This is entry number 237, published on 3 May 2011, of a blog on the Planning Act 2008 infrastructure planning and authorisation regime. Click here for a link to the whole blog. If you would like to be notified when the blog is updated, with links sent by email, click here.
Today's entry reports on the publication of the representations made about the second Infrastructure Planning Commission application.
Since the Infrastructure Planning Commission (IPC) opened for applications on 1 March 2010, it has only accepted two: both for energy from waste projects, and both promoted by Covanta Energy.
The second application is for a plant that will be able to produce 77MW of electricity (so above the 50MW threshold that makes it a nationally significant infrastructure project). It is to be called Brig y Cwm and situated at Cwmbargoed near Merthyr Tydfil in Wales. Like many projects you will therefore find it with at least four names: Merthyr Tydfil, Cwmbargoed, Brig y CWm and Covanta.
The application was made on 31 December 2010, and the objection period closed on 25 March, but it was only late on Thursday 28 April that the objections were published on the IPC website. That is probably due to their number, for 9865 have been published, out of what were believed to be over 10,000 objections - the small remainder presumably being deemed vexatious, frivolous or offensive. The objections can be found here. The list is displayed a page at a time without loading the whole thing, a welcome format change.
The objections have been numbered 7078 to 17075. I am not sure what happened to the first 7077, but the difference between the two numbers suggests that 9998 were made. This supports the 10,000 theory, albeit tantalisingly short of that number. There was a considerable local campaign to encourage objections to be made, extending to a demonstration outside the IPC's offices in Bristol.
The objections have been categorised as to whether they were made by local authorities, parish councils, other statutory consultees (i.e. those in a list of organisations that must be consulted), non-statutory organisations, and 'public and business'. This turns out to be not much of a division of the objections, since 99.7% fall into the last category. Strangely, the 'host' local authority of Merthyr Tydfil is not among the five local authority representations. It will still have a chance to submit a 'local impact report' and call for, or appear at, any hearings, at least.
Over 70% of the public and business objections are expressed in one of three formulations:
- 4426 start 'I strongly object to all aspects of this development';
- 1602 start 'I strongly object to this development on all counts'; and
- 1149 start 'I strongly object to the development of this incinerator on all accounts'.
The next step is the holding of a 'preliminary meeting', the date for which has not yet been fixed. The meeting triggers the six-month period within which the examination of the application by the panel of three commissioners headed by Jan Bessell must take place.
Meanwhile, the Environment Agency is consulting on an environmental permit for the project until 10 June. The consultation page can be found here.
Previous entry 236: CBI adds its voice to infrastructure concerns
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