Changes to biomass plan spark action
NDTP Bio Gas ps1309-15 Bio Gas Wetwang Driffield Pictured by Pam Stanforth ps1309-15 Martin Hill
AN ACTION group has challenged East Riding of Yorkshire Council over changes made to an application for a biomass plant at Fimber.
The biomass power plant, which will generate 17.5 megawatts of energy - enough to power 10,000 homes, is proposed for land at Gameslack Farm, Beverley Road, Fimber.
The Gameslack Opposition Group, formed of 10 residents from Fimber and Wetwang, were sparked into action after the applicants, East Riding Power Ltd, resubmitted the proposal with amendments which would see the site doubling in size.
The initial planning application was submitted in March 2010 by East Yorkshire Power Ltd, and the amendments were presented to the Council’s planning committee on January 24 2013.
Martyn Hill, spokesperson for the Gameslack Opposition Group, said: “We believe East Riding Council should have requested the developer to resubmit the plans because of the increased size. We want it to go back to committee.
“They did not consider the archaeological aspect to the site. Overall we feel that the visual impact the increased size of the development will have was not properly addressed.”
A report by the Humberside Archaeological Partnership states the biomass site lies on land of prehistoric archaeological importance and is 200-metres from the ancient monument Blealands Nook.
Mr Hill, who is a building surveyor and has lived in Fimber for 15-years, said: “We are not against biomass, we are not against the principles of renewable energy but we have always maintained it was the wrong development in the wrong place.”
A spokesperson for East Riding of Yorkshire Council said: “The application was resubmitted and has been deferred pending completion of a section 106 legal agreement.
“We have now received a letter with various observations and we will be responding to it and we will be making our own observations on it. The application is not finally approved.”
The section 106 agreement will secure a community fund, improvement to site facilities for electricity connections to the National Grid, retention of buildings for office or educational facilities and contribution to the road signage scheme.
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Weather for Driffield
Tuesday 21 May 2013
Today
Cloudy
Temperature: 7 C to 12 C
Wind Speed: 20 mph
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