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Ref: 424/06 23 November 2006
County Says ‘No’ To Energy From Waste Plant At Ince Marshes
Cheshire County Council is to object to the Department of Trade and Industry over plans to establish a Refuse Derived Fuel power plant on land at Ince Marshes.
Rejection of the application for outline planning permission from Peel Environmental Ince Ltd, follows last month’s refusal of an application from the same company to develop a Resource Recovery Park on the site.
Today’s decision by the authority’s Executive as a Consultee followed consideration of a 30 page report from County Planning Officer Alan Thornley and was also unanimous.
Members vigorously opposed the possibility of further importation of waste into the county and the risk of pollution in the Ellesmere Port area which already has a heavy industrial complex.
Local Member County Councillor David Rowlands said: “It seems to me that when you are talking about a process on a scale hitherto unknown, you are merely increasing the risk of serious problems when something goes wrong.
“We should be dealing with the problems of waste closer to the source and in smaller units so that the risk is effectively diluted.“
And he added: “I utterly refute any suggestion that Ellesmere Port should become a dumping ground for waste from other areas.”
County Councillor Shirley Harris drew attention to the fact that Cheshire already dealt with large amounts of waste from other areas. “We have had enough.“ she exclaimed.
And County Councillor John Burke thought it unfair that residents of the Ellesmere Port area should risk further possible pollution from “the largest facility of its type in Europe.”
Planners believe that the proposal contravenes polices of the Cheshire 2016 Structure Plan Alteration, the Ellesmere Port and Neston Local Plan and the North West Regional Spatial Strategy.
They maintain that the application breeches regulations relating to development of Cheshire’s estuaries; has a ‘unsustainable’ location with regard to public transport, cycling and walking and a potential to prejudice the long term planning of the area.
In his report to the Executive Mr Thornley considers the application premature whilst the outcome of the inquiry into the Cheshire Replacement Waste Local Plan remains unknown.
“To grant permission would predetermine decisions on both the scale and location of the development and would prejudice the strategy and site allocations of the plan.” he maintains.
The nine major grounds for objection also conclude that the site does not comply with the assessment criteria for waste management.
And planners feel that the applicants have not provided sufficient information to assess the development’s impacts on unacceptable hazards to life, health or the environment, air pollution, visual intrusion by artificial light or the ecological environment.
Similarly they feel there is inadequate information to make judgements on the loss of damage to Frodsham, Helsby and Ince Marshes Site of Biological Importance, and a lack of detail with regard to access for public transport, walking or cycling or a travel plan for the site.
“Measures have not been agreed to accommodate additional traffic movements generated by the proposed development, in particular to address the concerns of the Highway authority.“ says Mr Thornley.
Ends
Story Note: The proposed RDF power plant is designed to generate over 50mw of electricity - the largest energy from a waste plant in the UK - and the planning application must be considered by the DTI.
Note To Editors: For further information please contact County Councillors Rowlands on 01244 300655, Harris on 01606 79054 and Burke on 01244 679657.
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