NEW details and concerns have arisen around controversial plans for a gas peaking plant in Westbury’s Northacre Industrial Park at Kingdom Avenue.
The plans were initially refused by the Wiltshire Council on the grounds it would worsen air quality; however after the plans were amended to increase the efficiency of the gas engines, which the applicant says would reduce emissions by 30%, the application was approved last year.
The council have now said that at the same time as submitting the amended application, Eclipse Power Generation Ltd (EPGL) made an appeal against the refusal of the initial application. The approval of the more environmentally friendly plans requires a Section 106 agreement to be signed, which still has not been signed.
The Section 106 agreement forces developers to improve the local area to offset the pressures created by new developments.
The council have said that they are of the understanding that the less environmentally friendly plans will be withdrawn from the planning inspectorate appeal process once this Section 106 is agreed. EPGL has not yet signed the Section 106 or withdrawn their appeal meaning there is a chance the original, less environmentally friendly plans, will go before an inspector for the final decision.
The Westbury incinerator was recently approved against the wishes of Wiltshire Council by a government inspector, so this appeal has caused concern. The council have said they will fight the appeal if the inquiry goes ahead on Tuesday 18th April.
One of those concerned is Wiltshire and Westbury town councillor for Westbury West Matthew Dean.
He said, “The original proposals are completely unsuitable and very damaging to the town, and I think Wiltshire Council should do everything they can to oppose the application at appeal. As the local councillor I will be attending the appeal myself and I will be campaigning and doing everything I can to oppose the application.”
But cllr Dean also felt Wiltshire Council was wrong to approve any of the plans for the plant.
He added, “I am very disappointed that Wiltshire Council approved a small power station on an industrial site close to residential housing. This is another example like the incinerator of the wrong sorts of developments being put in Westbury.”
In their application EPGL dispute any objections over air quality and say, “The long-term and short-term predicted environmental concentrations of nitrogen dioxide from the facility operations are all below the relevant air quality objectives.”
They add the pollution will not be significant enough to impact wildlife.
Pictured: The site plan for the gas peaking plant.
