A COUNCILLOR has welcomed changes to planning policy that advises developers seeking to build waste facilities to look at brownfield sites before considering applying for permission for green belt areas.
Ramsbottom Coun Ian Bevan has welcomed the policy changes as an appeal to build a controversial anaerobic digestion plant in Shuttleworth green belt is currently lodged with the Planning Inspectorate.
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He said: “Here in Rams-bottom the proposal by Peel Environmental and Marshalls was for the anaerobic digestion plant to be situated right in the green belt.
“It was on that basis that we campaigned and were successful in preventing the anaerobic digestion plant from being granted planning permission.”
“The new rules being introduced change previous policy, and mean councils can no longer give special consideration to ‘wider economic benefits’ that a site could bring, over other considerations, as justification for building these types of facilities on green belt land.
A huge outcry helped to convince council planners to reject plans for the plant in March.
Protesters besieged Bury Town Hall in opposition to the proposed venture by Peel Environmental and Tamar Energy for Fletcher Bank Quarry.
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