A PLANT that will make electricity with dung from a farm’s cattle herd has won planning permission.

Durham county councillors backed the scheme after hearing that fears about noise and bad smells were unfounded.

The anaerobic digester will be built on land south of Hope House Farm, near Elstob Lane, Mordon, Sedgefield.

JFS Hope House Farm Biogas Ltd plans to generate 500kw of power from dung and grass silage, none of which will come from outside the farm.

The council’s county planning committee heard that the plant works like a “mechanical stomach”, breaking down organic matter to create methane that is burned to generate power.

Three residents have raised concerns about smells, manure being stored close to homes, noise, and landscaping issues.

Mordon Parish Council sought assurances that residents would be protected from noise, odour and heavy traffic and that the digester would only use feedstock from the farm.

Case planning officer Chris Shields said that plants are quieter than tractors and that no odour would be produced.

Councillors voted unanimously for the application.