Agenda item

In respect of application numbered S/18/1617/SASM (Installation of a 7.5MW flexible generation plant, 2.4 metre security fence and associated works, Land At Wood Farm, Swindon Road, Wroughton) the Committee considered: -

          Name                                 Address/Organisation

          John Colombi                      Applicant

          Jennifer Joule                      Agent        

          Jammie Taylor                    Local Resident

          Councillor Cathy Martyn       Ward Councillor

          Councillor Brian Ford           Ward Councillor

Councillors Steph Exell, Jane Milner-Barrie, Stan Pajak, Jim Robbins and Peter Watts spoke in respect of this application.

Submissions in support of the application can be broadly summarised as:

·       The application was for a flexible low carbon generation plant involving the installation of four generators.

·       The facility would burn mains gas to generate electricity to the local grid to meet short term demand fluctuations and would be distributed locally.

·       The application met the requirement of Policy SD2 of the Local Plan to support development outside of the settlement boundaries.

·       Policy IN4 production of low carbon energy and infrastructure was not defined in the Local Plan but was within the Paragraph 1.48 of the MPPF.

·       The question was one supporting low carbon infrastructure to support peak demand periods rather than the production of low carbon electricity.

·       This type of infrastructure had been regarded as Carbon Energy Infrastructure by the Planning Inspectorate and Policy IN4 subject to an assessment of its social and economic benefits, impact on the benefit to local communities and its environmental impact.

·       Following the submission of impact assessments by the applicant there were no outstanding objections from Council Officers subject to conditions applied to the application.

·       The application was compliant with the relevant policies within the Local Plan.

·       The application supported renewable energy generation, such as wind or solar, which could not be relied upon to produce electricity when required throughout the year and their output can change quickly and large scale power station could take a number of hours to become operational.

·       Due to the cost of burning Natural Gas the generators would only be operational for a limited time each week.

·       The Government and National Grid recognised the need and role of local power generation and in ensuring energy demand is met in the future.

·       The application was for back-up generators that would only be used for limited time during peak demand or loss of nationally produced power.

·       That schemes such as the proposed application were key to moving away from the use of major generating plants and in decarbonising energy.

·       Technologies such as battery storage were not yet capable of guaranteeing energy supply and projects like this were needed in the transition to a dynamic low carbon grid.

·       There was a clear officer recommendation for approval and this recommendation had been considered against national and local planning policy and neighbourhood plans and given it was low carbon infrastructure development was supported by the Council’s Development Plan.

·       There were no objections from Council Officers, Statutory consultees or the Parish Council and Natural England had raised no concerns.

·       The term power station vastly over-stated the scale and impact of the proposed development which was a small scale scheme operating on a limited basis when there is insufficient energy being produced and its air quality and noise impact are low.

·       Conditions were proposed to deal with noise and environmental issues.

Submissions opposing the application can be broadly summarised as:

·       An on-line petition containing 91 signatures from Swindon and further afield had been received opposing the application.

·       A late objection from the Wiltshire Branch of the Campaign to Protect Rural England on the grounds that the proposal was not renewable or low carbon, visible impact concerns and insufficient noise conditions to protect neighbours, the impact on the Berkley Farm housing and that it should be located on an industrial estate.

·       The site was with a farm and access would require the removal of some hedge way.

·       The development was not farm diversification under the meaning of Policy EC5 as the land would be rented with no further involvement in the activities.

·       Gas was a fossil fuel and the country was trying to reduce its use of fossil fuels, indeed Swindon Borough Council had been successful in the installation of solar farms which supplied the local grid in the case of electricity shortage.

·       The application could adversely affect those properties anticipated to be built as part of Wroughton’s future expansion.

·       The access for the site was Swindon Road in the middle of Wroughton and could not therefore be considered a rural site.

·       The Prospect Hospice and local residential properties would be subjected to noise from the generator during its operation.

·       The development was neither sustainable nor environmentally friendly, nor did it positively impact climate change as it burnt mains gas which was not a renewable energy source, was inefficient, nor did it constitute low carbon technology.

·       The application was in effect an industrial unit placed close to residential units.

·       There were no guarantees as to the annual operating hours or times of operation nor limits in place on its operation.

·       The site was unsuitable due to the noise of operation being so great it required noise attenuation measures in the form of four meter acoustic barrier.

·       The chimneys were higher than the proposed screening measures so would adversely affect the visual amenity of the area.

·       The application cannot be considered farm diversification under Policy EC5.

·       The measuring point of noise assessments and enforcement action, if required, were not properly addressed within the application.

·       The effect of heat inversion was not adequately addressed within the application.

·       The application was unsustainable, the site was unsuitable, there would be an unreasonable noise impact on existing and future neighbours, it would contribute to climate change, it uses fossil fuels, and did not contribute to the Council’s vision to reduce Swindon’s carbon footprint.

·       Previous applications of this nature within the Borough had been refused.

·       Conrad Energy’s handbook for landlords suggests development away from residential areas and/or industrial or commercial zones and their own assessment stated that noise generated overnight would be above the level of significant adverse impact and that no further mitigation is possible.

·       Experience from similar developments around the country that have led to issues with low frequency noise which can penetrate the walls of residential properties.

·       That if approved the electric generation would be undertaken on a 25 year contract which would complicate any remedial actions if required.

·       The production of electricity on the scale proposed would be inefficient and produces carbon dioxide, methane and nitrogen dioxide.

·       Demand flexibility and storage were more economically and environmentally appropriate means of meeting peak demand for electricity.

·       Monitoring of noise levels would only be undertaken by the Council following noise complaints.

Resolved – That application numbered S/18/1617/SASM be refused.

Reasons

1.     It has not been sufficiently demonstrated to the satisfaction of the Local Planning Authority that noise levels and disturbance produced during the flexible power plant's operation would not harm the residential amenity of nearby residents contrary to Policies DE1 (c) and EN7(a) of the Swindon Borough Local Plan 2026 (2015).

2.    The proposed development by reason of its appearance and proposed height of the acoustic screening would comprise an intrusive feature in the rural landscape and cause harm to the character and appearance of the area contrary to Policy DE1 of the Swindon Borough Local Plan 2026 (2015).

3.    The proposal does not represent farm diversification and accordingly represents inappropriate development in the countryside and therefore is not in accordance with Policy EC5 of the Swindon Borough Local Plan 2026 (2015).

(Councillor Peter Watts made a non-prejudicial Declaration of interest in respect of this item in his capacity as a non-executive Director of Public Power Solutions.)