Issue - meetings

Planning application LCC/2019/0029 Energy Recovery Facility Redscar industrial Estate, Preston

Meeting: 27/11/2019 - Development Control Committee (Item 5)

5 Preston City: Application number LCC/2019/0029
Energy recovery facility fuelled by residual non-hazardous household, commercial and industrial waste and refuse derived fuel, and incorporating an energy recovery facility main building, air cooled condensers, weighbridges and gatehouse, site roads, landscaping including bunds, car parking, surface water swale and wetland, electricity sub-station building and switchyard, pump house, fire water storage tanks, other ancillary plant and equipment, fencing and site security, realignment of existing roadway and drainage ditch through the site, underground power cable network and a temporary construction compound. Land at Red Scar Industrial Estate, Longridge Road, Preston. pdf icon PDF 819 KB

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Minutes:

The Committee considered a report on an application for an energy recovery facility on land at Red Scar Industrial Estate, Longridge Road, Preston.

 

The application was accompanied by an Environmental Statement and Non-Technical Summary.

 

Members of the Committee had previously visited the site at Red Scar Industrial Estate, Preston and an existing facility in Cannock, Staffordshire.

 

The report included the views of Preston City Council, South Ribble Borough Council, Ribble Valley Borough Council, Grimsargh Parish Council, Samlesbury Parish Council, Lancashire County Council Highways Development Control, Highways England, the Environment Agency, Jacobs UK Ltd (Ecology advice), Natural England, the Wildlife Trust for Lancashire, LCC Specialist Advisor (Archaeology), Historic England, Jacobs UK Ltd (Landscape advice), the Lead Local Flood Authority, National Grid Gas and Electricity, National Grid Company P.L.C, CadentGas, Public Health, England, Lancashire Public Health Collaborative, the Health and Safety Executive and details of 424 representations received of which 421 raised objection to the application.  The report also included details of representations received from Ben Wallace M.P., Mark Hendrick M.P. and Preston City Councillors Ron Woolam, Brian Rollo, John Browne and Philip Corker.

 

The Development Management Officer presented a PowerPoint presentation showing an aerial view of the site and the nearest residential properties. The Committee was also shown various illustrations and a photomontage of the proposed facility from various aspects together with an indicative process diagram and photographs of the site and access roads.

 

The Officer reported orally that since the committee report had been finalised the county council had received 7 further representations including one from the Campaign for the Protection of Rural England and a further petition from Residents against Longridge Road Energy Centre with 703 signatures.  Full details together with officer advice in relation to such and details of minor amendments to conditions 4, 14, 16 and 26 were set out in the 'Update Sheet' circulated at the meeting and attached at item 4 of the agenda.

 

Several local residents and Preston City Councillor, Brian Rollo, addressed the committee and raised the following summarised concerns: 

 

  This is the wrong location for an energy recovery facility - it is too close to residential properties and schools.

  The plant would release high levels of greenhouse gases and particulate matter into the atmosphere impacting on the general health of residents and in particular, children and older people living in the area.

  The proposal would generate considerable additional traffic each day, through an already gridlocked route leading to the M6 motorway slip road and in turn, would result in long delays through Grimsargh and Longridge.

  If the motorway is blocked for any reason, which is a regular occurrence, HGVs would have to travel through residential areas of Preston to access the site.

  Residents are already subjected to high levels of pollution from the M6 Motorway. This proposal would exacerbate matters and further impact on the health of residents.

  The plant would reinforce a throwaway attitude towards waste and might burn recyclable  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5

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