A MAJOR demonstration was due to be held outside the headquarters of Stratford District Council today (Friday, June 28) against plans to site a gas-fired power station in open countryside near Alcester.
The application has been submitted on behalf of Enso Ltd for 17 gas utilisation engines at a site bordering the A46 and Croft Lane just outside the village of Haselor.
District Councillor Mark Cargill (Con, Alcester) has organised the protest.
“I cannot condone putting a power station in the middle of a field in open countryside in what is classified as a special landscape sensitivity area,” he said.
“Don’t get me wrong – it’s not the principle I’m objecting to, but this application is wholly inappropriate in this area.”
Scores of letters have been sent to the district council objecting to the plan which as well as the 17 engines would feature a four-metre high timber acoustic fence, a 2.4-metre high mesh fence watched over by a four-metre high CCTV system. Each of the engines would have a stack height of 6.2metres, standing more than 20ft tall.
Enso says the power station would offer back up supplies at peak times, particularly during the winter months when demand would be high.
An earlier application lodged by the company featuring 22 engines with a stack height of seven metres was withdrawn as opposition grew, only for the company to come back with this new proposal.
“There is a huge amount of public anger over this,” said Coun Cargill.
“The objections are for very good reasons and it’s the arrogance of these companies – they think they can bulldoze the thing through.
“Last time, when they realised Stratford’s officers were going to refuse it, they withdrew the application, made some changes and here they are back again. But the reasons for the objections remain exactly the same.”
To view the application visit the Stratford District Council website, go to the planning section and key in the application number 19/00923/FUL
