TOWN councillors in Westbury have voiced strong concerns over two applications for local gas plants, fearing their cumulative effect on the environment – along with that of the controversial incinerator bid – will be “poisonous”.
Cllr Shelia Kimmins, proposing refusal of both applications, reminded members that Westbury already has one of the most polluted air quality zones of the county.
The council’s highways, planning and development committee voted unanimously against Eclipse Power Generation Ltd’s bid for a 7.5mw gas peaking generation plant at Plot D2, Kingdom Avenue, Westbury.
At their online meeting held on 18th January, councillors also supported Heywood and Hawkeridge Parish Council’s rejection of Balance Power Projects Limited’s proposal for a gas powered standby generation facility on land at Hawkeridge Park – a location which lies outside the town council’s jurisdiction.
The plans for the Kingdom Avenue plant say it will include an electrical substation, gas kiosk, gas engines, access, CCTV, lighting and associated works. The Hawkeridge Park facility would be accompanied by ancillary infrastructure and equipment and an access road, the report before councillors stated.
Cllr Shelia Kimmins proposed refusing both applications, saying, “Each of these five generators that are being applied for [at Kingdom Avenue] have methane gas powered engines working for 3,000 hours per year, which equates to 8.5 hours per day, and will be on standby 24/7.
“The air quality report presented to us by the applicant says nitrogen dioxide and carbon emission will be emitted.
“In the second application, these are four gas powered generators powered by combustible nitro gas They all have flumes on their roofs, taking the building up to 5m high. The generators will be working 2,000 hours per year, or eight hours a day, and on standby 24/7. Their air quality report says nitrogen dioxide will be emitted.
“We have to bear in mind there’s also an application for an incinerator in this area.
“These gas turbines are more likely to be used at times of peak demand which the government says are between 7am and 11am and 4pm and 10pm,” she added. “They will be emitting their pollution at the same time traffic pollution is at its highest in Westbury.”
Cllr Kimmins asked members, “Both Wiltshire Council and Westbury Town Council have declared a climate emergency, so do these applications decrease or assist climate warning? Do these applications protect public heath?
“We have to take into consideration other environmental permits issued in the area.”
Cllr Kimmins said both applications should be rejected on the grounds they do not comply with policies on air pollution or climate emergency.
She further asked for the applications to be called in for consideration by Wiltshire Council.
Cllr Mike Sutton said, “We seem to be getting a lot of reports about environmental damage from all of the paid consultants who are paid by the companies to give them the answers they want, but they are saying the figures are coming in just under the unacceptable level.
“But if you add up all of these, the total is poisonous, but nobody seems to be addressing it as a cumulative effect.
“I don’t think Wiltshire Council will take it on board and break the habit of a lifetime and listen to anything sensible.
“We now have three applications [including the incinerator] saying they are coming in under the pollutant level, but the cumulative effect is disastrous.”
Cllr Gordon King seconded cllr Kimmins’ proposal, saying, “What cllr Sutton has said is a significant factor – the growing coalescence of plants in the vicinity that will present a clear and present danger to public health.
“Secondly, the applicant has not given any information as to how the gas supplies will be transported to the site, or any related transport issues.”
Cllr Mike Kettlety agreed “100%” with cllr Kimmins, saying diesel engines would be used in the generation works, as well as gas mains.
“There is a problem with added transport to both areas,” he told members. “We are a committed green council and on that basis, we should reject the Kingdom Avenue one because that is under our jurisdiction and we should also support the rejection by Heywood and Hawkeridge Parish Council of the second one.
“The sites are not suitable in terms of the transport chaos they could cause, but the fact they are using fossil fuel is totally ungreen and something we should object to.”
Committee chair, cllr Ian Cunningham echoed everyone’s comments, saying, “We need less carbon dioxide, not more of it.”
