Villagers ready for Huntington waste plant battle

A protest meeting is planned for tomorrow night to plot the next stages of a campaign which residents in Huntington, near Cannock, thought they had won.

But, two years on, plans have been resubmitted for the anaerobic digester in Cocksparrow Lane, on the site of the former Littleton Colliery.

It comes after controversy surrounding Biffa's £24m anaerobic digester plant in Heath Hayes, with nearby residents saying foul smells were making their lives a misery.

South Staffordshire MP Gavin Williamson, who is among the opponents fighting the new waste plant, said: "We don't want to become the disposal ground of the West Midlands."

Designs for the renewable energy plant comprise the digester and associated buildings, hard standing, access routes and landscaping. It would break down green waste, and possibly food, into fertiliser and methane, as well as produce electricity for the National Grid.

Villagers are concerned the 200ft-high plant would be a blot on the landscape, which borders Cannock Chase, designated an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

They are also worried about health and increased traffic.

Mr Williamson today told of his grave concerns about the recycling plant.

He said: "This proposal is outrageous. Such facilities can have a huge impact on nearby residents who would not only have to suffer the bad odour that is emitted as part of the anaerobic digestion process but also an increased number of manure trucks and a huge, ugly building that would blight the local landscape.

"Many more houses have been built, with a new school just a stone's throw away, since these plans were last on the table, so there is even more reason for them to be thrown out."

Anaerobic digestion is the process where bacteria break down organic material in the absence of air, yielding a biogas containing methane. Side effects include producing an unpleasant smell and the emission of nitrogen and sulphur oxides, carbon monoxide and ammonia.

The public consultation period on the development was recently extended to April 27.

Tomorrow's meeting will take place at Huntington community hall between 7pm and 8pm.