FAO Lord Bracknel re proposed Incinerator

[Brovion]

Ed, I seem to remember when we were discussing Picketing and/or Industial Action a few months back and you said that East Sussex CC used to have a facility for turning household waste into fuel pellets (I think they were trying to get them to the old Shoreham Power Station instead of coal).

Do they still have this? And instead of just an incinerator is there any chance that there could be some joined-up thinking and we solve the energy crisis and the landfill crisis at a stroke? (Well, not quite but you know what I mean).

And on the subject of integration, have they considered using the rail line to bring rubbish to Newhaven? They could use the proposed Hollingdean transfer station (which is right next to the eastbound Coastway line) and thus save hundreds of lorries rumbling through Brighton and along the woefully inadequate A27/A26.

 

[Lord Bracknell]

The original ESCC project to produce fuel pellets from waste was based in Eastbourne - at Roselands, near Churchdale Road. Production was on a relatively small scale.

After a few years, the Council sold the project to a private sector operator (Reprotech) and production was moved to a new plant at Pebsham, next to the landfill site at the western edge of Hastings. Production increased significantly, but so did public concern about emissions from the chimney. ESCC politicians then turned against the concept and fought a long legal battle to try to get the plant shut down. But I think production still goes on.

The East Sussex and Brighton & Hove Waste Local Plan is the key planning document that covers future projects. After years of public consultation (and controversial Public Inquiries) the final Plan has now been officially adopted.

In the Plan, the Pebsham site is allocated to Materials Recovery and a Waste Transfer Facility.

As far as Railway transport of waste is concerned, the only site in the Plan Area that has been allocated as a road-to-rail transfer station is the Coal Yard adjacent to the Sackville Trading Estate in Hove.

Hollingdean is allocated as a road-based transfer station, having been ruled out as a base for rail transfer on the grounds that the railway alignment at Hollingdean is nowhere near as good as it is at Hove.

As with all planning issues, it is the Local Authority that sets the planning policies. Operators of waste facilities then have to apply for planning permission to build anything and planning applications are assessed against the Waste Local Plan.

Whether there will ever be a planning application to use rail to get rubbish to the Newhaven incinerator remains to be seen. As Brovian says, it's feasible.

 

[110%]

After a few years, the Council sold the project to a private sector operator (Reprotech) and production was moved to a new plant at Pebsham, next to the landfill site at the western edge of Hastings. Production increased significantly, but so did public concern about emissions from the chimney. ESCC politicians then turned against the concept and fought a long legal battle to try to get the plant shut down. But I think production still goes on.

The plant at Pebsham hasn't been operating for quite some time - perhaps a couple of years. There was a fire at the site and although the plant was rebuilt it never resumed operations and Reprotech are no longer involved with the site.


As regards the use of rail, the reason why it won't happen is that it is too expensive. The option of using rail has been looked at for both Newhaven and Hollingdean and the cost has been a major factor in not pursuing it at this stage, although there are also operational problems with Hollingdean in terms of being able to get the trains into the site and then back out on to the main line.

 

[Brovion]

There used to be a siding at Hollingdean though when it was an abbatoir, but I accept that the current track alignment is nowhere near as good as Hove. It's a pity that cost is the main criteria.

Interesting that ESCC ended up opposing the production of fuel from rubbish on environmental grounds! Perhaps they'll build a nice new Reactor at Devil's Dyke instead? In terms of emissions nuclear power is very environmentally-friendly - although the 'ash' is a bit more toxic.

Thanks anyway guys.

 

[The Large One]

The Hollingdean part of the plan is still kicking up a dereadful stink with local residents. They have a 'Dump the Dump' campaign ongoing, mainly whipped up by the lack of public consultation into the proposed use of the site. Apparently, according to the protestors, only seven households were notified of the scheme.

http://www.dumpthedump.org.uk/

Permission has yet to be given on this site, as the City Council acknowledges (or were told to acknowledge - one or the other) that there was insufficient consultation.

 

[Brovion]

The Hollingdean part of the plan is still kicking up a dereadful stink with local residents. They have a 'Dump the Dump' campaign ongoing, mainly whipped up by the lack of public consultation into the proposed use of the site. Apparently, according to the protestors, only seven households were notified of the scheme.

http://www.dumpthedump.org.uk/

Permission has yet to be given on this site, as the City Council acknowledges (or were told to acknowledge - one or the other) that there was insufficient consultation.

I know, they keep going on about it in the Fiveways magazine. I'm in a bit of an odd position as I'm not totally against it. I disagree strongly with the 'road only' strategy it currently wants to use, but on the other hand as it is near the rail line it makes sense to have it there. It's already used as a council depot with dustcarts going to and fro so it's the logical choice to build it. I'd love to see it as a waste transfer station with the rubbish being taken from the local dustcarts and put on a train to the fuel pellet / rubbish-fuelled power station in Newhaven (or wherever). If they build it somewhere else it may be impossible to put in a rail link whereas it would be a feasible upgrade (cost permitting) for Hollingdean.

Also although I don't want more lorries thundering past my house I don't want any one accusing me of Nimbyism. Those selfish tossers in Peacehaven mean we still pump raw sewage into the sea, I don't want to be part of the rubbish problem.

 

[110%]

Interesting that ESCC ended up opposing the production of fuel from rubbish on environmental grounds

The locals were firmly of the opinion that the site was causing health problems and one of the local councillors in particular campaigned in support of having the plant closed down.

The legal battle that LB mentioned wasn't actually anything to do with the environmental impacts of the operation. It was to do with whether or not Reprotech could generate electricity from the plant without the need for planning permission and how much reliance Reprotech could place on the informal comments of the Council. (The answers to which were 'no' and 'none'!) This case went to the House of Lords and is now a landmark judgement in planning case law!

 

[sussexfatboy]

Reprotech was closed by a fire, but it was widely rumoured that they were in big trouble anyway because the company they supplied the pellets to said they didn't want them any more