Controversial industrial plant plan returns to Wiltshire planners amid road concerns
Facility impacts Cotswold Water Park with traffic challenges
Wiltshire planners are set to reconsider plans for an industrial plant in a popular tourist region next week following previous deferrals due to road impact concerns.
Acorn Bioenergy has proposed constructing an anaerobic digestion facility on agricultural land between Wiltshire and Gloucestershire, within the Cotswold Water Park area, a site that draws around a million visitors annually.
The planning application will be reviewed by Wiltshire Council on 14th July, with the site located closer to South Cerney in Gloucestershire.
The facility aims to process up to 91,000 tonnes of agricultural feedstock annually and generate 10 million m³ of renewable biomethane, to be transported by tankers to Banbury.
While the environmental benefits are significant, including carbon reduction, energy security, and economic advantages, concerns remain over traffic impacts as highlighted by Gloucestershire County Council.
Wiltshire planners admit that while the facility will have some visual impact, the positive environmental aspects make it worthwhile.
"Significant weight is afforded to the renewable energy generation, carbon reduction, energy security and rural economic benefits," they stated, recommending the councillors grant planning permission.
However, Gloucestershire County Council has requested Wiltshire councillors refuse approval due to road safety concerns. They cite a lack of detailed traffic assessments, suitability of the rural highway network, and practical routing strategies.
"The absence of a detailed origin-destination assessment, the lack of seasonal and peak flow analysis, the uncertainty associated with traffic redistribution assumptions, the suitability of the rural highway network, and the practical enforceability of routing strategies," are among the points raised by Gloucestershire.
The council asserts that the current plan lacks sufficient assurances that road impacts can be adequately mitigated.