A CONTROVERSIAL new power plant is being planned for Southampton Docks – less than two years after the defeat of a giant biomass station which would have towered over neighbouring homes.

Energy chiefs have earmarked land at Millbrook Wastewater Treatment Plant for a series of generators serving as a back-up for the National Grid, which could be crucial in keeping the lights on as the country approaches a looming energy crisis.

The new plant, proposed by Peak Gen Power, would be a fifth of the size of the previously planned £300 million wood-fuelled station, which was scrapped by developers Helius 18 months ago following widespread public outcry, where hundreds of residents marched through the streets in protest.

But environmental campaigns fear that the diesel engines used to power the new plant will increase air pollution and noise in surrounding neighbourhoods, which already have some of the worst air quality in the region.

Tonight, planning chiefs will decide the fate of the bid – which has been launched in the wake of the council launching a range of measures to combat worsening air pollution.

As previously reported, Southampton has failed on its air pollution levels for two types of particulates – including toxic gas nitrogen dioxide – making the city one of the worst five cities in the UK outside London.

The 20MW plant is earmarked for land owned by Southern Water in Western Avenue, close to where the biomass plant was planned.

The 10 diesel and gas-powered generators will produce electricity to feed the grid at times of shortages – typically during peak demand hours of 4-7pm.

The generators – housed on a compound in units similar to shipping containers surrounded by acoustic fencing – are expected to operate just two hours a week.

But they will be on standby for “emergencies” when required by the National Grid.

Council officers are recommending members accept the scheme.

But critics claim that the country’s looming energy crisis could lead to greater use of the power plant – pointing out that no limit has been set for its use.

Former Millbrook Conservative councillor Steve Galton, who co-founded the No Southampton Biomass group, said: “It’s nowhere near the size of the biomass plant but it is going to make a bad neighbour.”

“If we are dealing with energy shortages in the country, it could be used more and more.”

He urged for it to be located elsewhere in the National Grid and added: “In an area where there is already a lot of noise and air pollution, we should be preventing it getting worse – not adding to it.”

Christopher Hinds, who lives in Fawley Road, said: “What sound levels will the generators create and what will be done to mitigate the noise disturbance?

“The area suffers from high pollution levels and this will be made worse by the diesel engines used to power the generators.”

Labour Millbrook ward councillor Mike Denness, who referred the plans to the committee following community concerns, said air quality is a “hot issue” in the area and added: “The council is doing a huge amount of work to improve air quality.

“I have concerns about the air quality and noise for local residents at a time when air quality is already an issue in the city.”

He added there was a “lack of information” about the scale of the plant’s operations, and added: “Whether it is operating 24 hours or one hour a day, it will have impact.”

But a spokesman for Peak Gen said the firm had carried out expert surveys to determine the environmental impact of the plans.

He was unable to confirm whether a limit had been set for the power plant’s use during emergencies.

He added: “We believe that the residents of Southampton would benefit from this extra back-up generation to keep their lights on in the future if this site became operational.”

The Echo contacted Southern Water and Associated British Ports but no-one was available for comment before the Echo went to press.