PLANS have been revealed for a 100m-tall biomass plant on the land set aside for a Harris free school in Grays.

The second Harris Academy School, which was planned for the London Road site, fell through last month – when it was revealed the sale to the Harris Federation had been trumped by multinational Procter and Gamble.

Eighty schoolchildren were “left in the lurch” without school places for September, until Thurrock Council stepped in to provide alternate provision.

Now the conglomerate has revealed it will be applying to use the land at Fiddler’s Reach for a biomass facility with a tall tower and 25m-high boilers.

The company has stated the impact on traffic and noise in the area will be “minor”, although the land will not be used for production facilities, as the company stated in March.

Details unveiled in the plans show the biomass plant will create renewable energy in the form of heat and power from electricity and steam from recycled wood in the form of woodchips, and will operate 24 hours a day.

Procter & Gamble will put in a joint application with Balfour Beatty Investments and Nexterra Systems Corp for planning permission from Thurrock Council later this year.

They plan to run public consultations with residents.

A spokesman for the council said: “We cannot comment on the planning application this early in the process.”