Philipp Lukas, managing director of Future Biogas.

Controversial plans for a biodigester in rural north Norfolk may be substantially scaled down after concerns were raised at a packed public meeting.

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Consultants could be asked to take designs for the renewable-energy scheme back to the drawing board, seeking to halve traffic visiting the site and reduce the size of the plant by up to 25pc, according to Philipp Lukas,managing director of applicant Future Biogas.

Mr Lukas said the move followed Friday night’s meeting in Gresham Village Hall, attended by around 200 people, many of whom had raised questions about the plant, planned for a site on Stonepit Hill, Plum Lane, Gresham.

Guildford-based Future Biogas hopes to convert crops grown in a 10-mile radius of the site into biogas, for use as a fuel, producing enough electricity for the National Grid to power over 4,500 homes.

But the firm’s application has sparked a huge wave of concern among residents who are especially worried about the estimated 8,000 vehicle movements a year which would be generated, mostly using tractors and trailers.

Nearly 160 have formally registered their opposition with North Norfolk District Council (NNDC), with only four responses in favour of the scheme.

“The local road network is absolutely and completely inadequate for this type of heavy traffic,” said Maurice de Bunsen, who attended the public meeting and who lives about 650m from the site.

More than half the surrounding roads were single track and the rest were only as good as their narrowest stretches, which were often only one-vehicle wide, he said.

Intensive questioning during the three-hour meeting had dealt with a range of traffic matters, including its impact on Gresham Village School, cyclists, ramblers and tourists, as well as local residents.

The following day, during a two-day exhibition staged by Future Biogas in the hall, Mr Lukas said the firm fully accepted that sending traffic through Gresham village would be unacceptable and was considering “revising” its plans.

Possibilities included storing crops in silage clamps at other locations, using more compact vehicles more efficiently and re-routing to use larger roads.

Mr Lukas said the firm would be responding this week to concerns raised by Norfolk County Council’s highways department about the original scheme and would be consulting with NNDC futher. “We haven’t firmed up on any changes yet,” he added.

The public meeting, chaired by Sandi Caine-Williams, chairman of Gresham Parish Council, saw Future Biogas representatives fielding questions from the audience. Among non-Gresham residents and representatives from neighbouring villages attending were farmer Oliver Arnold, who owns land in Taverham where the firm is developing a similar scheme, and Geoff Lyon, NNDC senior planning officer.

Potential noise and smell nuisance were also raised and the company assured questioners that these would be minimal.

Afterwards, Mr de Bunsen said many people remained concerned that the “industrial” nature of the plant would have a detrimental impact on the surrounding country-side, despite Future Biogas’s assurances that it would be screened by trees and hedges.

He welcomed the company’s change of heart over sending traffic through Gresham but said he would keep an open mind until he had seen any ‘Plan B’. Future Biogas should now withdraw its current plan and submit an entirely fresh application, he added.