Power plant ‘lesser of two evils’

Reporter: Iram Ramzan
Date published: 13 November 2014


Oldham Planning Committee

A power-generating plant has been given the go-ahead by Oldham Planning Committee.

UK Power Reserve Limited got agreement for the plant, on a brownfield site in Stock Lane, Chadderton, which will see eight gas-fuelled generators produce electricity for the local grid.

The unmanned plant brought opposition from residents on neighbouring Dairy Street, who raised concerns over the plans and potentially harmful emissions.

Paul Graham, from UK Power Reserve Limited, said noise would be minimal and that the plant would operate intermittently throughout the day.

“We can’t predict when National Grid will ask us to run, they have to match the supply with the demand, but we’re there for peak times,” he explained.

The plant won’t run continuously and hasn’t been designed to do so.

Councillor Rod Blyth said if this had been a different type of development, there would be more vehicles and more people coming and going and more disturbance: “Is this not the lesser of two evils?” he asked