CALL FOR CLARITY OVER FUEL FACTORY

A group of angry residents has called for the company behind a proposed fuel factory in Southampton to clarify their plans.

The No Southampton Biomass (NSB) campaign describes the latest press release from the company behind the scheme as “wooly” and “non committal.” 

Helius, the developer behind the plans, announced last week that it would extend its public consultation period over the summer. 

But the campaign group has called upon the developers to clarify their plans before they are submitted to the Infrastructure Planning Commission.

Orlanda Cooper, one of the lead campaigners, said: “We are still a little concerned as to what their new proposals are going to be. Whether this is just a small change or whether they're actually going to look at the whole project.”

The group was set up in an attempt to stop construction of the fuel factory. Large scale protests earlier in the year were followed by smaller scale demonstrations outside public exhibitions. If the plans are approved the factory will be built on land in the western docks, near the Freemantle area of the city.

Biomass plants burn wood to produce energy. The station planned for Southampton could produce enough energy for up to 200,000 homes. Biomass plants are seen as an environmentally friendly option as the wood used is usually sourced from sustainable forests and emissions produced are less than that for burning oil.

In a press release last week Helius said: “In response to the public feedback received, Helius has commenced a review of the siting, form and external appearance of the scheme. Opportunities to provide more detail on the design approaches for the project will also be considered. Helius will also review and update air quality, noise and traffic assessments.”

“In order to allow the public and other consultees the chance to comment n the proposed amendments to the scheme, a further round of public consultation is now planned, prior to submitting the application to the Infrastructure Planning Commission later this year. It is anticipated this will take place over the summer and Helius will announce the details in due course.”

But, NSB said: “We feel this is another example of a “wooly” and non committal press release that has the potential to be read and interpreted in a number of different ways.