PLANS for a new renewable energy centre near Malton have been submitted to North Yorkshire County Council.

Knapton Green Energy is proposing to build the Renewable Energy Centre on a 10-acre site at Knapton landfill site.

The centre, which is being developed by Tetragen Group, NCG Estates and local waste management company, F D Todd & Sons will use Advanced Thermal Treatment (ATT) technology to create green energy from non-recyclable waste (biomass).

However, Derek Watson, whose family owns Cundalls in Malton and also farm at West Knapton and runs Wolds Way Caravan and Camping near the village, said he was very concerned about the plans.

"The application is for a large scale industrial plant in a very rural location, and full of many assumptions using technology that has not worked well to date and in many cases caused pollution, fires and the closing down of plants," he said.

"This is an area of high landscape value with a landfill site that is close to full and a local population that expected as per the planning consent would be reinstated to a passive use an improved landscape and an area to be enjoyed by the many walkers, tourist and locals from the adjacent footpaths and right of ways, not be developed into a large scale industrial plant which will be a blot on a very beautiful landscape and a constant producer of noise and pollution to locals and visitor alike."

The application, which will be considered by the county council's planning committee includes the erection of a 6,342 square metre Green Energy Facility, office reception building, substation and switch room, along with 20 car parking spaces, extension to internal access road, landscaping and associated infrastructure.

Darrell Smith, from Knapton Green Energy, said: “Following our public consultation activities in the local area, 94 per cent of consultees have been in favour of the green energy facility.

"We appreciate there have been some concerns raised and we have carried out detailed environmental modelling which demonstrates that, in every respect, the facility will have an insignificant effect on the local environment in terms of noise, smell and emissions.

"We have offered to take local residents on a tour of a similar existing facility so they can see for themselves how clean and quiet modern technologies can be.

"It will be cut into the hillside adjacent to the existing landfill site and surrounded by an extensive new landscaping scheme to minimise visual effect.

"Our country urgently needs dependable, low carbon electricity generating capacity and this facility would generate enough clean electricity to power about 16,000 homes, as well as reducing traffic well below current levels associated with the landfill site, accelerating the restoration of the landfill, creating and maintaining about 30 local jobs and making a very significant contribution to the local economy for many years to come.”