Decision deferred on Barry biomass plant proposal (From Barry And District News)

Decision deferred on Barry biomass plant proposal

7:20am Thursday 25th June 2009 in News By Sharon Harris

VALE planners have deferred a decision on proposals to build a wood gasification plant at Barry Docks, pending an Assembly review.

Assembly planning officers sent an 11th hour letter informing committee members they would be unable to take any decisions that mattered on Sunrise Renewables (Barry) Ltd’s application to site their premises at Woodham Road.

Barry/Vale Friends of the Earth (FoE) had asked the Assembly to look at the application, indicating that the report presented to the Vale planning committee relied heavily on arguing that the facility was of regional importance and was not merely a local issue.

The Assembly will now carry out an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) before the application can be determined.

A spokesman for Sunrise Renewables (Barry) Ltd said: “We are disappointed in the last-minute instruction by the Assembly which resulted in a further delayed decision on our application for a biomass scheme in Barry Docks. “In the planning committee meeting, a Friends of the Earth representative claimed to have contacted the Assembly and caused the delay.

“We are urgently looking at what action we can take to overcome this delay, as we feel there is a great opportunity to bring jobs and investment to Barry and for the area to demonstrate its green credentials by supporting this scheme.”

Castleland councillor Pamela Drake said: “I think it is right and proper that if the Assembly asks for an EIA, then it must now be for the developer to work with the Assembly and submit an EIA.

“Residents still have concerns about the development and now that an EIA has been called for we don’t know how long it will take before the application will go back to the planning committee.”

Fellow councillor Chris Elmore added: “We think it was right for the planning committee to defer the decision on the application.

“Residents are still out most evenings collecting names for the petitions, which are now both past the 1,000-name mark.

“Thanks must go to Friends of the Earth who wrote to the Assembly to ask for an EIA.”

FoE group coordinator, Keith Stockdale said: “The proposed biomass plant is an incinerator, by any other name, and does not belong on Barry Waterfront, as an Environmental Impact Assessment would surely reveal.

“We will continue to work with the Dock Incinerator Action Group and others, to ensure environmental justice and sustainable planning.”