SPARSHOLT College has announced it will submit a revised planning application for its “Green Gas Mill” later this month.

This comes after planners rebuffed original proposals because contracts were not signed restricting road use for fuel delivery drivers.

The college told Winchester city councillors at a planning committee meeting on April 21 that these contracts would not be signed until after the planning application was approved. However, they weren’t happy with this and refused the plans.

The college claims the dubbed “Green Gas Mill” – which turns grass into gas – can produce power for the equivalent of nearly 5,000 homes a year.

The anaerobic digester would need 60,000 tonnes of fuel per year to run.

The news comes after Sparsholt was awarded the Green Business of the Year award at this year’s Winchester Business Excellence Awards.

Commenting on the award, principal Tim Jackson said: “The college is very proud to be focused and committed to carbon reduction and to ensuring our campuses are as efficient and as green as they can be.”

The college says it is focused on minimising environmental impact.