10:40am Sunday 12th July 2009
A HEAT and power plant could be built in Horwich to get rid of waste wood at a recycling company.
Energy 64 has applied for planning permission for a 20 megawatt biomass plant at the foundry at Horwich Loco Works, next to the Armstrongs Environmental Services (AES) site in Chorley New Road.
Residents have regularly complained about the amount of wood stored on the Armstrongs site which they claim is a fire hazard and an eyesore.
Last year Bolton Heat and Power, a company owned by Armstrongs, applied for a certificate of lawfulness for a generator but it was refused.
Residents campaigned against that application and have voiced concerns about the latest plans.
Gwyneth Tench, of Chorley New Road, said: “It has recently been said in the paper that Armstrongs is a well respected company, but I don’t think anyone who lives near here thinks that.
“We have had enough problems round here and don’t want anymore.”
Eileen Jackson, of the Blackrod and Horwich Environmental Action Group, said: “We are very concerned about this, especially the use of waste wood and the effects that may have.
“We will certainly be looking at this further.”
A campaign group called Get Rid Of Armstrongs has been set up on Facebook and has nearly 500 members.
A statement on behalf of Energy 64 on the planning application said: “Waste timber and greenwood waste are brought into the site by Armstrongs Environmental Services which occupies a large area of land around the building.
“Some 120,000 tonnes of waste wood and 70,000 tonnes of green wood is brought into the site each year and processed by selection and chipping.
“It is intended that this supply of chipped wood from the adjoining AES yard will be the fuel for the CHP plant and this will be secured at the outset by a fuel agreement for supply over the life of the plant.”
The plant would operate 24 hours a day and would create 35 jobs.
A spokesman for Armstrongs said the company had no comment to make at this stage.
amanda.smith@theboltonnews.co.uk
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