Plan to use chicken manure for power at farm near Church Stretton
Plans have been submitted to use thousands of tonnes of chicken manure to provide power to hundreds of homes in the Shropshire countryside.
Planning permission is being sought to build an anaerobic digestion plant at Home Farm in Leebotwood, near Church Stretton.
But the proposals are being opposed by the Environment Agency, which has raised concerns about the potential odour that will emanate from the site.
Developer Stretton Energy wants to build a 500kW unit. The farm currently imports up to 1,500 tonnes of chicken manure for use as fertiliser and it is intended this, plus an additional 2,000 tonnes, would be used to fuel the plant.
A statement in support of the plans said: "This product will produce little or no odour and is preferable to spreading chicken manure directly without treatment." Developers say that if the scheme is given the go-ahead, it will generate enough surplus electricity to power about 1,200 homes.
Planning specialist Mark Davies said an odour management plan will be required as part of the environmental permit for the site.
