Shrposhire village biomass boiler plan is thrown out
People power has won after plans to build a biomass boiler in a quiet Shropshire village fell at the first hurdle.
Local farmer Andrew Phillips had applied to Shropshire Council for permission to build a new agricultural building which would house a biomass boiler, combined heat and power unit and a woodchip dryer on land at Orchard Barns in Stapleton, near Shrewsbury.
But the council's planning department received dozens of letters of objection against the scheme – which the applicants say were part of a witch-hunt. The local parish council objected on the grounds that the lanes around the village would not cope with increased traffic and large lorries while some residents felt the situation would lead to an accident.
Members of Condover Parish Council said the scheme could see the destruction of hedges and verges by large vehicles and also said the noise levels and dust from the movement of woodchip would "cause an unacceptable level of disturbance to local residents". They also said that the size of the boiler was too large for its purpose as was the scale of the building housing it.
Accidents
Other residents of the village, which has a population of approximately 245 people, said that the development would lead to accidents on the country lane caused by the heavy lorries.
They claimed that the lane had reached saturation point with vehicles and any extra traffic would be a cause for concern. Huge tractors, farm machinery and HGVs speed past their homes and the verges in the village are being eroded. They said that they feared the road had become a death trap and that there will be a nasty accident.
Applicant Susan Phillips said: "The Highways department of the council had no objection about the amount of vehicles on the lanes. There are many vehicles which go to farms further up from us."
The boiler would have heated workshops, the house, a craft studio and a barn. It would actually have reduced the number of lorries coming on the lanes as we would not have needed to have had oil delivered to our property for our heating system.
Ian Kilby, from Shropshire Council, said: "The need and benefits of the proposal have not been adequately demonstrated."
