Driffield & Rural Councillors' stance on Biomass Plant

Driffield's East Riding of Yorkshire Councillors are calling for a number of special conditions to be added by the ERYC Planning Committee to address the local concerns over the proposed biomass fired power plant.

Councillor Symon Fraser commented, "The proposals being put forward for this plant near Fimber have many positive aspects. The developers are local, the proposals will open up a new outlet for agricultural and woodland materials which are currently going to waste and the plant will create local employment retaining energy revenues here in the East Riding and boosting our local economy."

Councillor Fraser continued, "However if the ERYC Planning Committee are minded to approve the plans it is important that the local impacts of the proposals are at least minimised. We are putting forward a suite of eight conditions which we want to see imposed to tackle some of the negative aspects of this proposal and to see that some of the local opportunities are realised."

1. That the developers agree to implement a traffic management plan which prevents heavy vehicles associated with the site from travelling through the village of Fimber on the B1252.

2. That the developers help to safeguard road users by funding the installation of illuminated speed warning signs at the approaches to Sledmere Village.

3. That the developers are required to improve the road layout at the junction of the Malton and York roads just to the west of Wetwang.

4. That the development includes for an educational facility.

5. That the developer is required to work in partnership with Driffield School, Wetwang Primary School, Garton on the Wolds Primary School and Sledmere School to provide educational resources to those schools to enable pupils to better understand the technologies of renewable energy.

6. That the developers set up a community fund to benefit the local ward villages.

7. That the operator of the facility agrees to remove all loose materials from trucks before leaving the site.

8. That the developer agrees to undertake a feasibility study into the provision of "district heating" for the village of Wetwang.

Councillor Felicity Temple remarked, "Although the proposals have been opposed by residents in Wetwang and Fimber it is very likely that if the ERYC refused the plans they would sail straight through the Governments Planning Inspectorate appeal process like all of the other renewable energy proposals, it is better that we do what we can at this stage to get positive outcomes for the community from this scheme."

Councillor Barbara Hall added, "Whilst this scheme has attracted local opposition it is fair to say that it has benefits to the local economy which we are unlikely to see come from the many wind farm applications which the ERYC has refused just to see them steamrolled by the Planning Inspectorate, on balance I think we should, with conditions, accept the scheme."