Fengrain has overstepped the boundaries by applying to Fenland District Council for an anaerobic digester on a field east of its large grain storage facility.

In June, residents were invited along for an open day to view information and proposed plans for this plant, encouraging support by stating that it would benefit the local community, more regular employment for locals (the actual plant would only need a further two staff).

Those that did go along raised some very serious concerns especially about the increase in traffic. The information stated that the plant would use 35,000 tones of beet, maize or rye per year to run.

At the parish meeting in July the application had increased to 45,000 tonnes.

Anyone living in this area will already have experienced the congestion on the notorious A141, not just between Chatteris and March but all the way from Huntingdon or from Peterborough.

Fengrain’s customers will be travelling from seven different counties so that means an extra four articulated lorries, or more if the product is being brought in by tractor and trailer, every hour coming in to Eastwood End and then the same number leaving Eastwood End every hour.

The residents of Wimblington were invited along to the Parish Hall earlier this month to put forward their concerns for or against this application.

Of the 120 or more residents present there was not one individual who raised a ‘for’ point of view.

The community realises that alternative energy resources need to be created but we already have numerous wind farms that regularly stand still. We already have more anaerobic digestion plants in this region than any other in the UK.

Also, Fengrain has not considered the impact that it will have on ramblers, horse riders or cyclists that all come to enjoy our byways and public right of way.

ANGELA JOHNSON

Via e-mail