UK: Bath firm's power plant blow

A Bath energy firm has lost the first round of its battle to build a controversial biofuels plant in London.

City centre-based Blue NG already has permission for a plant in Beckton in east London, but its plans for a biofuel power station at Southall were rejected by Ealing Council last night.

The firm’s offices in Railway Street were invaded by environmental campaigners in April, and last night’s decision has been welcomed by the pressure groups Friends of the Earth and Biofuelwatch, which say the argument that biofuels are sustainable is a “pretence”.

But the final decision on the scheme rests with the Greater London Assembly, which has appeared to look favourably on the idea in the past.

A spokesman for the firm pointed out that the decision had been made in the week that the Government warned of a looming energy crisis.

Bath Chronicle