Homeowners in Audenshaw are furious about plans to build a power plant with 40ft high chimneys less than 100 yards from their homes.
Bosses at energy firm UK Power Reserve Ltd want to build an electricity plant with up to 14 generators on land off Manchester Road, Audenshaw. Planning documents say it will be a ‘small scale’ standby facility, which will be used to help balance the National Grid during periods of unexpectedly high electricity demand.
But the plans also say the generators could have 40ft-high ‘exhaust stacks’ and the site will be capable of producing up to 20MW of electricity - about the same as nine wind turbines.
Local residents hit out over plans to build 40ft chimneys in power plant behind their homes.People living on Manchester Road fear the site will have a ‘detrimental impact’ on people’s health.
One resident who has lived there for 44 years, said: “I was flabbergasted when I read the plans. There’s going to be 14 chimneys on the site, pumping out all sorts of chemicals.
“Not only that, they are wanting to open the fence opposite our house to use it as an entrance to the plant. It’s already a hazard because it’s next to a bridge. Having lorries coming and going out of there is an accident waiting to happen. The plans state that the plant will only create two jobs and you have to ask if it’s really worth it.”
Another resident said “The noise is going to be a problem as well. I can’t understand why they want to put this in a residential area. There are lots of other places that must be more appropriate than this.”
The proposed site is part of a larger programme of new generators being planned across the country, which can be called upon by National Grid to generate electricity on demand to prevent blackouts.
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The plans were submitted on July 1. The public are now being consulted, with a decision expected to be made by planning chiefs at the end of August.
