Biogas plant to be debated for a fourth time

Plans to build a biogas plant to convert manure into energy will be scrutinised by a council for a fourth time - after it was approved five months ago.

West Northamptonshire Council will discuss allowing the plant at Evenley, near Brackley to be built, after officers acknowledged the application should have been assessed against the Northamptonshire Minerals and Waste Local Plan (NMWLP).

It could generate power for 8,000 homes and provide an income for farmers, but residents have previously said they were worried about traffic, odours - and spoiling the countryside.

It will be discussed on Tuesday after planning officers recommended it should go ahead, subject to conditions.

In 2023, proposals for the same location - with different-sized digestor units - were rejected.

Acorn Bioenergy, the company behind the plans, said it would use feedstock to create biomethane, a renewable gas, and it would not smell.

An update council report said: "Following the committee's resolution and drafting of the Section 106 Agreement, further third-party comments have been received, in respect of the resolution to grant planning permission for the proposed development.

"The letter sets out grounds for challenge on the Council's decision in the event that planning permission is granted.

"This report seeks to address the concerns raised and the proposed grounds for challenge."

Council officers have acknowledged that the application should have been assessed against the NMWLP and, although the plans include an element of waste, it does comply with the policies.

Cathy Ellis, chairman of Evenley Parish Council, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: "This planning application has been a mess from start to finish.

"We pointed out that the Minerals and Waste Local Plan was needed four years ago."

Follow Northamptonshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.