Petition against power plant handed to council

The development has already proved controversial with local councillors, who have questioned the need for such a facility in a built-up area.

But campaign group Food Not Fuel, which carried out the petition is encouraging people to shoot the application down as Ealing Council conducts a consultation until May 1.

Resident Aneaka Kelley, 24, who lives in Longford Avenue, Southall said: "I think it is an outrage that this plant might be built on my doorstep.

"The power plant will burn pure unrecycled vegetable oil which will lead to more air pollution here in Southall and more climate change globally.

"It's a myth that agrofuels combat climate change: they make it worse and release more greenhouse gases in their lifetime than fossil fuels do.

A spokesman for Blue-NG said:"There can be such a thing as a 'good biofuel' and we think our plans to use rapeseed oil grown within 50 miles of London to generate electricity and heat, is sustainable, safe and sensible.

"To say that we pose a threat, direct or indirect to rainforests, or that we're increasing food prices for the world's poor is simply not true. We would never do such things.

"The UK currently has a surplus of rapeseed oil which is exported. We can make use of that.

"Ealing council has very strict rules on emissions and would rightly not let us build. If we do win planning permission, we will be providing electricity and heat for local homes and businesses.

"Southall could help to pioneer the transition to the low carbon technologies of the future."