Anne Main has spoken of her disappointment at today’s announcement that Navitas Environmental Limited (NEL) has been issued with an environmental permit to operate a biomass boiler at Appspond Lane.

“I am disappointed at the decision to grant a permit at the Appspond Lane site. The Environment Agency [EA] owes it to my constituents to ensure that there is rigorous oversight of the property and that we do not see a repeat of the malpractice which resulted in a serious and damaging fire in November 2012.

“There was a loss of power to the Noke Lane water pumps, leaving properties without water supply for several weeks – this is entirely unacceptable.

“There is a long history of mismanagement at the site and the EA must reassure me and my constituents that this will never happen again. I am arranging a meeting with the EA to seek these assurances: Local residents must be convinced that they will not be fobbed off with repeated claims that the site will be run properly, when in reality there is little scrutiny. I will be making it clear to the EA that strict oversight and compliance is what needed to protect my constituents and the surrounding area. If something isn’t going to plan, there needs to be speedy intervention to rectify this.”