Show of people power

Plans for a power plant – which has been dubbed a “monster incinerator” by objectors – have certainly generated a massive response.

Developer Rolton Kirkbride wants to build Sunderland Renewable Energy Centre on the Hillthorn Farm Enterprise Park, near Nissan.

The plant would be able to take 215,000 tonnes of non-recyclable, non-hazardous waste a year and generate 27 megawatts of electricity by gasification.

The application sent to Sunderland City Council shows it would include a visitor and education area, staff welfare and offices, a weighhouse and gates house, turbine hall, aircooled condenser fans and would create 35 full-time jobs. It would also feature a 57 -metre chimney and silos for ash and lime.

The firm insists the scheme is safe and the environmental impact will be minimal.

But local residents have organised a campaign against the project.

And yesterday they handed over a 9,000-signature petition to local councillors, John Kelly and Jill Fletcher to be presented to the council before the application is considered by the council’s planners.

The jobs v environment arguments have been reported in previous articles – but suffice to say, a 9,000-signature petition is a huge display of people power.

Indeed, Coun Kelly could only think of the closure of Usworth Comprehensive School which had united people in the same way.

Protest leader Tracy Young said that people have ‘not been informed properly’ and there are ‘too many questions left unanswered’.

Over to you, developers.