Weigh in on major plans for £200 million electricity plant on outskirts of Ribbleton

Developers want to bring an Energy Recovery Facility (ERF) to an industrial estate, generating up to 40 Megawatts (MW) of low carbon electricity.

Miller Turner, the development team bringing forward proposals at Longridge Road Energy Centre, say it will produce “dependable, local energy at lower prices, reducing costs for businesses in the area, helping to sustain existing employment in Lancashire and potentially attracting new employers”.

Around 60 per cent of the waste at Longridge Road Energy Centre will be biomass, making the energy that is generated from it low carbon.

Distribution will be either through the electricity grid, or via a direct connection to businesses and other energy users – known as a ‘private wire’.

Initial plans state: “Longridge Road Energy Centre will use the waste from households and businesses that remains after recyclable materials have been removed.

“In the UK, such leftover material, known as residual waste, is either landfilled, exported, or has energy recovered from it.

“By taking this leftover waste and using it to generate electricity, the Energy Centre can reduce waste going to landfill and reduce the region’s carbon footprint.”

The Energy Centre, if plans are passed, would be for the the southern edge of Red Scar Industrial Estate (RSIE), formerly the location of part of the Courtaulds factory.

The site is approximately 18 acres of undeveloped brownfield land and is about 300-350 metres east of the M6 motorway.

Benefits to the scheme would see it producing enough electricity to power up to 89,000 homes, the potential to offer lower cost electricity via ‘private wire’ and a capacity to process up to 395,000 tonnes of residual waste per year.

During the construction phase the Energy Centre would see up to 500 people in employment and it would also offer 40 jobs on a permanent basis.

Although the design of the building is being finalised, the proposed development will include a building of up to about 35 to 40 metres in height, 170 metres in length and 70 metres in width. There will be one or two slim chimney stacks about 85 metres high and up to three metres in diameter.

A community fund of £65,000 will also be created to support projects that benefit local groups and people.

A pre-application public consultation is now underway for a period of six weeks until Friday, March 29.

Miller Turner is holding two public drop-in sessions to provide stakeholders and members of the public an opportunity to discuss the proposals with members of the project team on the following dates:

Wednesday, March 13, 4pm - 8pm at Norman Jepson Beefeater in Bluebell Way, Fulwood, Preston, PR2 5PZ

Thursday, March 14, 10am – 2.30pm at Norman Jepson Beefeater in Bluebell Way, Fulwood, Preston, PR2 5PZ

To find out more or to contact the Consultation Team for Longridge Road Energy Centre

Call 0800 032 1880

Email [email protected]

Write to Freepost Longridge Road Energy Centre