SPARSHOLT College is making preparations for public 'drop-in sessions’ to inform local residents about their proposed Green Gas Mill.

The college announced last week its partnership with green energy firm, Ecotricity, to build a new 'Green Gas Mill'.

The first public consultation event will be Thursday September 24 at the college from 3-8pm.

The mill is part of its plans to develop a Centre of Excellence for Renewable Energies.

Green campaigners have said the scheme would industrialise the area and would not be environmentally friendly.

Sparsholt says it would turn grass into gas using anaerobic digestion, to supply both the college and the national gas grid through a new gas connection.

The mill will be fed with cut grass from surrounding farmland and the feedstock will be sourced within a maximum radius of 15 miles of the college.

The feedstock will be transported directly to the site from the B3049, up Westley Lane to the college farm, avoiding Sparsholt village.

The cut grass will be transported by standard agricultural vehicles – such as tractors with large trailers, rather than lorries – so the college says disruption will be negligible.

Tim Jackson, college principal, said he hoped that the upcoming public consultation would help residents better understand the project.

Mr Jackson said: “We think it’s important to correct any unhelpful speculation about the size and scale of the plant and give a clear outline of how the feedstock will be transported.

“We won’t be using ‘thousands of lorries’ as reported in the press, the feedstock will be transported by tractor and trailer which are a familiar sight in this rural community, carting material from the same fields we will be using. These deliveries will mainly substitute existing vehicle movements derived from farming the local agricultural landscape rather than create additional movements."

Mr Jackson added: “This is a brilliant project that produces carbon-neutral gas from grass. There are many benefits for the college including the provision of education and training for young people looking for a career in renewable energy professions, a significantly reduced carbon footprint for the college, reducing college operating costs and providing lots of hands-on work experience for our students, as we do with all of our farm-based practical units.

“However there are also wider benefits to the local community. Local farmers will benefit by providing grass to run the mill, while the process supports food production and the environment by providing a natural fertiliser that reduces the need for artificial chemicals, and by growing the grass in rotation with crops, the soil is further improved through rest.

“The Green Gas Mill will also employ a number of people directly at the plant and through the delivery of feedstock.

“And local residents could also benefit from a new connection to the gas grid allowing them access to cheaper ‘mains gas’ for the first time.

“We are very excited by this opportunity and especially grateful to the Enterprise M3 Local Enterprise Partnership for providing the £1.2m grant for the teaching centre which will be incorporated as part of this Gas Mill development.”