North Kesteven District Council’s planning committee meet this evening to consider the proposal by Eco2 to build a 40MW renewable energy power plant, fuelled by locally produced straw, to make electricity on land off Boston Road, between Sleaford and Kirkby La Thorpe.

Planning officers have recommended that the application be permitted, subject to 26 separate conditions being satisfied.

The meeting will be held in the council chamber at Kesteven Street, Sleaford at 6.30pm and is open to ticket holders only.

The council says that because of the limited size of the council chamber and for health and safety reasons it has had to limit the number of members of the public attending to 80.

Public objectors have been invited to apply for tickets on a first come, first served basis.

Executive board member with responsibility for development control, Coun Mike Gallagher, said: “This is a meeting to consider a single major planning application by all members of the council.

“North Kesteven District Council has worked at accommodating as many people as possible.”

A number of residents opposed to the scheme put on a public exhibition in Sleaford recently allowing people to study and analyse the planning application in detail. But Eco2 bosses have refuted many of the claims made about the scheme with regard to emissions, delivery lorry traffic (more than 100 lorry movements to or from the site every day) and the effect the size and scale of the plant would have on the town and surrounding area.

Eco2 predicts the £80 million plant would generate enough electricity to power 65,000 homes and says it will produce significant investment in the local community as well as 80 jobs running the plant and supplying the straw.

l Good or bad? What is your view of the impact the energy plant will have on Sleaford? Email your views to john.lavery@jpress.co.uk or text to 81800, starting your message with SLEANEWS (see page 2 for terms and conditions).

l Check the Standard’s website at www.sleafordstandard.co.uk for the outcome of tonight’s planning meeting.