PLANS to build a renewable energy plant in Ramsbottom have sparked further controversy after it was revealed a similar facility in Essex is being investigated by the Environment Agency.

The proposed anaerobic digestion site on green belt land at Fletcher Bank Quarry has been the subject of a public inquiry after protests, including a campaign by the Ramsbottom Against Waste Site (RAWS) group, led to it being rejected by planning officials.

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A decision is expected in the next few weeks.

But Ramsbottom councillor Ian Bevan has raised further concerns following news that Halstead Anaerobic Digestion facility – run by Tamar Energy, the same firm in charge of the proposed Ramsbottom site – has been issued with an enforcement notice by the environmental watchdog.

Cllr Bevan said: “Tamar had promoted the Essex facility to the planning inspector as its ‘flagship’ plant – one without issues of odour or noise pollution, and one to show that Tamar could be trusted in such projects.

“However, the Environment Agency is now taking enforcement action against them.”

Our sister paper, the Halstead Gazette, reported that since September 2014 the government department has received 323 complaints about odour and noise against the plant. Tamar Energy claim the complainants could be phoning up more than once.

An Environment Agency spokesman said: “On July 21 this year we served an enforcement notice on the site as the company was failing to comply with the condition on its permit associated with odour.”

Jon Andrews who is the Halstead site’s plant manager said: “We’re working closely with the Environment Agency and putting additional levels of monitoring and a series of other improvements in place.”

Cllr Bevan also added: “It has become clear that there is something seriously wrong with the anaerobic digestion industry in this country in that every anaerobic digestion plant built and operated results in complaints by nearby residents of foul smells, odour and noise pollution.

“We simply cannot allow that to happen here in Ramsbottom.

“All of our concerns regarding Ramsbottom are being played out in Halstead.

“That is why I truly hope now that the Secretary of State now upholds the decision of the planning committee on Bury Council to refuse permission on the basis that the development was inappropriate in the Green Belt and would expose residents to pollution from odour and noise.”