There was anger and disappointment in the Nobber area at the news on Friday morning that College Proteins have been granted planning permission for a biomass combined heat and power plant (CHP) at the company's animal by-products rendering site at College Road, Nobber.

The decision came more than three years after a seven-week oral hearing into the development in October 2009, where the company detailed its case for the proposal. The North-East Against Incineration (NEAI) group had opposed the case from the outset.

An earlier application for the proposal was withdrawn following an initial oral hearing in 2008 when it emerged that College Proteins had included land in the application it did not own.

John Keogan of NEAI said on Friday morning they were shocked and terribly disappointed. He pointed out that An Bord Pleanala had overturned the recommendation of its own inspector.

The decision was warmly welcomed by the chief executive of College Proteins, John Gilroy. "I'm delighted that we finally got planning approval. We will now study carefully the conditions attached to the permission, but we remain fully committed to the project," he said.