Energy giants press on with chimney plan

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RENEWABLE energy giants Infinis plc are pressing ahead with proposals for three 75 ft high exhaust emission chimneys on Warrington’s Arpley Landfill site – despite opposition from nearby residents.
Members of the borough council’s development management committee will be asked next week to decide if the proposed development can go ahead at the gas utilisation compound off Forrest Way, Sankey Bridges.
The committee has already deferred a decision once to give the company an opportunity to reduce the number or height of chimney stacks involved.
Nearly 70 nearby residents lodged objections to the scheme, claiming the stacks – which would replace an existing single stack – would result in plumes of a brown/yellow discharge climbing up to 50m in height, depending on the weather conditions.
This would result in a deterioration in air quality in the area, they claimed.
Planning officers recommended the scheme be approved, but councillors were concerned that a small number of nearby residents would be able to see the stacks from their homes.
They could not see why, which advanced technology, it was necessary to replace a single chimney stack with three new ones.
Infinis have responded with an explanation of the process, which uses gas from the landfill site to generate electricity.
They say reducing the number of stacks to two would result in the diameter of the stacks being too big to fit within the existing compould.
The stacks must be high enough to disperse exhaust gases adequately – and experts at the firm believe the suggested height is the lowest possible.
Officers are still recommending the scheme be approved.
While the applicant could opt to repair the existing installation – which is coming to the end of its life – this would now deliver as much low carbon energy as was proposed.
In the event of the landfill site ceasing to operate, one or more of the stacks could be removed before 2034.
The future of Arpley Landfill site currently depends on the outcome of the recent public inquiry.


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Experienced journalist for more than 40 years. Managing Director of magazine publishing group with three in-house titles and on-line daily newspaper for Warrington. Experienced writer, photographer, PR consultant and media expert having written for local, regional and national newspapers. Specialties: PR, media, social networking, photographer, networking, advertising, sales, media crisis management. Chair of Warrington Healthwatch Director Warrington Chamber of Commerce Patron Tim Parry Johnathan Ball Foundation for Peace. Trustee Warrington Disability Partnership. Former Chairman of Warrington Town FC.

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