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Press release issued by Powerplant campaign 19th November 2009 |
On 19th November Rother Council's Planning Committee unanimously rejected AHS Ltd's application to build a Biomass Power Station in Coppards Lane Northiam. The proposed power station, intended to sell electricity it produced to the national grid, by burning 1000 tonnes of woodchip a week, in turn wasting large amounts of heat to atmosphere. Local residents feared that atmospheric, light and noise pollution as well as an increase in heavy vehicle traffic through the villages would blight their lives. Over 400 individual objections were published on Rother's Planning website including those from Northiam, Newenden and Hawkhurst Parish Councils, Campaign for the Protection of Rural England and Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Nationally there has been some press raising queries as to whether Britain has enough wood to sustain all of the planned Biomass power stations, thereby forcing their operators to import wood from abroad negating the carbon footprint advantages of Biomass. |
A spokesman for the Campaign against the Northiam PowerPlant said “We are pleased that the Planning Committee and the Council Officers listened to residents concerns and make the right decision based on common sense. It is purely a matter of AHS choosing the wrong location for this proposed plant near to residential properties with a poor road network. We agree that new greener ways must be found to produce electricity, but whatever method is used it should not adversely affect the lives of those living nearby. Putting aside the issues of sustainability of wood supplies, a plant of this size needs to be located where the waste heat produced can be utilised, where the road network can cope with the additional increases in large vehicles and where people's enjoyment of their own homes is not be adversely affected." |
AHS have 6 months in which to appeal the decision if they feel that the Councils decision was not the right one |
The Power Plant Campaign Taskforce. |