Colchester: Eco-friendly scheme for Tesco likely to go ahead

9:10am Sunday 12th October 2008

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A SCHEME to provide eco-friendly power to a supermarket is set to be approved.

Planning officers have advised members of Colchester Council’s planning committee to approve the proposal which would see a combined heat and power (CHP) unit installed at the Highwoods branch of Tesco in the town.

Tesco wants to provide a sustainable method of powering the store and the proposal will allow it to recover heat produced during power generation and reuse it for other purposes.

Officers, in their report, reveal they were set, under delegated powers, to approve the scheme without it going before a committee, but it must now be discussed as an objection has been lodged.

A nearby resident fears the unit will cause noise problems and, as a result, Tesco has completed a report it is hoped will go before the committee when it meets on Thursday.

The company is also hoping to secure planning approval for a similar proposal for its Tiptree store, but this will be decided on a separate occasion.

Last month it revealed Tiptree was among the first of the stores in the country to be selected to have one of the units, with the hope Tesco could begin installing them nationwide next year.