Council.
Shropshire Council’s cabinet ruled last month that land at Bishop’s Castle Business Park would be sold to Bishop’s Castle Biomass Power Limited.
The company has planning permission for a burner on the business park, which was granted by a planning inspector following a public inquiry in 2009.
At a meeting in September, members of Shropshire Council’s scrutiny committee unanimously voted for a rethink over whether to sell the land, but the council’s cabinet rejected this decision.
Mr Hird said: “We have had excellent petition support from the people of Bishop’s Castle and the surrounding villages of Edgton, Lydbury North, Wentnor, Ratlinghope and Snead.
“What the community cannot understand is why the cabinet is not listening to the community’s environmental, social and public health concerns.”
Simon Alton, spokesman for Shropshire Council, said: “If a petition has 1,000 signatures or more, it triggers a debate at full council.
“Officers will need to verify the signatures and once that is done it will go on the agenda of a future council meeting to be debated by councillors.”
The biomass proposal has provoked a strong reaction not only from Bishop’s Castle town councillors but from residents as well.
By Hannah Costigan
Most Commented
- Clampdown on Shrewsbury chuggers
- Bishop's gay marriage views do nothing to support bible teachings
- Planners ordered to stay on Newport visit bus
- Letter: Angered by close encounter of the furred kind
- Letter: Alcohol price plans annoy me
- Shrewsbury’s broadband speed one of slowest in UK
- Letter: No sense in overseas job adverts
Shropshire Star on Twitter
Keep updated with the latest breaking news and content on our Twitter feed.
Lifestyle
Interactive Dining Out map
Hundreds of reviews by the Shropshire Star and Express & Star's teams to help you decide where to eat.
Entertainment
All the film reviews
Before you plan a trip to the pictures, get our critics' verdicts on all the latest movie releases.
OUR NEW APP
Get the new Shropshire Star app
Download the Shropshire Star’s new app to your iPad or iPhone to get one week of access to our digital newspapers absolutely FREE.
shropshirestar.com
Popular sections
Useful links
If these people are so into eco-warriorism, how come they didn’t email the petition and save the poor tree that had to die to be handed over?
Report abuse
We would have done so and could have done so after the 15th of December which would have been too late. We are advised by the Council that the protocol for email petitions is not in place and that at present paper is required and sadly to meet the deadline set by the rules of the Council a round trip of about 50 miles to deliver it.
We are not eco warriors we are concerned residents who always play by the rules and carry a straight bat, we are visible and use our real names so “Knock it Off” Tezzer and come to the debate on the 9th of December and listen to the argument.
Report abuse