An energy plant that will supply low-carbon heat to 30,000 homes has been approved by councillors.

The district heating energy centre in Advent Way, Edmonton, will provide new homes with “competitively priced, reliable and sustainably produced energy and heating”, according to a report by council planning chiefs.

The report says the scheme will “create a new decentralised, low carbon heat network” to serve the Meridian Water regeneration scheme “and eventually the wider borough”.

Located in Edmonton Ecopark, the plant will generate heat from gas boilers and a gas-fired combined heat and power system.

It will also use excess heat from the new waste incinerator on the site, which is expected to be up and running by 2025.

When the district energy centre is complete, it will pump hot water through a system of underground pipes to homes and businesses in Enfield.

Ultimately, it could link up to other heat networks in Ponders End, Arnos Grove and Oakwood, as well as to an energy centre in Haringey. Further developments of the network could allow it to serve an extra 50,000 to 60,000 homes.

The plant, which will be operated by Enfield Council-owned energy company Energetik, was approved at a meeting of the planning committee on Tuesday (July 21).

During the meeting, Cllr Mike Rye (Conservative, Town) asked for assurances that wastewater from the facility would be filtered before being discharged into nearby waterway the Enfield Ditch.

Planning decisions manager Sharon Davidson said filtration measures would be added “to ensure drainage that goes into the ditch is as clean as it can be”.

Committee chairman Cllr Sinan Boztas (Labour, Lower Edmonton) asked whether the development would lead to any transport or security issues.

Ms Davidson said planning conditions would be added to minimise disruption to traffic, while there would be CCTV and security measures covering the wider ecopark site.

All committee members voted in favour of the scheme following a half-hour debate.