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Government approves Peel Energy plans for Trafford

Planning permission has been granted to Peel Energy for a 20MW Barton Renewable Energy Plant in Davyhulme, Trafford.

The Department of Communities and Local Government (DCLG) approved the development, which has a £70m proposal attached to it to generate renewable electricity for at least 25 years.

Approval was granted following a recommendation by a planning inspector, who said positive reaction from a public inquiry held in November last year meant the development should go ahead.

An Environmental Permit to operate was also given in October 2012, which contributed to the Government’s decision.

More than 100 construction jobs will be created at peak periods during project build, while more than 15 people will be directly employed once it is completed.

Peel Energy said the local economy would benefit from a “wide range of goods and services required by the plant.”

The site will be capable of creating enough low carbon electricity to power as many as 37,000 homes.

Approximately 200,000 tonnes of biomass will be used by the plant every year, with the majority of fuel coming from reclaimed wood diverted from landfill sites.

Peel Energy project manager Jon England said: “We would like to thank both the Secretary of State and the planning inspector for giving the plans a fair hearing. We realise that applications like these are not easy.

“However, these are exactly the kind of decisions that are required if the UK is to meet its renewable energy targets, reduce reliance on imported energy and avoid valuable resources going into landfill.

“We are very pleased with the outcome and look forward to taking the project on to the next stage, ultimately delivering renewable energy and jobs for the region.

“We will continue to inform the community about forthcoming phases of the development.”

Construction start times are anticipated for 2014, and the plant should be generating sustainable energy by 2016.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Miranda Dobson .