Longridge Road waste energy plant moves to next stage

An overhead view of Longridge Road Energy Centre

Proposals for a £200million incinerator on the outskirts of Preston have moved to the next stage.

Preston City Council’s planning committee voted not to object to the scheme from Miller Turner.

The investment firm wants to build the waste energy plant at the Red Scar industrial estate.

Lancashire County Council’s development control committee will make the final decision on whether the waste plant can be built.

Campaigners and politicians addressed the city’s council’s planning committee during Thursday August 8.

Council officers had recommended the scheme not be objected to.

A spokeswoman for the Residents Against Longridge Road Energy Centre group told Blog Preston: “We are disappointed but not disheartened. The fight goes on.

“Preston City Council could not object on important issues such as air pollition air quality and traffic. As these are issues covered by the environment agency and highways.

“However we would have expected the support of the councillors on the planning committee as the incinerator will affect the whole of Preston.

“They are our elected representatives and will have many disappointed residents who have previously had confidence in them. We would like to thank Cllr Brian Rollo for his objections on our behalf and also cllr Jonathan Saksena for his continued advice. We would also like to point out that we now have cross party support from our MPs Sir Mark Hendrick and Ben Wallace.”

Access road into the land at Red Scar Pic: Blog Preston — Access road into the land at Red Scar Pic where the incinerator would be built: Blog Preston

Preston MP Sir Mark Hendrick and Wyre and Preston North MP Ben Wallace both penned letters to the city council’s planning committee urging them to object to the incinerator.

Director of planning at Miller Turner, Paul Zanin, told Blog Preston: “We are pleased that Preston’s Planning Committee supported the recommendation to support our plans for Longridge Road Energy Centre.

“It’s good to see that the Committee recognised the substantial benefits of the scheme for Preston in directly creating new jobs, attracting new businesses and jobs to the local area, reducing landfill and creating low carbon, lower cost energy for use by local businesses.”