Decision details

A report was presented on an application for the erection of a building to house four 1MW biomass boilers each with a 7.2m high exhaust stack, and four associated fuel silos and a drying floor, and the provision of photovoltaic solar panels on the southern half of the roof of the building at City Centre Commercials, Tower House, Simonswood Industrial Estate, Stopgate Lane, Simonswood, Kirkby.

The report included the views of West Lancashire Borough Council, Simonswood Parish Council, the Environment Agency and the County Council's LCC Specialist Advisor (Ecology). The Committee noted that no letters of representation had been received in respect of the application.

The Development Management Officer presented a PowerPoint presentation showing an aerial photograph of the site, an illustration of the proposed building elevations and photographs of the site from various viewpoints.

It was reported that since the dispatch of the agenda papers, the applicant had advised that in addition to the dried chipped wood that would be produced and exported from the site for use as a feedstock for biomass boilers generally, the heat to be generated by the biomass boilers would also be used to dry aggregates.  Further details about the process were set out in the Update Sheet circulated at the meeting and attached as Annex A to the Minute book.

In response to the above, the Officer advised that the applicant's comments be noted.

Mr Lee Whittingham, the agent for the applicant, addressed the Committee and spoke in support of the application. He took the Committee through the process for the recycling and re-use of the waste materials. He advised that the application was fully compliant with both national and local planning policies. He also advised that the site would be operated under the appropriate licenses and in addition, would create a number of jobs.

Resolved: Thatplanning permission be Granted subject to the conditions set out in the report to the Committee.