A BIOMASS energy plant planned for the Neath Valley has sparked an outraged reaction from residents and councillors.

They claim the area has become oversaturated with industrial developments and fear the latest application would create noise and other nuisances.

Walters Environmental has put forward plans for a small (3-5mw) biomass combined heat and power and pellet manufacturing plant at a restored former opencast coal site at Maesgwyn.

It is the first in the Neath area, although two have now been approved in Port Talbot.

But it is near a wind farm that Neath Port Talbot Council has approved, and next to a waste processing and transfer station which has also been given consent.

If it gets the go-ahead, Walters Environmental aims to start work on the biomass plant next year. It would take around 12 months to build, followed by a three-month commissioning period.

Construction, the company says, would create about 50 jobs, with 14 permanent positions once the plant was operational.

In its submission to Neath Port Talbot, the company described the site as being particularly suited for a biomass CHP facility.

"It has relatively level plateaux of previously developed (or "brownfield") land, which can accommodate the proposed development without the need for large- scale earthworks, and in a location that is unlikely to give rise to complaints from residents," the planning application states.

But residents were strongly against it when the plans were discussed at a special Glynneath Town Council meeting.

"We think enough is enough," said town councillor and last year's Glynneath mayor Marion Morgan.

"We have all these other developments, not forgetting the proposed extension to the Selar opencast mine.

"Glynneath has been oversaturated."

Despite assurances to the contrary, opponents are worried the Walters proposal would lead to increased lorry movements and highway safety problems, along with noise — especially for the nearest residents in Morfa Glas and Min y Coed.

As the biomass plant is less than 50mw, the application will be determined by Neath Port Talbot, and not the Department of Energy and Climate Change.

County planning chief Geoff White said Walters Environment had arranged for exhibitions to take place on Monday, December 21, in Banwen RFC from 9.30am to 1pm and Glynneath Town Hall from 3.30pm to 7pm.

"The applicants have indicated they will have a representative present to answer questions and register comments that will be fed back to us," said Mr White.

paul.lewis@swwmedia.co.uk.

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