ONE local resident is so concerned by the planned construction of an ‘energy centre’ at the Keypoint Employment Site that he has called a special public meeting to warn against it.

Rolton Kilbride is proposing to construct the waste disposal facility on land just off the A420, near to the Honda factory sites.

Andy Pederson, of Highworth Road, believes that despite assurances to the contrary from the company, it is actually going to be an incinerator.

He has sent a letter to local residents inviting them to attend a public meeting at Grange Leisure Centre on Sunday April 3 at 2pm to discuss his fears.

Andy wrote: “Despite the company’s claims, I have consulted with an influential person in the cross-party campaign to stop the incinerator at Cheney Manor Industrial Estate and they have told me Rolton Kilbride’s proposal will be very similar to that proposed at Cheney Manor.

“Based on the information I have received, I believe Rolton Kilbride’s energy centre will be an incinerator.

“This incinerator will have a chimney 55 metres high and will be within 100 metres of homes in Lower Stratton and very close to homes in South Marston and Coleview.

“This incinerator’s primary business will be dealing with waste and they have no other plant like this in Britain.”

Many of the facts that are portrayed as new findings in the letter are, in fact, well known and willingly disclosed by Rolton Kilbride.

Plans for the scale and appearance of the buildings were disclosed at a public engagement session last month.

The fact that the facility will be dealing with waste is not in dispute, indeed that is it’s primary function.

It is designed to bake non-recyclable rubbish at extreme temperatures to produce steam which powers generators.

These generators will then create around 14MW of electricity, enough to power more than 20,000 homes.

The company also acknowledge that this will be the first site of its kind in the UK, however they point to the successful use of the same technology at three sites in Norway.

Speaking at the public engagement session, Rolton Kilbride Director, Andrew Needham, sought to allay fears of hazardous emissions being released.

He said: “The days of putting anything into the air are far bygone days. You just can't do that anymore.

“The chimney will comply with European regulations and we will be monitored constantly by the Environment Agency.”

If it goes ahead the site is expected to create around 20 new jobs.