Tuesday 19th October 2010
The Chesterfield Post has already told you about the decision made to refuse planning permission for Cyclamax to build a waste disposal plant at a site close to property and businesses in Chesterfield.
The report which recommended that permission was in fact granted was prepared by Rob Murfin, who is a Planning Official for DCC.
However, his recommendations were rebuffed by the 9 strong council planning committee who, after careful consideration, chose to listen to the protesters against the site. The report, which was presented to the Committee, can be seen on the Derbyshire County Council website.
Several people spoke at the meeting to air their concerns about the site ahead of the final decision.
First to speak was Chesterfield MP Toby Perkins.
He told the Councillors "I speak on behalf of the people of Chesterfield, and as their MP. This has reunited the people of Chesterfield, people across the political spectrum, schools, colleges, businesses and political parties." He urged the committee to think about the overall impact on Chesterfield - feeling that it would lose jobs in the town rather than create them, as people moved out of Chesterfield.
"The A61 business corridor", he said, "is an exciting development - one which will be in jeopardy if this plan goes ahead."
Next to speak was Sue Allsop who is a Councillor.
She asked the Committee to think about traffic saying that "the Dunston Road is an excellent road - till just before the site when it has a sharp bend in it."
County Councillor Mark Higginbottom represents the site in which the Incinerator would be situated.
He said he'd "allow the technical points to be covered by others but wanted to make the point that this was 'the voice of the Community, that 15,000 votes to 4 was a powerful voice."
He told the committee that "only 1 person had contacted him since 2008 in support of the proposed plans." In a passionate plea to the Councillors making the decision he said "if this was your area, you'd have the same view on it."
He was concerned about the impact of jobs on the ECO Dome, at Unstone, arguing that the creation of 2,000 jobs there would be in doubt if the Incinerator got the green light.
Stuart Ellis is also a Councillor.
He is not opposed to Incineration - and he used that word "quite deliberately", he told the Committee - "but in the right place and right time". He felt, that by allowing the site to go ahead, there was a risk being placed where there was no risk before. "Local Councillors", he said, were called upon to use their "wisdom and judgement."
Richard Bembridge was another Councillor who spoke, this time a Dronfield Representative.
He had "two good reasons for being there", he said, "a 4 year old son and 2 year old daughter". He had sent a letter in to the Committee, one which was signed by every member of the Dronfield Town Council, irrespective of their party politics. "We stand United." he assured the Committee.
The Action groups then had their turn to speak.
Paul Andrews is a local businessman, one who is adamant that this "is an Incinerator - even the Environmental permit calls it that. The Highways Agency have raised concerns about the access and vehicle numbers to the site and the sister plant in Dumfries had just been labelled as a Poor Operator in a report."
Paul Wakefield spoke next. He's the planning solicitor for Marrons who are acting for the CAI Action Group. He said that, "in 2009, an independent review highlighted a number of deficiencies in RSK." (the company behind the project) and told the Committee that "none of these had been addressed."
Julie Harrington represented CAI. She said she was "a local resident and mother."
She objected on the grounds of the "basic principle of planning - 50,000 Derbyshire residents and every council and town council think it's the wrong decision."
"It's not just cardboard and packaging - it's spillage and oil that will be there. There are 5 nurseries, 5 schools and 10,000 residents within I mile of this site. Planning rules", she said, "state that they put the right development in the right place - this is the wrong development in the wrong place."
Sally Chisholm talked about what she said was the credibility of the company behind the scheme, Planning Officers relied heavily on their information in order to make any decision and urged them to make sure they could be trusted "you must ask yourself whether you can make a decision based on their claims." she urged.
Karon Glynn was another local resident who spoke against the planned site. She had researched the sister plant in Dumfries and reported that "they were exporting no energy to the National grid after 12 months. There was", she said "no benefit at all to the local economy from local energy."
Dave Cheetham is a transport expert, engaged by CAI to assess the traffic impact of the site if it went ahead. He was shocked to find that no detailed analysis of the Whittington Moor roundabout had been conducted. "There had been a large number of accidents in the area." he told the Committee.
Derek Mapp called the site "a boil on the backside, and it would be an economic catastrophe if it went ahead. Any planning decisions should not have any impact on the future of the town," and he was sure that businesses would lose staff if it was given permission.
Dunston Garden Centre is familiar to those of us who live in Chesterfield. John Pople owns it and Dunston Hall. In a passionate speech he told the committee that over that time he had restored the Hall to it's former glory and built up his business, He'd also worked hard to restore the ancient parks and deerland directly opposite the site. Estate Agents had told him the value of properties in the area would drop and that he employs 33 staff - but would find it difficult to replace them, or expand - "Who", he asks "would want to work near an Incinerator?"
Two speakers from Dronfield were also at the meeting.
Jill Hudson talked of the fear that has been in the widespread community over this - fears for health - "particles would be airborne" she countered, "and will get into bodies of people living nearby, The USA stopped building incinerators when they began to monitor the emission levels 20 years ago." She asked the committee to consider that having an Enviromental Permit is no guarantee that the site will be well run.
Angelique Foster was concerned too about "the tremendous fear and anxiety caused by this project." She told the committee that "Planning law states that - the state of mind of the community is important - and that the strength of feeling generated by this must be evident in the oppositions by letter and the presence of so many at the hearing."
Her final statement to the Committee was a plea - "You have the power to make a decision affecting the lives of people for many years to come - you have the support of the people."
Natascha Engel, MP for North East Derbyshire expressed her delight at the decision of Derbyshire County Council Planning Committee to reject the application for a gasification/incineration plant on Dunston Road, Chesterfield.
Commenting after the decision Natascha said: "I am absolutely delighted with this news. This goes to show what People Power can do! I'm just thankful that councillors listened to their constituents and voted with their consciences." |
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