Public Exhibition For Two-Part Teesside Energy Generation Scheme Plans

Friday 05 February 2010

Plans for a new energy generation project on Teesside, encompassing a wind farm and a combined heat and power (CHP) scheme, are set to go on show at a public exhibition.

County Durham firm Banks Developments has prepared an initial scoping report for the proposed development, which would be located around the village of Stillington, to the north west of Stockton and around three miles east of the A1(M).

Detailed proposals for the Lambs Hill wind farm are still in development, but it is expected that it would encompass between four and six turbines on land to the west of the village.

In addition to this, a small Combined Heat & Power (CHP) scheme, which would be capable of producing up to 4MW of power, would be located next to existing businesses on the Stillington Industrial Estate, in order to provide them with both heat and electricity generated from renewable fuels, such as biodiesels.

The public exhibition will take place between 3pm and 7pm on Monday 15 February at the village’s Youth & Community Centre on Lowson Street.

Members of the Banks Developments team will be on hand to answer visitors’ questions, and to gather feedback which will be taken into account as the scheme design process progresses.

If the plans are approved, the communities around the scheme would benefit directly from a community development fund that would be focused on helping tackle poor energy efficiency and high bills in homes, enabling community groups to install other forms of renewable energy and other community projects. The fund could also benefit community groups and voluntary organisations assisting local people and environmental projects in the vicinity of the project.

Banks Developments was behind the construction of North East England’s largest wind farm development, near its own offices at Tow Law, and has also led the regeneration of the Bowesfield area over the last decade, bringing both new commercial and residential developments and a 37-acre nature reserve to the Stockton area.

Rob Williams, renewablesprojects director at Banks Developments, says: “We take public involvement and input very seriously around all our schemes, and this will be the first opportunity for local people to see the innovative ways in which we are proposing to develop the Lambs Hill scheme.

“The initial response we’ve had to the announcement of our plans has been generally positive, and we hope as many people as possible will be able to come to the exhibition to find out more and give their opinions at this event.

“The recent spell of freezing weather and this month’s Fuel Poverty Awareness Day are highlighting the importance of tackling the increasing number of problems being caused by fuel poverty, and being able to progress this scheme would enable us to implement a number of important measures that would help to do so in the surrounding communities.”

Anyone who would like more information about the Lambs Hills proposals, but who can’t attend the public exhibition, can contact community engagement coordinator Emily Hooson at Banks Developments on 01740 658500 or via lambshills@banksdevelopments.com

Last updated: Monday 08 February 2010, 12:53 PM