‘Awful smell’ fears as new energy plant planned for Chatteris

Residents are also concerned that there will be an increase in traffic

Locals fear “long queues of traffic” and potential bad smells coming from a new energy plant that is planned for land right next to an existing one. Pretoria Energy has submitted plans to build a large anaerobic digestion plant in Chatteris.

If approved, the plant could use around 220,000 tonnes of feedstock every year, including chicken and poultry litter, straw, and blended liquid food waste, to produce energy. People living in Chatteris fear the new plant could cause problems for the area.

Some people believe the smell could get worse being next to an existing plant. Neil Holmes, who doesn’t live in Chatteris but frequently uses the A142 that travels past the existing plant, said the current site already produces an “awful smell”.

He added: “As you drive by, some days are worse than others. I can’t imagine what it’s like to live anywhere close to it with that smell. And if the second plant produces the same amount, it would be unbearable to live anywhere within a 10-mile radius, especially if the wind is blowing it towards your property.”

Neil is also concerned about a potential increase in traffic. He added: ”At the moment there are a lot of tractors backwards and forwards along the A142 delivering to the site. If a second plant is built, I would assume that tractor traffic would at least double.”

Claire James is also concerned about the “effect of increased HGV traffic on the local roads”. She added: “[The roads] are already disintegrating due to huge farm vehicles, taking loads of chopped maize and other loads [to the plant].”

Gillian Baldry, who lives near the current plant, is more concerned about the smell. She said: “Since the expansion, there has been horrible smells coming across the fields and a significant amount of light and noise, as well as increased traffic along the main road. I would not want another plant to be built.”

Annabel Deaves described the current traffic along the A142 as a “nightmare”. She said: ”The traffic in and out of the current plant is a nightmare. It’s 20mph and [you’re unable] to overtake because of opposing traffic for the same reasons from Ely all the way to Mepal.”

Another woman, who wished to remain anonymous, fears the smell could put off people coming to Chatteris, or moving to the area. She said: “The smell is bad enough now, what is it going to be like when a second one could be built? It smells like gone off food most of the time, I don’t want more of that smell.

“It’s going to disgust people visiting here, let alone driving through Chatteris. Also the traffic is going to get worse. The roads are bad enough as it is with all the current tractors and lorries that use the roads. I don’t think the roads can cope with more vehicles on it.”

In a planning application, Pretoria said that its current plant produces 120 HGV movements per day, including 60 vehicles in and 60 out. Pretoria said there could be an overlap in HGV movements, but that would be for a “temporary period”.

In response to potential smells, the plans are accompanied by an odour assessment. Pretoria said this assessment will assess the “potential source of odour” and the cumulative impacts it could have.

Pretoria has been contacted for further comment.