Outrage as burner gets go-ahead
Saturday 5th September 2009, 10:00AM BST.
Shropshire campaigners fighting plans for a £5 million biomass burner today said they were furious after the Planning Inspectorate gave the go- ahead for the scheme.
People in Bishop’s Castle, who have been fighting the plans for more than two years, said they were disgusted by the decision and have now called an emergency meeting for Monday night to decide their next steps.
Bishop’s Castle Biomass Power Limited was yesterday granted approval to build and operate the plant in the town’s Crowgate Industrial Estate following an eight-day public inquiry, held in March and April.
The combined heat and power plant, fuelled by locally sourced wood chips and wood-energy crops, will generate 2.5 megawatts of electricity, enough to supply 2,500 homes in the area.
Challenge
But Karen Bavastock, chairman of the Bishop’s Castle Group, said members were still determined to prevent the burner going ahead.
She said: “We can claim some minor victories in some of the conditions we helped to negotiate, however there are still a number of concerning things in the report which we would like to challenge but we have got to decide whether we have the financial capability to do so.
“I have called an emergency meeting of the group for Monday night to look at the report and decide where we go from here.”
A spokesman for the consortium of local farmers who are behind BCBP said: “The new power plant will help provide jobs for people in the town and on the surrounding land, and is of vital importance to help farmers, land owners and other local businesses diversify in order to survive and thrive in these difficult times.”
Niall Blackie, partner and head of planning at FBC Manby Bowdler, which represented BCBP at the inquiry, said: “We are grateful to the inspector for the care which he took in ensuring that all the issues that people had raised were fully discussed before him and we are pleased that he came to the conclusion that the impact on the countryside would not be unacceptable.”
By Russell Roberts
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Sooner or later, people will realise that this country is not run by the Government, the local authorities, or with any regard for the wishes of the general public. Big business and the bankers have total power and control all elected authorities like puppets.
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im really pleased the NIMBYs lost and the renewable power station got the go ahead
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We live in Bishops Castle and have been opposed to this all along. It is the local people who will suffer when it will becomes obvious some time in the future that the Biomass will harm people’ health and it will be then too late to do anything. This site will be next to the allotments and very close to the High school. This goes to show that people really dont matter to the powers that approved this ridiculous idea. Many folk around here, despite all the protests just knew that it would be approved no matter what. It was just a matter of time. Truly disgusted.
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Democracy is the government of the people, for the people, run by a very few other people. And folks…we aren’t one of them.
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So Tory Boys “really pleased as the Nimbys have lost and this bio mass plant got the go ahead” yet he is in himslef a nimby who opposes the Incinerator being built in the outskirts of shrewsbury, a case of not in my backyard ! mind you the puppet daniel kawczynski was not involved so no licks from Tory Boy.
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“nough to supply 2,500 homes in the area.” but its not for homes in the area – its just pumped into the national grid. This is just doublespeak.
NIMBY = someone who cares for there local environment. YOB = someone who doesn’t care.
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Marco. Yes it is pumped into the national grid, and its this grid system that ensures we have one of the most reliable electricity supplies in the world! To say 2500 homes is a way of making 2.5MW a quantifiable and understandable figure for the majority of people.
To call someone like myself a yob is ridiculous, what you have to remember is that yobs like me are at least intelligent enough to be able to sensibly debate a subject with reasoned arguments.
I care for the environment, both locally and globally and because of this I understand the importance schemes like this.
So marco, what are the reasons you do not want this environmentally friendly boost to the local ecomomy?
Jan, im sure you have read extensively about the fuels for the biomass burner and understand the fules being used. So why do you feel that the use of wood and other crops will be so bad for health? The human race has been burning wood etc. for heat and cooking for tens of thousands of years….. but now its a problem?!?
and for the record I drive one of the lowest emission cars on the market, purchase electricity both personally and at work from renewable sources (via the grid!)… how about you lovely people?
X
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So just where do you expect your rural power supply for your lap top and wide screen TV to come from? Is it ok with you if the plant is in some one elses back yard, just so long as it is not yours? Eco hypocrites like you make me sick. Be grateful it is a Bio fuel plant and not a nuclear reactor.
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Big Matty: Why not just say ‘enough power for 2,500 homes.’? Why does every press release tack on ‘in the local area’ or ‘in surrounding villages’? That second part of the statement is just doublespeak to make it sound like the power is going only to local homes, which is not true.
Every statement in these press releases is given the same treatment, with a subtle spin being added which just makes me distrust them!
In that case how can I trust them when they talk about ‘creating jobs in the local town’ (Besides that’s bound to run foul of some EU directive. Surely the jobs must be advertised on the open market and there is no way to restrict them to someone living within walking/cycling distance?)
If they are doublespeaking about providing energy for local homes, then what does it mean when they say ‘locally sourced wood chips and wood-energy crops’? Are they not going to buy the most competitively priced fuel on the open market and instead insist on purchasing products grown within 10 miles regardless of the extra cost? Will they stick to wood products even though wastes including plastic and rubber would provide higher profits?
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The sad fact here is i think the likes of jan do not realy understand what they are objecting to, Please educate these people.
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marco: I dont think its double speak as you call it, I think its a polite way to allow people to understand and relate to the data. How its worded is not the issue here anyway, the point is that there is an environmentally friendly power plant being built yet people don’t want it.
The term local is somewhat loose, however a broad interpretation of it to me would mean jobs are being kept within the UK. If this is the case then this has to be a good thing. With employment levels in their current state there should be no need to employ anyone from outside the UK and if anything we should be taking affirmative action to ensure that these jobs are NOT offered outside of the UK. In fact at risk of starting a rather contriversial debate, I think it should be illegal to employ from outside of the UK in the current climate.
So, local can be a broad term but we need to ensure the money stays in the UK (at least until we are well clear of recession anyway).
I have to admit marco that I am as cynical as you are to some extent regarding materials to be burnt and profit levels, however the waste market is so heavily regulated and controlled I don’t feel that this should be a problem (although I’m no expert, unlike Jan)
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